The expanded 12-team playoff coming in 2024 allows more college football programs to dream of securing a national title. Schools such as Iowa and Iowa State, where winning a national championship once seemed borderline impossible, can now envision a more realistic best-case scenario that includes a legit title shot. Think 2015 Iowa or 2020 Iowa State.
There's just one problem if the Hawkeyes or Cyclones deliver a similarly memorable season in 2024.
With the playoffs expanded to 12 teams, the 5 through 12 seeds will play four first-round games on campus sites. The dates for those games in 2024 and 2025 were released Tuesday, along with the entire CFP schedule. In 2024, one game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 20, and three are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21.
That is also finals week in Ames and Iowa City. Iowa State and Iowa athletics teams don't compete during finals week, though the schools would undoubtedly have to break that tradition if the Cyclones or Hawkeyes advance to the CFP.
Final exams for the 2024 fall semester at Iowa are scheduled to run Dec. 16-20, according to the Hawkeyes' academic calendar. There's a little less overlap at Iowa State, which is scheduled to have its 2024 fall semester final exam week from Dec. 16-19. There are no exams slated for the following day when a first-round playoff game could happen, but the game buildup would certainly last the entire week.
There's just one problem if the Hawkeyes or Cyclones deliver a similarly memorable season in 2024.
With the playoffs expanded to 12 teams, the 5 through 12 seeds will play four first-round games on campus sites. The dates for those games in 2024 and 2025 were released Tuesday, along with the entire CFP schedule. In 2024, one game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 20, and three are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21.
That is also finals week in Ames and Iowa City. Iowa State and Iowa athletics teams don't compete during finals week, though the schools would undoubtedly have to break that tradition if the Cyclones or Hawkeyes advance to the CFP.
Final exams for the 2024 fall semester at Iowa are scheduled to run Dec. 16-20, according to the Hawkeyes' academic calendar. There's a little less overlap at Iowa State, which is scheduled to have its 2024 fall semester final exam week from Dec. 16-19. There are no exams slated for the following day when a first-round playoff game could happen, but the game buildup would certainly last the entire week.
Iowa, ISU might need to play during finals week if 2024 CFP first-round game materializes
Several schools (including Iowa and Iowa State) have finals scheduled for the week of the 2024 first-round College Football Playoff games.
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