What better way to open the 12-team College Football Playoff than a snow game?

South Bend, Indiana and Notre Dame Stadium were full of snow this morning – an environment where the tournament has never been played before.

Although snowfall has eased throughout the day and is not forecast for game time, weather below 25 degrees and cold and windy conditions are expected.

7 a.m. in South Bend. Cars were already lined up, waiting to get onto campus. a light snowfall.

Happy CFP Friday to everyone watching. pic.twitter.com/XdceIDqmPG

— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) December 20, 2024

No. 7 Notre Dame hosts No. 10 Indiana tonight in the first game of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. The game will be played on Friday, December 20th at Notre Dame Stadium.

• WHEN: 8 p.m. ET on Friday, December 20th
• TV: ABC/ESPN
• STREAMING: See ESPN

The first game of the 12-team playoffs is an in-state rivalry between two 11-1 teams as No. 7 Notre Dame hosts No. 10 Indiana on Friday, Dec. 20 at Notre Dame Stadium.

Notre Dame enters the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak, including big wins over Army and Southern Cal in the last two games in which the Irish combined for 98 points. Quarterback Riley Leonard has thrown just eight incompletions in the last two games as ND emphasizes running the football. Running back Jerimiyah Love leads the nation with 15 rushing touchdowns this season.

Amid the best season in program history, Indiana is trying to maintain the magic behind first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. Transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke has led the Indiana football revolution, finishing in the top 10 in completion percentage and passing touchdowns. Indiana ranks second in the nation in offense after scoring a season-high 66 points in its last game.

The final College Football Playoff rankings of the season form the basis for the 2024 College Football Playoff. Here are the complete top 25:

The winner of Notre Dame and Indiana will face No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2025.

Since the College Football Playoff’s inception in 2014, seven teams have won a national championship. Michigan won the last version of the four-team playoffs in 2023.

Here is every College Football Playoff champion: