College football bowl season kicks off December 14 with expanded playoff format

College football's bowl game schedule has changed this year with the College Football Playoff expanding from four to 12 teams. This expansion aims to address team selection concerns, but some schools still express dissatisfaction with the process. The bowl season begins on December 14 and includes 36 games outside the playoffs, culminating in the National Championship on January 20. Major sponsors include Allstate and AT&T, alongside new names like Snoop Dogg's Arizona Bowl. ESPN will broadcast most games, while TNT will air select playoff games. The playoff format includes five automatic qualifiers and seven at-large bids, with rankings based on team performance and conference championships.