In the United States, there are approximately 858 colleges that offer football, spread across five divisions: NCAA Division 1, 2, and 3, as well as NAIA and NJCAA. Division 1 is further divided into two subdivisions: the Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Championship Subdivision (FCS). Together, these two subdivisions contain a total of 260 college football teams.
Divisions are further categorized into conferences, which are groups of schools that compete against each other to become the conference champions. The FBS is the highest level of college football in the US and is made up of the largest schools in the NCAA.
An expanded format
The College Football Playoff (CFP) for the 2024-2025 season will expand to include twelve teams, up from the previous four. After the regular season, bowl games will feature both conference tie-ins and additional matchups selected by a committee that ranks the top 25 teams. The playoff field will consist of five automatic qualifiers and seven at-large bids. The expanded format gives some breathing room for teams with one loss on their resumes.
College football is one of the most popular spectator sports in the U.S., and betting on these games is also popular. Pennsylvania has many football colleges, such as Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh. The rules around betting on college sports vary considerably from state to state. In Pennsylvania sports betting, it is allowed to wager on college sports but not on college player props.
When are the college football playoffs?
Games are scheduled from December 20, 2024, to January 20, 2025. The first round will take place on December 20 and 21. The quarterfinals are from December 31 to January 1 and the semi-finals are on January 9 and 10. The final game of the season will take place on January 20 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta will be the first city to host the CFP national championship twice.
One of the major sports events in 2025 that football fans are always very excited to watch is the annual Super Bowl which occurs on the second Sunday in February.
Top college football teams
The top college football teams include the Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Penn State Nittany Lions, Georgia Bulldogs, and Ohio State Buckeyes are other top-performing teams.
The recent week of the regular season was full of drama. Oregon has been the best team in the country throughout the season and is predicted to be in the number one position. Some highlights of the 2024 NCAA football season:
- Texas Longhorns won a long-awaited rivalry game against Texas A&M. It controlled the game from start to finish, and this puts it in the number 2 position.
- Penn State beat Maryland 44-7 and the Nittany Lions take on Oregon in the Big Ten title game with a chance to earn a bye in the playoff. At worst, they will host a first-round playoff game.
- Notre Dame is likely to host a game in the first round of the playoffs after beating USC 49-35 in the regular season finale.
- Georgia moves up due to winning a close game in a week when Ohio State and Miami lost. The Bulldogs are in the mix for a CFP national championship.
- Tennessee clinched a playoff spot with its win over Vanderbilt.
- Ohio State is likely to be in the playoffs even after a second loss because it won over Penn State and Indiana. These wins will keep it in over a pair of one-loss teams.
The first round
The 1 to 4 seeds will be the highest four conference champions, and they get a bye for the first round. The seeds from 5 to 12 will play against each other in the first round. The first-round matchups will be 5 vs 12, 6 vs 11, 7 vs 10, and 8 vs 9. The team that is seeded higher will play host in the first-round games.
Quarterfinal and semifinal matches
The games in the quarterfinal round will add to the holiday spirit as they take place in the Fiesta, Peach, Rose, and Sugar bowls. The highest-ranked team will have the right to decide where to play. The semifinal games will be held at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl.