College Football Playoff National Championship: A Comprehensive Guide to Locations, History, and Future

The College Football Playoff (CFP) is the premier event that determines the national champion in college football. This article explores the history of the CFP National Championship locations, highlights past games, and provides a glimpse into the future venues that will host this prestigious event.

The Evolution of the CFP National Championship

Since its inception, the College Football Playoff has provided thrilling matchups and memorable moments. For the first 10 years of the College Football Playoff, six different programs have won at least one national title. In the four-team format, Alabama won three (2015, 2017, 2020), Clemson won two (2016, 2018), Georgia won two (2021-22), and Ohio State (2014), LSU (2019) and Michigan (2023) all won one apiece. The CFP Selection Committee ranks the top 25 teams at the end of the season.

The Inaugural Game

The inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on January 12, 2015. Ohio State won the game.

A Variety of Venues

What most people do not realize is every title bout was at a different venue. Although the Rose Bowl has yet to host a national championship game in this current format, the five other New Year's Six bowl venues have all held the event at least once before. Some of those stadiums may have gone by a different name then, but the homes of the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach and Sugar Bowls have all hosted one. Even Los Angeles got a game over in SoFi back in 2022.

Along with SoFi in Greater Los Angeles, we have seen national championships be held at non-NY6 venues at five other times. It has been to Tampa, the Bay Area, Indianapolis and most recently Houston. To date, the only event that was not up to standard was in Santa Clara, because, of course, it was going to be a bad time.

The 12-Team Playoff and Venue Implications

The move to the 12-team College Football Playoff has made the sites for the other New Year's Six bowl games largely off the table for the National Championship Game itself. Those venues will host both quarterfinal and semifinal matchups in the CFP moving forward, which would be a bit redundant to return to them for the title bout consistently. Instead, we'll get to explore more of those other fantastic locations throughout the country.

The 12 playoff participants consist of the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams. The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. The schools seeded five through eight will host those seeded nine through 12 in first-round games. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games - the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Criteria for Host Cities

Cities across the United States can bid on the National Championship Game each year. The number of cities capable of bidding for the event is restricted by a requirement to have a stadium with at least 65,000 seats. The stadium restriction would limit the bidding to most cities with a National Football League franchise, since all but four of the stadiums in the league meet the capacity requirements, and in practice all National Championship venues chosen for up to and including the 2026 game are also home to at least one NFL franchise.

Future CFP National Championship Game Locations

We are getting our first pair of repeats with the game going to Atlanta next year and Miami after that! Here's a look at the confirmed and reported locations for the upcoming years:

2024-25: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)
2025-26: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)
2026-27: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, NV)
2027-28: Mercedes Benz Superdome (New Orleans, LA)
2028-29: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL)*
2029-30: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)**

* denotes only reported and not officially announced.

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Atlanta, GA: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Atlanta is the college football capital of the world, so playing next year's title bout at Mercedes-Benz Stadium goes without saying. Atlanta was selected to host the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship. The venue, which replaced the Georgia Dome, opened in 2017 and is home of the Atlanta Falcons (NFL) and Atlanta United FC (MLS).

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is not just a football venue; it's a multi-purpose facility that has hosted major events such as the Super Bowl in 2019 and will host it again in 2028. The stadium is also set to host matches for the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 and the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

Miami Gardens, FL: Hard Rock Stadium

Not to be outdone, the College Football Playoff will be going back to Greater Miami in for 2025-26. I would also say that going to Miami in two years is fantastic because the only time Hard Rock Stadium held the game was during COVID with limited capacity. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Las Vegas, NV: Allegiant Stadium

Brett McMurphy of the Action Network reported that Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. will host the 2027 CFP National Championship Game. The announcement comes two years ahead of the national championship weekend in 2027. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) celebrated the news by releasing a video of Strip Headliner Shin Lim performing an illusion at the iconic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign.

"College football fans across the country are going to be thrilled to hear this news today," said Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff. "Las Vegas has shown the world they have amazing venues and boundless energy to host an event like the College Football Playoff National Championship in spectacular fashion. I can't think of a better stage to crown the best team in college football in 2027. "Pairing the energy of Las Vegas with the College Football Playoff National Championship will make for a truly extraordinary event, both on and off the field," said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the LVCVA.

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New Orleans, LA: Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Later reports from McMurphy have also stated that the Superdome in New Orleans, LA will host the following year in 2028.

Tampa, FL: Raymond James Stadium

Dallas was initially supposed to be the site for the 2029 CFP National Championship Game but that has since changed. The game is now reportedly set for Tampa, FL at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Buccaneers, which was among three backup sites for the contest.

Return to Miami Gardens, FL: Hard Rock Stadium

Finally, the game will reportedly head back to Miami and Hard Rock Stadium in 2030.

Reflections on Past Locations

What is important is that CFP learned its lesson by going to Santa Clara. That was a huge mistake and they should never go back. The stadium was too far away from anything, located in a region of the country that really doesn't care about college football. SoFi was a bit of a mess too, but that had more to do with TCU fans getting rained on while defending national champion Georgia obliterated them.

A Look Back at the 2025 National Championship

The 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship was a college football bowl game played on January 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The eleventh College Football Playoff National Championship, the game determined the national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for the 2024 season. It was the final game of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff (CFP), the first national championship under the 12-team CFP format, and, aside from any all-star games afterward, the culminating game of the 2024-25 bowl season.

The game featured the No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes from the Big Ten Conference and the No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish, an FBS independent. The teams had met eight times previously, with Notre Dame winning the first two and Ohio State winning the last six, including a home-and-home in 2022 and 2023. It was their third postseason meeting after the 2006 Fiesta Bowl and 2016 Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State entered seeking their ninth national championship, the first since 2014, while Notre Dame entered seeking their twelfth and the first since 1988.

Ohio State defeated Notre Dame 34-23 to win the national championship.

Game Summary

Notre Dame began the game with a Riley Leonard touchdown that concluded an 18-play drive with a duration of nearly ten minutes. Ohio State scored touchdowns on all three of its possessions in the first half on passes from Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith and Quinshon Judkins, as well as a Judkins rush, giving the Buckeyes a 21-7 lead at halftime. They continued their scoring streak to begin the third quarter; after a 70-yard rush by Judkins on the second play of the second half, Ohio State scored shortly after and added a field goal on their following drive to push their lead to 31-7. A Jaden Greathouse touchdown reception followed for the Irish, who regained possession quickly following an Ohio State fumble. Notre Dame's ensuing field goal attempt was unsuccessful, though they forced a punt and Greathouse caught another touchdown pass which, along with a successful two-point conversion, narrowed Ohio State's lead to eight.

Key Moments and Statistics

Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding began the game with a touchback on the opening kickoff, giving Notre Dame possession of the ball at their own 25-yard line. The Irish converted two third downs and two fourth downs as part of their 18-play opening drive which concluded with a 1-yard Riley Leonard rushing touchdown after nearly ten minutes played. Ohio State similarly began their first offensive series on their own 25-yard line and reached Notre Dame territory in six plays following a 19-yard TreVeyon Henderson rush and a 15-yard pass from Will Howard to Quinshon Judkins.

After a 5-yard Judkins rush began the second quarter, Ohio State scored their first touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Howard to Jeremiah Smith; Fielding's extra point tied the game at seven points apiece. The next Fighting Irish drive was set back by false start and holding penalties on consecutive plays, ultimately leading to a punt on 4th & 15. Ohio State resumed possession at their own 24-yard line and completed three plays which gained at least ten yards to reach the red zone with 8:20 remaining in the half. The Buckeyes converted a third down from the 12-yard line and took the lead on the following play with a 9-yard Judkins touchdown.

The Irish went three-and-out on their third drive; they punted following a fumble on third down. James Rendell's punt was returned by Brandon Inniss to the Ohio State 20-yard line, where the Buckeyes took over with 4:48 to play. They converted a third down with a 19-yard pass from Howard to Inniss and had reached their own 45-yard line by the two-minute timeout. Another third-down conversion shortly followed-a 20-yard pass from Howard to Carnell Tate-and the drive concluded six plays later with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Howard to Judkins. Notre Dame ran one play, a 7-yard pass from Leonard to Beaux Collins, before the end of the second quarter.

Ohio State began the third quarter with possession of the ball at their own 25-yard line following a touchback by Mitch Jeter. On their second play from scrimmage, Judkins rushed for a 70-yard gain before being tackled at the Notre Dame 5-yard line. After several more plays, Judkins rushed for a 1-yard touchdown, capping a 5-play drive to begin the half and increasing Ohio State's lead to 28-7 following Fielding's successful extra point.

Notre Dame appeared to have been held to a three-and-out on their first drive of the second half but ran a fake punt on 4th & 2 which was unsuccessful. This turnover on downs gave Ohio State the ball at the Notre Dame 33-yard line, but the Buckeyes stalled on 3rd & 16 after gaining five yards in five plays and ultimately pushed their lead to 24 points on a 46-yard field goal by Fielding. The Fighting Irish faced 3rd & 19 on the sixth play of their ensuing drive, but a pass interference penalty gave them a first down that extended the possession. Four plays later, they scored for the first time since the opening quarter on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Leonard to Jaden Greathouse which was followed by a two-point pass from Leonard to Jeremiyah Love, narrowing Ohio State's led to sixteen.

Notre Dame retook possession on the first play of the fourth quarter when a fumble by Egbuka was forced by Drayk Bowen and recovered by Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa at the Irish 21-yard line. They faced 3rd & 9 early in the drive but converted with a 30-yard pass from Leonard to Greathouse, advancing them to Ohio State territory. They faced 3rd & 12 several plays later and gained seven yards before converting on 4th & 5 to continue their possession at the Ohio State 22-yard line. A holding penalty on Ohio State moved the Irish to the 8-yard line but the drive ended with an unsuccessful 27-yard field goal attempt which deflected off of the left upright.

Ohio State took the ball at the 20-yard line as a result but stalled after one first down and punted back to Notre Dame with 6:25 remaining in the game. The Irish retook possession at their own 20-yard line and drove 80 yards in six plays, capping the series with a 30-yard Leonard-to-Greathouse touchdown pass and another successful two-point pass, this time from Jordan Faison to Beaux Collins. The Buckeyes quickly faced 3rd & 11 from their own 34-yard line but converted with a 57-yard pass from Howard to Smith, advancing to the Notre Dame 9-yard line in time for the two-minute timeout. From there, the Buckeyes took the clock down to 28 seconds before attempting a 33-yard field goal, which Fielding made.

MVP

Ohio State's Will Howard Wins 2025 College Football National Championship MVP.

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