30 bucket list items college football fans need to experience

TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 09: A general view during the national anthem prior to the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)

1. CFP National Championship Game

The only thing left is perhaps the most obvious: watching college football’s best team win a national championship. With the invention of the College Football Playoff, it’s easier to do than ever.

Decades ago, college football national titles were handed out in a far more complicated manner. Pollsters first awarded a victor before bowl games were played. Later, the decision was held until after the bowls. But, because of tie-ins between conferences, such as the longstanding tradition for the (now) Pac-12 and Big Ten champions to meet in the Rose Bowl regardless of ranking, the No. 1 ranked team didn’t always meet No. 2 on the field. As a result, there were far more split national championships awarded, with one major news service disagreeing with another, or the Coaches Poll.

The BCS was a step in the right direction, and convinced the major bowls to pit the top two ranked teams against one another, but that also often led to cries that one of the selected programs wasn’t as worthy as one that was left out. In 2014, the College Football Playoff was established to eliminate this issue by pitting the top four teams in a two-step tournament. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we have for now – and it’s something to add to your college football bucket list.

For fans hoping to schedule an upcoming trip, the 2017 title game will be held at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. In 2018, the game moves across the country to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The last scheduled game is slated for the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans in 2019.