NFL vs. College Football Playoff: Two Giants Set to Clash for Viewers

This weekend’s busy sports schedule is bringing about the first NFL vs. College Football Playoff TV clash.

On Saturday afternoon, the two behemoths compete for viewers during four intertwining game windows (all times ET):

• Noon, TNT: SMU–Penn State
• 1 p.m., NBC: Texans-Chiefs
• 4 p.m., TNT: Clemson-Texas
• 4:30 p.m., Fox: Steelers-Ravens

The head-to-head battle has been anticipated since April 2023, when conference commissioners agreed on 2024 and 2025 game dates for the expanded CFP. Immediately, the Playoff’s encroachment on NFL territory—the league typically holds multiple nationally televised games on late-December Saturdays—was evident.

“It’s not meant to be anything at all disrespectful or frustrating,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said at the time. “We have a good relationship with them,” former CFP executive director Bill Hancock said.

Just over a year later, the NFL released its 2024 regular-season schedule, which includes two games this Saturday, in part, to facilitate the league’s Christmas Day doubleheader on Netflix, despite the holiday falling on a Wednesday. 

The NFL ended up with two great games, as all four teams have winning records. Kansas City (13–1) and Houston (9–5) have clinched their divisions but are still playing for playoff seeding, while Baltimore (9–5) is just one game behind Pittsburgh (10–4) in the AFC North.

Both NFL games will have the advantage of being on broadcast networks, while the CFP matchups are on cable. 

Weekend Watch List

While Disney is the CFP’s media rights holder, it will get to avoid the NFL clash thanks to its deal for TNT Sports to sublicense two first-round Playoff games this year. 

On Friday night, ABC and ESPN will simulcast Indiana–Notre Dame, becoming the first non-NBC networks to broadcast a Fighting Irish home game since 1990. On Saturday night, the two channels will air Tennessee–Ohio State. ESPN’s College GameDay will pull a rare double assignment, airing from South Bend, Ind., on Friday afternoon, and then Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday morning.

ESPN’s presence will still be felt during the TNT games (which are simulcasting on TBS, truTV, and Max), as ESPN talent will be in the broadcast booth for both SMU–Penn State and Clemson-Texas. TNT will have its own personalities for pregame coverage.