The NFL is extending its deadline to declare for the draft for participants in the College Football Playoff National Championship, the league announced Tuesday. Players on the two teams vying for the national title not automatically eligible for the NFL Draft will have until Jan. 24, 2025 to opt in to the draft process. Those players will have until Jan. 27 (72 hours after entering their name into the draft) to revoke their submission to return to school.
The announcement comes as the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff pushes the end of the season beyond the traditional NFL Draft deadline.
The early "soft deadline" for players not immediately eligible for the draft will be Jan. 6. A player will have until Jan. 9 (72 hours after the deadline) to revoke their submission. The deadline to opt out entirely is Feb. 7.
The first round of the newly expanded CFP will begin Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21. The 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship will take place Monday, Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.