The 2020 college football season — long, winding, halting and unlike any we've seen before — is set to end in familiar territory.
The 2020 College Football Playoff national championship game is the end goal for all teams (OK, half) at the beginning of the season, but only a select handful of teams can strive to reach the sport's pinnacle this season.
MORE: Playoff picture after Week 14
Which will it be? No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Clemson, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 6 Florida all control their destinies when it comes to making the CFP semifinals. The two next-closest teams are No. 5 Texas A&M, which will hope for both Notre Dame and Alabama to win during conference championship week, and No. 8 Cincinnati, who likely won't make it regardless of the chaos of conference championship weekend.
No matter how it shakes out, the semifinal and national championship games promise to be a satisfying conclusion to what has been, truly, a season unlike any other. With that, Sporting News breaks down how to watch the College Football Playoff national championship game, as well as the semifinal and New Year's 6 matchups:
When is the College Football Playoff national championship?
- Date: Monday, Jan. 11
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
The College Football Playoff national championship will take place at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 11 in Miami Gardens, Fla. It should be noted, however, that the championship game is not the Orange Bow, which shares the same venue; that game will take place nine days earlier as part of the non-CFP New Year's 6 rotation.
MORE: Bowl projections after Week 14
CFP national championship channel, how to watch
The CFP national championship game will take place on ESPN. The ABC network of families will also include megacast options, such as full-22 view and homer stations, though the full plan has yet to be released. Streaming options include WatchESPN and fuboTV, which offers a 7-day free trial.
CFP semifinals schedule 2020
This season's College Football Playoff semifinals will take place at the Rose and Sugar bowls in Pasadena, Calif., and New Orleans, respectively. Both games will air on ESPN on New Year's Day. Here's a look at the schedule:
| Bowl | Date | Time (ET) |
| Rose Bowl | Friday, Jan. 1 | 5 p.m. |
| Sugar Bowl | Friday, Jan. 1 | 8:45 p.m. |
New Year's 6 schedule 2020
The remaining New Year's 6 bowls — through which the Playoff semifinals rotate — will bring up the rear of the 2020 college football season. This year, the Cotton, Peach, Fiesta and Orange bowls will be the non-CFP semifinal matchups. Like the semifinals, each of these games will air on ESPN. Here's the full schedule:
| Bowl | Date | Time (ET) |
| Cotton Bowl | Wednesday, Dec. 30 | 7:15 p.m. |
| Peach Bowl | Friday, Jan. 1 | 12:15 p.m. |
| Fiesta Bowl | Saturday, Jan. 2 | 4 p.m. |
| Orange Bowl | Saturday, Jan. 2 | 8 p.m. |
