George Schroeder

USA TODAY Sports

After intense opposition and declining television ratings, the College Football Playoff has discontinued its attempt to create a new tradition on New Year’s Eve.

Playoff executive director Bill Hancock told USA TODAY Sports the event’s management committee has decided to change the dates of the Playoff semifinals in four of seven years when those games were scheduled for Dec. 31. They now will instead be played on the preceding Saturday. The other three years, New Year’s Day falls on Saturday or is designated a Federal holiday.

“We looked at the replay,” Hancock said, “and we reversed the call.”

When the Playoff schedule was first set, Hancock spoke of “changing the paradigm” of American culture, with the idea that college football could become as much a part of New Year’s Eve as watching the ball drop in New York's Times Square. But TV ratings for the last year’s semifinals, played on New Year’s Eve (a Thursday) dropped 40% from the 2014 semifinals, which were played on New Year’s Day.

Although factors might have included ho-hum games and lessened excitement in the event's second year, ESPN recently presented in-depth data to the Playoff’s management committee showing the holiday time slot was a major factor in the ratings decline. ESPN is paying $7.3 billion over 12 years for the rights to the Playoff.

"We support any decision making the College Football Playoff experience more fan-friendly and available to the widest audience possible," ESPN's Burke Magnus said in a statement.

The change will not take effect until the 2018 season. This season's semifinals, which will be played in the Fiesta and Peach bowls, remain on New Year’s Eve. But it’s a Saturday, and Playoff officials previously announced the games would begin at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern, an hour earlier than the 2015 semifinals.

For the 2017 season, the semifinals rotate back to the Rose and Sugar Bowls and their guaranteed New Year’s Day slots. The semis will also be played in the Rose and Sugar (and on New Year’s Day) after the 2020 and 2023 seasons.

In 2018, the semifinals (Cotton and Orange bowls) will be played Saturday, Dec. 29. In 2019, the semifinals (Fiesta and Peach) will be played Saturday, Dec. 28.

The semifinals will be played on New Year’s Eve in 2021 and 2022. But in 2022, Dec. 31 falls on a Saturday.

“Obviously, Saturday is a traditional college football day,” Hancock said. “We feel Saturday works.”

In 2021, when New Year’s Eve falls on a Friday, it’s the designated national holiday for the weekend, which Hancock said should alleviate the concerns from fans who typically work on New Year’s Eve.

In 2024 and 2025, the games will be played on Saturday, Dec. 28, and Saturday, Dec. 27, respectively.

2016 college football TV schedule

Although Hancock said he heard positive reviews from some fans about the timing of the 2016 semifinals, there was more negative feedback.

“I heard, ‘I have to work,’ or ‘I wanted to go to a New Year’s Eve party,’ or ‘I was at a party but they wouldn’t let me turn the sound on,” Hancock said. “People love college football and they’re very opinionated about it. They’re happy to share their opinions. I enjoy hearing their opinions.

“After the study, we just feel like this is in the best interest of fans. They want to experience these games, and we want them to. And these changes for four years will allow that to happen.”

Pushing the semifinals to earlier days on the calendar will set up some longer waits for the championship games, which have already been set. Unless those dates are also changed — and at least for now, there’s no indication they will be — the championship would be played 16 days after the semifinals in the 2019, 2024 and 2025 seasons.

“We have not discussed (changing the schedule of) the championship game,” Hancock said. “In due time, we will consider the matter, particularly for the later years.”

College Football Playoff shifts kickoffs, Orange Bowl date

There was no consideration of playing the semifinals on New Year’s Day in seasons when the Rose and Sugar bowls are not hosting. In non-semifinal seasons, those bowls are tied contractually to the Big Ten and Pac-12 (Rose) and SEC and Big 12 (Sugar) and are guaranteed their dates and time slots on the holiday. The Rose Bowl especially, with its afternoon kickoff, has been a fixture on the college football landscape. Hancock called them both “important traditions.”

Hancock said the management committee, which is made up of the 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, considered playing the semifinals after New Year’s Day, but wanted to keep them “in the holiday window.”

They also considered playing the semifinals on different days, but didn’t want to create a competitive disadvantage for a winning team with less time to rest and recover for the championship game.

“It’s another example of why these things are never simple,” Hancock said. “Scheduling becomes a balancing act. But when this was finished, we looked at it and said, ‘This is the way to go.’

“Saturdays or national holidays, it’s the way to go.”

College Football Playoff schedule

2016-17

Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 31 Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl

Championship: Monday, Jan. 9, Tampa

2017-18

Semifinals: Monday, Jan. 1 Rose, Sugar

Championship: Monday, Jan. 8, Atlanta

2018-19

Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 29, Cotton, Orange

Championship: Monday, Jan. 7, Santa Clara, Calif.

2019-20

Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 28, Fiesta, Peach

Championship: Monday, Jan. 13, New Orleans

2020-21

Semifinals: Friday, Jan. 1, Rose, Sugar

Championship: Monday, Jan. 11, site TBD

2021-22

Semifinals: Friday, Dec. 31, Orange, bowl TBD

Championship: Monday, Jan. 10, site TBD

2022-23

Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 31, bowls TBD

Championship: Monday, Jan. 9, site TBD

2023-24

Semifinals: Monday, Jan. 1, Rose, Sugar

Championship: Monday, Jan. 8, site TBD

2024-25

Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 28, Orange, bowl TBD

Championship: Monday, Jan. 13, site TBD

2025-26

Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 27, bowls TBD

Championship: Monday, Jan. 12, site TBD

NOTE: The Cotton, Fiesta and Peach bowls’ contracts run through the 2020 season. The Playoff expects to secure future bowl agreements in 2018.

“We’re very happy with the Cotton, Fiesta and Peach bowls, but our agreement with them is for six years, for the first two rotations,” said Hancock. “It could well be them (thereafter), but it could be somebody else.”

QUARTERBACK COMPETITIONS ENTERING THE 2016 SEASON