The countdown is on as South Florida prepares to host the biggest games in college football — the College Football Playoff semifinal in December and the national championship game in January, both at Hard Rock Stadium.
Joining CBS News Miami’s Samantha Rivera, College Football Playoff Executive Director Rich Clark said the energy surrounding the events is already building across South Florida.
“Miami knows how to do big events, for sure, and it’s a destination city. Everybody wants to come to Miami,” Clark said. “So to have our championship game here is a real honor. We’re very familiar with South Florida, but to do our championship game here is special.”
Extensive planning and local partnerships behind the scenes
Clark explained that organizing the expanded playoff system and the national championship involves extensive coordination among multiple teams and cities.
“A lot goes into it, because our first rounds are on campus. We rank the top 25 teams, and we pick the 12 teams out of it — the top five conference champions, plus seven at-large teams,” Clark said. “Teams five through 12 all play in the first round. Teams one through four, the top four teams, get a bye, so they don’t start playing until the quarterfinals.”
Clark credited South Florida’s leadership and local committees for their work in preparing for the major events.
“The team here in South Florida are really amazing,” Clark said. “Your civic leaders, the Orange Bowl Committee, the Championship Committee led by Eric Poms, our good friend — they are doing an amazing job to get us ready for this.”
Fans can expect concerts, community events, and more
In addition to the games, Clark said fans can expect a week packed with entertainment and free community events leading up to the championship.
“There are concerts, there’s a Taste of Miami, there’s a 5K and a 10K, there’s Playoff Fan Central — it’s like a playground for football,” Clark said. “It’s all free and open to the public, so it’s really going to be a spectacular event.”
Possibility of Miami Hurricanes playing on home turf
Rivera also asked about the potential for the University of Miami to earn a spot in the expanded playoff — possibly giving fans a rare chance to see their team play multiple postseason games close to home.
“Here’s a potential,” Clark said. “Let’s just say Miami gets a first-round game. They would play that game at Hard Rock, then they would play a quarterfinal game at Hard Rock, then they could potentially play the championship game at Hard Rock. So there’s a potential that the University of Miami could play three games in our playoff all here at Hard Rock.”
Clark added that the thought of that possibility is thrilling for fans and the city alike.
“It would be uproarious to have that happen here in South Florida. It’d be awesome, and to have that home crowd advantage, I mean, it would be spectacular,” he said.
Miami embraces the spotlight once again
With the world’s attention turning to Hard Rock Stadium once more — the same venue that hosts the Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open — Clark said South Florida’s reputation for world-class events makes it the perfect host for college football’s biggest stage.
“Well, Miami knows how to do big events,” Clark said. “It’s the place to be.”
