College Football Playoff sets schedule for 2024 and 2025 12-team playoff

Per The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach, the first round of the 12-team playoff will occur during the week of Dec. 15-21, 2024, with games, "likely late in that week."

To avoid stepping on the NFL's toes, it will most likely mean games will be played on Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21. There's also the potential for games to be scheduled earlier in the week, as well as before the NFL's "Thursday Night Football" broadcast. Although, who are we kidding? No one is watching TNF over a CFP playoff game.

The announcement outlines the locations for the expanded playoff, with the first-round games taking place at the home field of the teams seeded Nos. 5-8. The Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl will host the quarterfinals in 2024, and the semifinals will be hosted by the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl. In 2025, the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl will host semifinal games while the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl move into the quarterfinal rotation.

The expanded field also means the season will end later than ever. The 2024 national championship game will be held on Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta, and Miami will host the 2025 title game on Jan. 19, 2026.

NFL postseason games -- sans conference championships -- traditionally take place on Saturdays and Sundays in January. Per Thursday's announcement, "specific dates for all quarterfinal and semifinal games will be announced at a later time."

Some criticism lobbed at the move centers around the fact that a top-four team -- while benefitting from needing to win one fewer game than the eight other playoff participants -- won't get a chance to play a home playoff game.

 There will be plenty of things to nitpick over the CFP's expanded format and what it will mean for the sport going forward. Giving more teams a slice of the pie isn't one of them.