Top 5 Bowl games in 2024-25 season after college football adapts 12-team playoff format

College football bowl games have hosted some of the most exciting matchups throughout history. Since the birth of the College Football Playoff in 2014, some bowl games have taken on an increased importance in a team's quest for a national title.

On Wednesday, the College Football Playoff announced the dates, kickoff times and broadcast information for the first year of the expanded 12-team playoff format. Here's a look at the top five bowl games included in the new expanded playoff.

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Top five 2024–25 college football bowl games after 12-team playoff expansion

#5 Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1

NCAA Football: Sugar Bowl-Mississippi at Baylor

The Sugar Bowl will once again be featured as part of the College Football Playoff but will instead be part of the quarterfinals and not the semifinals. The Sugar Bowl earns the fifth spot on this list, as it earns the primetime slot as one of this year's four New Year's Day bowl games.

The game is scheduled to kickoff at 8:45 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 1 and will be broadcast on ESPN. This is the second year in a row that the Sugar Bowl will get the 8:45 p.m. EST slot and will once again be held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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#4 Rose Bowl, Jan. 1

NCAA Football: Rose Bowl-Utah at Ohio State

The Rose Bowl game is a can't-miss event for any college football fan each year. Beginning with the parade and concluding with a clash of top teams, the Rose Bowl rarely fails to deliver. This season's 111th 'Granddaddy of Them All' is scheduled for kickoff at its usual time of 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

The game will take place at the historic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, as part of the CFP quarterfinal matchups.

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#3 Orange Bowl, Jan. 9

NCAA Football: Orange Bowl-Michigan vs Florida State

The Orange Bowl will be host to the first game of the CFP semifinals on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and will decide the first team that will compete for the national championship.

This semifinal matchup will be at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Garden, Florida, and fans will be hoping for a closer matchup than last year's 63-3 blowout win for Georgia over Florida State.

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#2 Cotton Bowl, Jan. 10

NCAA Football: Cotton Bowl-Missouri at Ohio State

The Cotton Bowl will be the final matchup of the CFP semifinals and will determine the team that earns the lone remaining spot in the national title game. Like the other semifinal matchup, it's scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. EST but will occur the next day, on Friday, Jan. 10.

The Cotton Bowl is the fifth-oldest bowl game in college football history, as it was established in 1937. It will once again be hosted in Arlington, Texas, at AT&T Stadium.

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#1 College Football Playoff National Championship, Jan. 20

NCAA Football: CFP National Championship-Washington at Michigan

The 2024–25 college football season will come to a conclusion in the national championship game, having outlasted 11 other teams in the new expanded format. This championship game will leave no doubt about who's the top team this season.

This year's national championship game will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. EST on Monday, Jan. 20 on ESPN. This year's title game will move to Atlanta, Georgia, and will be held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

In 2022, the NCAA had originally announced that the championship game for the 2024–25 season would be held at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. But due to a scheduling conflict, the game was moved to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which had hosted the 2018 CFP National Championship.

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Which bowl game are you most looking forward to this season? Let's know in the comments section: