One of college football’s most prestigious bowl games will be played on a new day in 2016.
According to a report from USA Today, the College Football Playoff plans to move the Orange Bowl to December 30 this season. It was originally scheduled to be played on Dec. 31.
The move facilitates an earlier start to the CFP semifinals games (Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl), which will be played on New Year’s Eve again in 2016.
The Fiesta Bowl will kick off at 3 p.m. on Dec. 31 and will be followed by the Peach Bowl at 7 p.m.
2016-17 Schedule:
Dec. 30: @OrangeBowlDec. 31: @CFAPeachBowl and @Fiesta_Bowl
Jan. 2: @CottonBowlGame, @rosebowlgame and @SugarBowlNola
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) March 7, 2016
Last season, the Peach Bowl, which was not a semifinals game, was scheduled at noon on New Year’s Eve. That was the slot the Orange Bowl was originally set to take in 2016.
After watching ratings for the semifinals drop by roughly 40 percent based on the move from Jan. 1 in 2014 to Dec. 31 in 2015 , the CFP decided it needed to get things started earlier on New Year’s Eve this season, according to the report.
College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock explained the decision:
“We looked at the landscape and we’re confident it will let more fans watch the games,” Hancock said. “In looking at the data, we found that ending the games earlier would let people watch the games and still enjoy their New Year’s Eve festivities.”
“This is a one-time deal,” Hancock said. “We haven’t talked about the remaining nine years (of the contract). We had the opportunity because it was a Saturday to do this. … We always want to make the games available to more fans. We also will honor the traditions of college football.”
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
