The College Football Playoff (CFP) debuted in 2014 featuring the top four teams NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as decided by a 13-member selection committee.

The four teams play two semifinal games which are hosted by different bowls on a rotating basis. The two winners of the two semifinals then meet in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Currently the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar Bowls – collectively known as The New Year’s Six – alternate the semifinal locations followed by the championship game with locations decided through a bidding process by cities similar to the Super Bowl process.

The College Football Playoff evolved over a period of several years and was preceded by the Bowl Coalition (1992-1994), Bowl Alliance (1995-1997) and Bowl Championship Series (1998-2013), commonly referred to by its ‘BCS’ acronym.

The College Football Playoff is not officially sanctioned by the NCAA, however, and thus is not considered an official NCAA championship. The FBS remains the only NCAA sport which is not determined by an official NCAA championship event.

Additional Links

Bowl Coalition History
Bowl Alliance History
Bowl Championship Series History