Why are College Football Playoff games played on New Year’s Eve?

What’s the history behind the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Eve? Why are the games played on that day some years and not others?

When the College Football Playoff was established, the folks who set everything up worked to try and create the tradition of having the games on New Year’s Eve every year. It’d make the games stand out and be a bit unique if that was the case.

However, the games aren’t always played on New Year’s Eve. Sometimes the CFP Semifinal round is scheduled to take place a little bit before then.

College Football Playoff games on New Year’s Eve is bad for everyone

Whenever New Year’s Eve doesn’t happen to fall on a Saturday or during years when it isn’t a federal holiday, the CFP Semifinal games will be moved to the Saturday that occurs prior to New Year’s Eve.

As USA Today reported in 2016, that decision was made after the CFP Semifinal games apparently drew smaller TV audiences because the games weren’t taking place at times that are advantageous for attracting a larger number of eyes.

It’s all part of an effort to get as large an audience as possible viewing the games. From the college football fan perspective, it makes some sense. From a monetary perspective for the folks doing all the advertising and scheduling, it makes a ton of sense. The more people viewing the games, the better.

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