HARRIS COUNTY - HSA

Houston to host 2024 college football playoff national championship

Houston to host 2024 college football playoff national championship
The 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship will be held at NRG Stadium. NRG Park/Facebook

Melanie Hauser writes for The Harris County - Houston Sports Authority Check out the website here.

Harris County Houston Sports Authority Press Release

EMBARGOED UNTIL: Wednesday, November 1, 2017, 2:20 pm CONTACT: Jules Rice, Harris County – Houston Sports Authority jrice@houstonsports.org or 713-308-5918

Houston to Host 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship

The College Football Playoff (CFP) announced today that Houston will host the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2024. “Having hosted a Super Bowl and a World Series this year alone, and NCAA basketball playoffs and championships in recent years, Houston and Harris County are now uniquely prepared to play host to one of the nation’s most exciting and closely watched sports events – the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship,” said Harris County Judge Emmett. “So thank you to all the people who helped make this possible, and let the countdown to 2024 begin!” There are an anticipated 72,015 fans expected to attend the College Football Playoff National Championship, which will be held at NRG Stadium January 8, 2024. “It is a very exciting day for everyone in our community,” said Janis Burke, chief executive officer for the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority. “This was truly a team effort, and we could not have secured this bid without the support of Harris County, the City of Houston, NRG Stadium and Houston First. We are looking forward to welcoming college football’s finest in 2024.” “There is no better city than Houston to host the 2024 CFP. Our world-class venues, hotels, restaurants, and citizens are ready to welcome fans from around the country for this premiere sporting event,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner, City of Houston. “Houston is one of the most venue-rich cities in the country with a great, modern stadium, multiple convention centers/arenas and a downtown park that will make for a terrific festival setting for our attendees,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP. “The community has demonstrated its mettle for college sports by hosting two outstanding Final Fours and very successful Super Bowls.” The CFP postseason determines the national champion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of college football in the United States. This will be the tenth national championship game of the CFP era. The first game was played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January 12, 2015.

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Can the Astros afford to lose Isaac Paredes? Composite Getty Image.

Isaac Paredes has been a steady force in the middle of the Astros’ order, but a tweaked hamstring suffered during Thursday’s win over the White Sox may force Houston to recalibrate, again.

If Paredes misses time, the most logical shuffle would see Jose Altuve sliding back to second base, with Mauricio Dubón stepping in at third. It’s a reasonable patch. But internally, there’s also some intrigue around whether Cam Smith—currently thriving in right field—could slide back to his original position on the infield. The idea isn’t without merit; Smith is the club’s best offensive option at third in Paredes’ absence. But defensively, it’s hard to justify moving him right now. Smith made several standout plays in the Chicago series, reinforcing just how important his glove has become to the Astros’ outfield defense. One thing is for sure, the Astros can't afford to play both Dubon and Brendon Rodgers in the infield regularly. The offense would take a huge hit.

Timing, however, might be on Houston’s side. The next stretch of games features the Twins, Athletics, and Angels—three teams the Astros can beat even while navigating lineup instability. It helps that Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker are showing signs of life at the plate. Diaz, in particular, has been red-hot, posting an OPS north of 1.200 over the past week. Walker is batting over .300 during that same span, giving the Astros enough firepower to survive short-term turbulence.

Elsewhere, the outfield presents its own set of choices. Jacob Melton has shown enough in the field to warrant a serious look as Chas McCormick’s replacement when he returns from injury. He’s still searching for consistency at the plate, batting under .200 in his first 10 big league games. But his arm and left-handed bat give manager Joe Espada a little more lineup flexibility—especially with Yordan Alvarez still out and the offense skewing right-handed.

For now, the Astros have room to adjust. But if Paredes ends up missing significant time, they’ll need more than just a few temporary solutions to keep their momentum going.

There's so much more to cover! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.

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