MIAMI LAKES, Fla. – The Orange Bowl is returning to its traditional night kickoff this year.
Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff officials said Monday that the annual postseason game, which is part of the playoff rotation, will be played Dec. 30 on ESPN. The game will be played at night, although the exact kickoff time will be announced at a later date.
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Last year's Orange Bowl semifinal game between No. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Oklahoma began at 4 p.m. on New Year's Eve. The Tigers defeated the Sooners, 37-17.
"With New Year's Eve falling on a Saturday and other bowl games planned for the early afternoon window, this schedule enables our game to stand alone and kick off the holiday weekend as the only bowl game staged on Friday night," Orange Bowl Committee president and chair Michael B. Chavies said in a statement.
This season's semifinal games -- the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl -- will be played on New Year's Eve and kick off an hour earlier than last year. The Fiesta Bowl will begin at 3 p.m., while the Peach Bowl will begin at 7 p.m.
It will mark the first time the semifinals will be played on a Saturday.
"As we committed earlier this year, we have looked at the landscape for the upcoming season and are confident that this change will make it easier for more fans to watch the games on television and also will benefit fans who will attend the games in person," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in a statement.
The Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl games will be played Jan. 2.