College football is one game closer to securing sites for the first couple seasons of the new college football playoff.

On Friday, CBSSports.com’s Dennis Dodd reported that the Rose and Sugar Bowl would host the first two semifinal games of the college football playoff on Jan. 1, 2015. The winners would advance to the national championship game on Jan. 15, 2015 at what many expect will be Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

According to CBS 4 Miami, the first semifinal game of the 2016 playoff will be held at the Orange Bowl. No date has been set yet. That just leaves one more semifinal host and a championship spot to be ironed out for 2016. The officials from what was formerly the BCS are listening to 31 official bids, however, the Cotton, Fiesta and Chick-fil-A Bowls are the favorites. The deadline for submissions is March 27 and stadiums must have at least 65,000 seats and a volunteer base of 1,000.

Deciding the first few sites is merely a jumping off point for the much-awaited college football playoff that will begin in a couple years. A committee to choose teams still needs to be formed as does the criteria by which teams are selected. The rotation of bowls – if there will be a rotation – needs to be determined and most importantly, the entire playoff needs a name.

[Also: Members of Arkansas legislature pushes for Arkansas-Arkansas State game]

Many of these issues will be addressed during the annual BCS meetings April 22-24 in Pasadena, Calif.

Still, knowing where the games will be played is a great step and one that will make fans eager for the day the playoff actually begins.

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