The participating teams in the College Football Playoff National Championship are determined by two semifinal games (sometimes called the "Plus-One system"), hosted by an annual rotation of bowls commonly known as the New Year's Six. Thus, the teams to compete in the final are not directly selected by a selection committee, as had been the format used for the BCS National Championship Game.
The game is played at a neutral site, determined through bids by prospective host cities (similar to the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four). When announcing it was soliciting bids for the 2016 and 2017 title games, playoff organizers noted that the bids must propose host stadiums with a capacity of at least 65,000 spectators,[2] and cities cannot host both a semi-final game and the title game in the same year.[3]
The inaugural game was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on January 12, 2015, and was won by Ohio State.[6] A top-ranked team did not win the College Football Playoff National Championship until LSU won the sixth edition of the game, in January 2020. Alabama has the most appearances in a College Football Playoff National Championship, with six, and also the most wins, with three.
AT&T Stadium hosted the first College Football Playoff National Championship game, in January 2015.
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. Unlike the Super Bowl, there is no de jure restriction on climate.[2][3] A venue can not host a semi-final game and the National Championship Game in the same season.
Host cities/regions
Miami Metro Area
New Orleans
L.A. Metro Area
Tampa
Houston
Atlanta
Phoenix Metro Area
S.F. Bay Area
Dallas‑Fort Worth
Indianapolis
National Championship Game host cities/regions
Ten different regions and ten different stadiums have hosted the National Championship Game.
Note: Years listed are the year the game was actually played (or will be played[ˇ]; future games are denoted through italics) rather than what NCAA season it is considered to have been.
Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 246 yards in the 2015 game.Derrick Henry had a 50-yard touchdown rush in the 2016 gameJake Fromm threw an 80-yard touchdown pass in the 2018 game.DeVonta Smith had three touchdown receptions in the 2021 game.
^ abcdTeam names are highlighted in each team's traditional colors.
^The 2017 and 2021 championship games featured SEC teams Alabama and Georgia. The SEC has a record of 4–2 (.667) in championship games against other conferences.
^"Touchdowns responsible for" is the NCAA's official term for combined passing and rushing touchdowns.
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