NFL reportedly worked schedule around College Football Playoff

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL reportedly worked 2024 schedule around College Football Playoff

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 5/17/24

The NFL took a little bit longer than usual to release its 2024 season schedule, and we’re beginning to get some insight as to why.

First, it was speculated that the league planned certain games — specifically for the Kansas City Chiefs — around tour dates for Taylor Swift, who’s romantically involved with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Now, SI.com’s Albert Breer is reporting that the NFL had to coordinate some games in late December and on Christmas Day to try and reduce the amount of overlap between the league and the College Football Playoff.

“My understanding is the NFL was in contact with college football powerbrokers on conflicts between its schedule and the CFP,” Breer reported. “The reason they put two games, and not three, and left the primetime window open on Dec. 21 was in deference to college football.”

This year, the CFP has first-round games scheduled for Dec. 20 and 21. The quarterfinal games will be played on Dec. 31 (one) and Jan. 1 (three) with the semifinal round the following week and the National Championship Game on Jan. 20.

The 2024 CFP will be the first year of the new expanded playoff format which features a field of 12 teams instead of four.

The NFL usually schedules games that Saturday, and had to this year if they wanted to put games on Christmas. As it is, there'll be 11 CFP games, with only 2 NFL conflicts.

Also, the CFP could look at staggered starts (maybe one at 5:30 ET, another at 8:30 ET) that day.

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— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 16, 2024

That third week of December is when the NFL plays its Week 16, and the league scheduled its two Saturday games that feature the Houston Texans at the Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Baltimore Ravens for 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET, respectively, giving the CFP the prime-time slot at 8 p.m. ET.

Because the NFL is hosting two Christmas Day games, which happen to fall on a Wednesday, those teams had to play the previous Saturday (Dec. 21) to make the schedule work and ensure at least three days of rest between games.

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