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The College Football Playoff selection committee will release its final ranking of the season on Dec. 20 instead of Dec. 6, the CFP announced on Wednesday afternoon. The CFP management committee, which comprises the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, made the change as a result of several conferences having moved their championship games to Dec. 12, 18 or 19 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The top four teams will participate in the CFP semifinals Friday, Jan. 1, in the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The championship game is still scheduled for Monday, Jan. 11, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The committee's final meeting of the season will be Dec. 18-20 in Grapevine, Texas. The CFP will announce the full schedule of the selection committee meetings at a later date. "With recent schedule changes for the regular season, it makes sense for the committee to make its final rankings after the conference championship games, when it can get a complete picture of the season," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in a prepared statement. "The selection committee members understand the need to be flexible as we all navigate uncharted waters this season, and this move will allow them to evaluate all the available information." The CFP management committee also shortened the postseason travel time for teams. The two teams participating in the CFP championship game will arrive in Miami on Saturday afternoon, January 9, 2021 instead of the usual Friday evening arrival. With this change, media day, typically held on Saturday morning in the host city, will not take place this year. Details on virtual media availabilities will be announced at a later date. The Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl Orange Bowl and Peach Bowl will follow a similar schedule. "In this unprecedented time, the Management Committee believes it is in the best interest for the health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches and staffs to complete their game-week preparation on campus, under the familiar protocols they will have used all season," said Hancock. "This is an unfortunate consequence of the pandemic, but it is the right thing to do."
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