College Football Playoff National Championship
The College Football Playoff National Championship is a post-season college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), which began play in the 2014 college football season.[1] The game serves as the final of the College Football Playoff, a bracket tournament between the top four teams in the country as determined by a selection committee, which was established as a successor to the Bowl Championship Series and its similar BCS National Championship Game.
| College Football Playoff National Championship | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | Various |
| Operated | 2014–present |
| Championship affiliation | Winners of the CFP semifinals |
| Preceded by | |
| 2019 season matchup | |
| LSU vs. Clemson (LSU 42–25) | |
| 2020 season matchup | |
| Alabama vs. Ohio State (Alabama 52–24) | |
The participating teams in the College Football Playoff National Championship are determined by two semifinal games (sometimes called the "Plus-One system"), hosted by an annual rotation of bowls commonly known as the New Year's Six. Thus, the teams to compete in the championship game are not directly selected by a selection committee, as had been the format used for the BCS National Championship Game.
The game is played at a neutral site, determined through bids by prospective host cities (similar to the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four). When announcing it was soliciting bids for the 2016 and 2017 title games, playoff organizers noted that the bids must propose host stadiums with a capacity of at least 65,000 spectators,[2] and cities cannot host both a semi-final game and the title game in the same year.[3]
The winner of the game is awarded the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy, which is sponsored by Dr Pepper.[4] It was created as a new championship trophy, rather than the "crystal football" that has been given by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) since 1986, as officials wanted a new trophy that was unconnected with the previous BCS championship system.[5]
The inaugural game was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in January 2015, and was won by Ohio State.[6] A top-ranked team did not win the College Football Playoff National Championship until LSU won the sixth edition of the game, in January 2020. Including the scheduled January 2021 game, Alabama has the most appearances in a College Football Playoff National Championship, with five.
Note that the College Football Playoff National Championship is not awarded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The highest level of college football that the NCAA awards a championship in is the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Venues
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The number of cities capable of bidding for the event is restricted by the 65,000-seat stadium minimum. In addition to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, which was the other finalist for the 2015 matchup,[7] the stadium restriction would limit the bidding to cities such as New Orleans, Glendale, and Pasadena.[2] Other possible future hosts include Orlando, San Antonio, and almost any city with a National Football League franchise, since all but three of the stadiums in that league (only one, the Chicago Bears' Soldier Field, will fall short beginning with the 2020 season) meet the capacity requirements and, unlike the Super Bowl, there is no de jure restriction on climate. Officials in New York City said they would like to host the game at Yankee Stadium, which hosts the annual Pinstripe Bowl, but it falls short of the attendance limit as it only holds approximately 54,000 fans in its football configuration—a game could still be hosted in the New York metropolitan area, but it would have to be at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.[2][3]
On December 16, 2013, host selections for the 2016 and 2017 title games were announced. Glendale, Arizona (University of Phoenix Stadium) was selected to host the 2016 game and Tampa, Florida (Raymond James Stadium) was selected to host the 2017 game. Four cities had submitted bids for the 2016 game: Glendale, Jacksonville (EverBank Field), New Orleans (Mercedes-Benz Superdome), and Tampa. Six metropolitan areas had been vying for the 2017 game: Tampa, the San Francisco Bay Area (Levi's Stadium), Minneapolis (U.S. Bank Stadium), San Antonio (Alamodome), South Florida (Hard Rock Stadium), and Jacksonville (Jacksonville Municipal Stadium).[8]
The host for the 2020 game was announced on November 4, 2015.[9]
- 2020 – Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The hosts for the 2021 through 2024 games were announced November 1, 2017.[10]
- 2021 – Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
- 2022 – Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- 2023 – SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
- 2024 – NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Since cities hosting College Football Playoff semifinal games cannot host the championship game in the same year, Pasadena and New Orleans were not eligible for the 2018 game; South Florida and North Texas could not host in 2019; and Glendale and Atlanta were excluded from 2020 consideration. The same exclusions rotate every three years through 2026.[11]
Game results
- For previous championship game results, see BCS National Championship Game (1998–2013), Bowl Alliance (1995–1997), and Bowl Coalition (1992–1994).
Rankings are from the CFP Poll released prior to matchup.
| Season | Date | Winning team | Losing team | Site | Attendance | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | January 12, 2015 | No. 4 Ohio State | 42 | No. 2 Oregon | 20 | AT&T Stadium • Arlington, Texas | 85,788 | notes |
| 2015 | January 11, 2016 | No. 2 Alabama | 45 | No. 1 Clemson | 40 | University of Phoenix Stadium • Glendale, Arizona | 75,765 | notes |
| 2016 | January 9, 2017 | No. 2 Clemson | 35 | No. 1 Alabama | 31 | Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, Florida | 74,512 | notes |
| 2017 | January 8, 2018 | No. 4 Alabama | 26 | No. 3 Georgia | 23 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia | 77,430 | notes |
| 2018 | January 7, 2019 | No. 2 Clemson | 44 | No. 1 Alabama | 16 | Levi's Stadium • Santa Clara, California | 74,814 | notes |
| 2019 | January 13, 2020 | No. 1 LSU | 42 | No. 3 Clemson | 25 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome • New Orleans, Louisiana | 76,885 | notes |
| 2020 | January 11, 2021 | No. 1 Alabama | 52 | No. 3 Ohio State | 24 | Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, Florida | 14,926 | notes |
Source:[12]
Future games
| Season | Date | Site[13] |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | January 10, 2022 | Lucas Oil Stadium • Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 2022 | January 9, 2023 | SoFi Stadium • Inglewood, California |
| 2023 | January 8, 2024 | NRG Stadium • Houston, Texas |
| 2024 | January 6, 2025 | TBD |
| 2025 | January 5, 2026 | TBD |
Appearances by team
Updated through the January 2021 edition (7 games, 14 total appearances).
| Appearances | Team | Wins | Losses | Win % | Season(s) won | Season(s) lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Alabama | 3 | 2 | .600 | 2015, 2017, 2020 | 2016, 2018 |
| 4 | Clemson | 2 | 2 | .500 | 2016, 2018 | 2015, 2019 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2014 | 2020 |
| 1 | LSU | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2019 | |
| 1 | Oregon | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2014 | |
| 1 | Georgia | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2017 |
January 2021 participant (2020 season)
Appearances by conference
Updated through the January 2021 edition (7 games, 14 total appearances).
| Conference | Appearances | Wins | Losses | Win Pct | # Teams | Team(s) | Title seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEC | 7 | 4 | 3 | .571 | 3 | Alabama (3–2) LSU (1–0) Georgia (0–1) |
2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 |
| ACC | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | 1 | Clemson (2–2) | 2016, 2018 |
| Big Ten | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 1 | Ohio State (1–1) | 2014 |
| Pac-12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | Oregon (0–1) | None |
Coaches
The following coaches led their teams to the National Championship game. Nick Saban has done so the most with 5 appearances and 3 wins.
| Game | Date | Winning Coach | Losing Coach | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | Team | Coach | Team | ||
| 2015 | January 12, 2015 | Urban Meyer | Ohio State | Mark Helfrich | Oregon |
| 2016 | January 11, 2016 | Nick Saban | Alabama | Dabo Swinney | Clemson |
| 2017 | January 9, 2017 | Dabo Swinney | Clemson | Nick Saban | Alabama |
| 2018 | January 8, 2018 | Nick Saban | Alabama | Kirby Smart | Georgia |
| 2019 | January 7, 2019 | Dabo Swinney | Clemson | Nick Saban | Alabama |
| 2020 | January 13, 2020 | Ed Orgeron | LSU | Dabo Swinney | Clemson |
| 2021 | January 11, 2021 | Nick Saban | Alabama | Ryan Day | Ohio State |
Appearances by coach
| Coach | Team | App | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Saban | Alabama | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Dabo Swinney | Clemson | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Urban Meyer | Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ed Orgeron | LSU | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Mark Helfrich | Oregon | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kirby Smart | Georgia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ryan Day | Ohio State | 1 | 0 | 1 |
MVPs
An offensive and defensive MVP is named for each championship game.
| Game | Date | Offensive MVP | Defensive MVP | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Pos | Player | Team | Pos | |||
| 2015 | January 12, 2015 | Ezekiel Elliott | Ohio State | RB | Tyvis Powell | Ohio State | S | [14] |
| 2016 | January 11, 2016 | O. J. Howard | Alabama | TE | Eddie Jackson | Alabama | S | [15] |
| 2017 | January 9, 2017 | Deshaun Watson | Clemson | QB | Ben Boulware | Clemson | LB | [16] |
| 2018 | January 8, 2018 | Tua Tagovailoa | Alabama | QB | Daron Payne | Alabama | DT | [17] |
| 2019 | January 7, 2019 | Trevor Lawrence | Clemson | QB | Trayvon Mullen | Clemson | CB | [18] |
| 2020 | January 13, 2020 | Joe Burrow | LSU | QB | Patrick Queen | LSU | LB | [19] |
| 2021 | January 11, 2021 | DeVonta Smith | Alabama | WR | Christian Barmore | Alabama | DT | [20] |
Game records
Broadcasters
Television
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| Date | Network | Play-by-play | Color commentator(s) | Sideline reporter(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 12, 2015 | ESPN | Chris Fowler | Kirk Herbstreit | Heather Cox | Tom Rinaldi |
| January 11, 2016 | |||||
| January 9, 2017 | Samantha Ponder | ||||
| January 8, 2018 | Maria Taylor | ||||
| January 7, 2019 | |||||
| January 13, 2020 | |||||
| January 11, 2021 | Allison Williams | ||||
Radio
| Date | Network | Play-by-play | Color commentator(s) | Sideline reporter(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 12, 2015 | ESPN Radio | Mike Tirico | Todd Blackledge | Holly Rowe and Joe Schad |
| January 11, 2016 | ||||
| January 9, 2017 | Sean McDonough | Holly Rowe and Ian Fitzsimmons | ||
| January 8, 2018 | ||||
| January 7, 2019 | ||||
| January 13, 2020 | ||||
| January 11, 2021 | Greg McElroy |
Local radio
| Date | Flagship station | Play-by-play | Color commentator(s) | Sideline reporter(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 12, 2015 | KUGN (Oregon) WBNS-AM/FM (Ohio State) | Jerry Allen Paul Keels | Mike Jorgensen Jim Lachey | Marty Bannister |
| January 11, 2016 | WFFN/WTSK (Alabama) WCCP-FM (Clemson) | Eli Gold Don Munson | Phil Savage Rodney Williams | Chris Stewart Michael Palmer |
| January 9, 2017 | WCCP-FM (Clemson) WFFN/WTSK (Alabama) | Don Munson Eli Gold | Rodney Williams Phil Savage | Michael Palmer Chris Stewart |
| January 8, 2018 | WFFN/WTSK (Alabama) WSB (Georgia) | Eli Gold Scott Howard | Phil Savage Eric Zeier | Chris Stewart Chuck Dowdle |
| January 7, 2019 | WCCP-FM (Clemson) WFFN/WTSK (Alabama) | Don Munson Eli Gold | Rodney Williams John Parker Wilson | Reggie Merriweather Rashad Johnson |
| January 13, 2020 | WCCP-FM (Clemson) WDGL (LSU) | Don Munson Chris Blair | Tim Bourret and Brad Scott Doug Moreau | Reggie Merriweather Gordy Rush |
| January 11, 2021 | WBNS-AM/FM (Ohio State) WFFN/WTSK (Alabama) | Paul Keels Eli Gold | Jim Lachey John Parker Wilson | Matt Andrews Rashad Johnson |
See also
References
- Wolken, Dan (April 25, 2013). "Questions and answers for the College Football Playoff". USA Today. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- Jerry Hinnen (August 7, 2013). "CFB playoff opens bidding for 2016, '17 championship games". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- Brett McMurphy (July 26, 2013). "More bids on future title game sites". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- Anthony Crupi (March 25, 2014). "ESPN Inks Dr Pepper as First Mega-Sponsor of the College Football Playoff Series". Adweek. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
- Dennis Dodd (July 23, 2013). "New College Football Playoff will reportedly feature a new trophy". CBSSports.com. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
- "Arlington to host title game". ESPN. January 7, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- Chuck Carlton (April 23, 2013). "Sources: Cowboys Stadium to land 2014 college football national title game on Wednesday". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
- Eight Communities Submit Bids to Host College Football National Championship Game in 2016 and 2017 Archived 2013-10-05 at the Wayback Machine, College Football Playoff, September 30, 2013
- Alex Scarborough (November 4, 2015). "Atlanta, Santa Clara, New Orleans land CFP title games for 2018–20". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- Charlotte Carroll (November 1, 2017). "College Football Playoff Announces Site for 2021-2024 National Championship Games". si.com. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- Brett McMurphy (September 19, 2013). "Cities to bid on '16, '17 title games". ESPN.com.
- "College Football Playoff National Championship" (PDF). Bowl/All Star Game Records. NCAA. 2020. p. 17. Retrieved January 3, 2021 – via NCAA.org.
- "Dates Announced For College Football Playoff Games Through 2026". collegefootballplayoff.com (Press release). August 30, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
- Bottero, Gino. "Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott, Tyvis Powell named title game MVPs". theScore.com.
- "Alabama's O.J. Howard, Eddie Jackson crowned MVPs of CFP title game". www.sportingnews.com.
- Conway, Tyler. "Deshaun Watson, Ben Boulware Win College Football National Championship MVPs". Bleacher Report.
- Rapp, Timothy. "Tua Tagovailoa, Da'Ron Payne Win 2018 College Football National Championship MVP". Bleacher Report.
- "Trevor Lawrence, Trayvon Mullen earn MVP honors as Clemson blows out Alabama". thestate. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- Chippin, Alex. "Burrow, Queen named offensive, defensive MVPs of national title game". theScore.com. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
- Zucker, Joseph (January 11, 2021). "DeVonta Smith, Christian Barmore Win College Football National Championship MVPs". Bleacher Report. Retrieved January 12, 2021.