College Football Playoff Semifinal Kickoff Times Disappoint Fans

The College Football Playoff semifinals are almost here, but the way they’ve been scheduled has left a lot of people scratching their heads. With games landing on Thursday and Friday nights, fans and coaches are both wondering why these huge matchups aren’t happening on the usual Saturday.

Late weeknight kickoffs have stirred up a lot of criticism. Some fans are so frustrated, they’re calling for a complete overhaul of how these games are scheduled.

The debate’s only grown louder lately. Oregon coach Lanning even floated the idea that playoff games should wrap up on New Year’s Day for the sake of clarity and convenience.

Fans’ Discontent with Weeknight Kickoff Times

College football fans are a passionate bunch, and this year’s scheduling isn’t sitting well. The semifinals will air on ESPN: the Fiesta Bowl has No. 6 Ole Miss facing No. 10 Miami on Thursday night, then the Peach Bowl puts No. 1 Indiana against No. 5 Oregon on Friday.

Both games kick off after 8 p.m. ET, which has really irritated a lot of people. It’s just not what most fans want.

Why Weeknight Games are Problematic

For plenty of folks, college football belongs on Saturdays—always has. These late weeknight games mess things up for anyone who needs to get up early the next day.

Social media is full of fans venting their frustration. One person even called the schedule a *disaster* and argued that playoff games should follow the FCS format—Saturdays, one week apart.

Coaches Weigh In

It’s not just fans grumbling. Coaches are starting to speak up, too.

Oregon’s Lanning, in particular, has been outspoken, saying the playoff should finish up on New Year’s Day. He thinks it would make things more organized and just better overall.

Lanning’s Proposal

Lanning wants every playoff game played on weekends until the season wraps. He’s even suggested starting the season earlier or ditching a bye week, just to make sure everything ends by January 1.

He figures this would also make things easier for the transfer portal and for coaches moving to new jobs. Maybe he’s onto something?

Potential Solutions

There are a handful of ideas floating around to fix the scheduling mess. Here are some of the more popular ones:

• Saturday Games: Shift the semifinals back to Saturdays to fit the traditional college football rhythm. It’d be a lot easier for fans to tune in or show up.
• Consistent Kickoff Times: Having the same kickoff time for all playoff games could help everyone plan ahead and might boost ratings, too.
• Ending on New Year’s Day: Wrapping things up on January 1, like Lanning suggests, would give the season a clear endpoint and probably make everything run smoother.

Fan Suggestions

Fans have their own takes, of course. Some want the playoff schedule to follow the FCS model, with games on Saturdays spaced a week apart.

Others think the whole bowl season could use a little more coordination with the playoff schedule. Hard to argue with that, honestly.

The Impact on Bowl Season

The way things are scheduled now doesn’t just affect the playoff. It actually ripples out to the whole bowl season.

People have pointed out that random weekday bowl games at strange hours kind of kill the excitement. A more predictable schedule might help build anticipation—and keep fans from being blindsided by, say, a surprise 11 a.m. Tuesday bowl game.

Conclusion

The College Football Playoff semifinals schedule just isn’t working for a lot of folks. Late weeknight kickoffs? Not exactly ideal for fans or coaches.

There’s more and more talk about fixing this. Some want the games on Saturdays. Others argue for the season to wrap up on New Year’s Day, or at least to have kickoff times that make sense for most people.

Will any of these changes actually happen? Hard to say, but the debate isn’t going away anytime soon.

If you want to dive deeper or see what others are saying, check out the full article on The Spun.