When the School Soccer Playoff expands to 12 groups within the 2024 season, first-round video games can be performed on each Friday and Saturday within the third week of December with quarterfinal and semifinal motion additionally unfold throughout a number of days, CFP commissioner Invoice Hancock confirmed on Thursday. In an effort to keep away from battle with the TV scores big of postseason NFL soccer, the School Soccer Playoff semifinals can be performed on weeknights in order to not intervene with the NFL Wild Card Weekend slate.
When it comes to this season, the CFP is already working into NFL conflicts with the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The Sugar Bowl is Monday, Jan 1, 2024, but when the NFL has “Monday Evening Soccer” in its traditional slot, the sport would get moved as much as earlier within the day. The Cotton Bowl has already been moved to Saturday, Dec. 30 to keep away from battle.
Beneath the present four-team format, days of the week for semifinal video games have fluctuated whereas the championship sport has been performed on Monday nights as soon as the NFL common season — and the NFL’s weekly “Monday Evening Soccer” showcase — had concluded for the season. However with the NFL common season now creeping into January, and together with many video games on Saturdays late within the season, the times on the calendar throughout which the CFP can have the highlight are extra sparse.
Because it stands, the proposed dates for the 2024 School Soccer Playoff are as follows:
- First spherical — Friday, Dec 20 (one sport) and Saturday, Dec. 21 (three video games)
- Quarterfinals — Tuesday, Dec. 31 (three video games) and Wednesday, Jan. 1 (one sport)
- Semifinals — Thursday and/or Friday, Jan. 9-10
- School Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship — Monday, Jan. 20
First-round video games can be handled as a regular-season sport by visiting groups when it comes to journey. They’re anticipated to reach the night time earlier than the sport and depart upon the conclusion. Nonetheless, the quarterfinal video games will entail a three-night keep, semifinals a two-night keep and the championship sport will even be a three-night keep.
Nonetheless to be determined is which bowls can be concerned within the CFP starting in 2026. Every of the six current bowls gave a 30-minute presentation to the commissioners, which was termed extra informational than a “pitch” to remain within the rotation. That can be decided at a later date. What else can be decided at a later date is whether or not ESPN will broadcast all 11 video games on its networks or open up just a few video games to a further media rights companion.
The enlargement to a 12-team discipline lastly grew to become official on Dec. 1, 2022 following begins and stops from school soccer’s energy brokers. First-round video games can be hosted both at residence stadiums of the highest-seeded groups in these video games or different websites chosen by that packages for logistical functions. The additional video games are anticipated to basic roughly $450 million in tv income for the CFP and its members.