Atlanta, Santa Clara, Calif., and New Orleans were selected for future College Football Playoff Championship Games, according to CFP executive director Bill Hancock.
Atlanta was chosen for the 2017-18 season, Santa Clara for 2018-19, and New Orleans for 2019-20. The new Atlanta Falcons stadium is a finalist to host the Super Bowl in either 2019 or 2020. Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara will be the host of Super Bowl 50. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome has hosted the most Super Bowls at seven.
"In Atlanta we had the opportunity to play in a brand new stadium," Hancock said, referring to the Atlanta Falcons' next home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, set to open in 2017. "Atlanta offers a concise footprint for hotels and the stadium and ancillary events that go along with the game."
Losing bids came from Houston, Miami, Charlotte, Detroit, San Antonio and Minneapolis. Hancock said each bid was strong enough to be awarded college football's title game and that he hopes each will bid again.
"We want to move this event around," Hancock added. "The first six championship games will be in a different state."
This year's College Football Playoff semifinals will be held at Sun Life Stadium in South Florida and at AT&T Stadium in North Texas, with the championship game in Glendale, Ariz., at University of Phoenix Stadium. Tampa's Raymond James Stadium will host the College Football Playoff championship next year, with the Peach and Fiesta Bowls serving as semifinal hosts.
The CFP selection committee released its initial rankings Tuesday, naming Clemson, LSU, Ohio State and Alabama as its top four teams about a month before the committee will pick the playoff's four-team field.
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