Santa Clara, Atlanta and New Orleans win bids to host college football title game

The College Football Playoff management committee on Wednesday awarded three future championship games to Atlanta (2018), Santa Clara (2019) and New Orleans (2020).

Others in the running were Charlotte, N.C.; Houston; San Antonio; Detroit; Minnesota and South Florida.

Pasadena and the Rose Bowl decided last spring not to bid for the 2020 game, but left open the possibility of hosting future championships.

Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP, said the bidding process was very competitive. And although northern, cold-weather cities were left out this time, the grand plan is to move the college football championship game all over the country.

This year’s title game will be held Jan. 11 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The third title game will be held Jan. 9, 2017, in Tampa, Fla. The first title game was staged last year at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Ohio State defeating Oregon.