Plot Synopsis

THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, which replaced the BCS National Championship Game as the championship game for the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), features the two college football teams that won the College Football Playoff Semifinal games held on New Year's Day. At the end of the FBS regular season and conference championships, the four teams participating in the semifinal games are selected and seeded by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, which is comprised of a group of individuals with experience as coaches, student-athletes, collegiate administrators and journalists, along with sitting athletics directors. The semifinal games rotate among six different bowls (Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton and Peach), with the championship game occurring on a Monday after New Year's Day, no earlier than January 8. Ohio State beat Oregon in the inaugural COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, which was played on Monday, January 12, 2015 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.
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On Monday, January 20, 2025 at 7:45pm ET/4:45pm PT, ESPN Networks presented coverage of the College Football Playoff National Championship from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia where the Ohio State Buckeyes (winner of the Rose Bowl over Oregon and then the Cotton Bowl over Texas) take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (winner of the Sugar Bowl over Georgia and then the Orange Bowl over Penn State).

ESPN: Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call their 11th straight CFP National Championship together, and their second in Atlanta, concluding their 29th college football season as a commentating team. Reporters Holly Rowe (Ohio State) and Molly McGrath (Notre Dame) will provide news and insight from the sidelines, as the duo returns to the ESPN telecast for the fourth consecutive year. Rowe reported on the ESPN Radio broadcast for the first six years of the championship. ESPN rules analyst Bill Lemonnier will also cover Championship Monday. The former Big Ten referee Lemonnier is a veteran of numerous marquee assignments, including several prestigious bowl games.

Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show (ESPN2): Returning in 2025, the fan favorite Field Pass will lead the MegaCast offerings from this year's National Championship on ESPN2. Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show will offer entertaining, free-flowing commentary of the CFP National Championship Game, anchored by Pat McAfee, who will roam the sidelines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. McAfee will call the action from the unique vantage point, joined by AJ Hawk, Darius Butler, Connor Campbell, Ty Schmit and Tone Digs, as well as a rotation of ESPN analysts, notable personalities, and celebrities throughout the game.

Command Center (ESPNU): Command Center on ESPNU features a multi-angle presentation with player and team statistics. The telecast will feature four main video feeds including the main telecast from ESPN, SkyCam and shots of each head coach throughout the telecast.

SkyCast (ESPNews): SkyCast returns to ESPNEWS, highlighting the popular view from above the action and behind the offense on most plays. This unique angle has long been one of ESPN's alternate viewing options and is readily available on multiple games every week. Replays will be shown every time the main telecast shows a replay, while never losing the look from SkyCam.

Hometown Radio (ESPN App): Fans for both teams can listen to their specific team's local radio broadcast, with audio feeds synced up with ESPN's Command Center presentation. Notre Dame Football Radio Network features the voices of Tony Simeone and Ryan Harris, while Ohio State Sports Network Powered by LEARFIELD has Paul Keels, Jim Lachey, Matt Andrews and Skip Mosic on the mic.

All-22 (ESPN App): Watch the game the same way players and coaches study film, with a vantage point high above the field of play. The angle allows for the 22 players on the field to be seen at all times, providing the ability to distinguish how plays develop while listening to the ESPN Radio call.

For the first time ever, the entire National Championship will be presented in 4K. In previous years, a 4K feed was offered with the SkyCam view only. The 2025 edition will be available on Comcast, DIRECTV, Dish Network, Optimum, Sling TV, Verizon and YouTube TV.