NIL
Four thoughts on the College Football Playoff quarterfinals
Jan. 2, 2026, 11:53 a.m. ET
Does anyone know where the College Football Playoff quarterfinals and semifinals are actually played and why they’re still called bowl games? Better yet, does anyone care?
The Cotton Bowl isn’t even played at the Cotton Bowl? The “bowl” era is gone, replaced by a tournament designed to maintain the names of the most well funded and connected. Indeed, four teams actually play in two bowl games every year. The other 36 exist only for traditions, pageantry, “rewarding” teams (yes, even 5-7 teams) with a 13th game and, of course, money. The best players opt out for fear of injury and many more for the transfer portal which didn’t even open until Jan. 2 when almost every bowl was already played. Without television money, most bowls would cease to exist.