The College Football Playoff has some serious star power, and not just on the field. Grammy-award winning rapper Kendrick Lamar has been announced as the halftime performer for the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 8 in Atlanta.
While Lamar is the halftime performer, he won't be performing on the field. Per ESPN's press release:
The special performance is a free, non-ticketed event in the park, just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the game will be played. Lamar's performance will be integrated into halftime of ESPN's telecast of the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T.
Taylor Swift had previously been rumored to be the halftime performer at the title game, but ESPN denied those reports. Lamar's most recent album, "DAMN.", sold 603,000 copies in its first week. On July 10, it was certified double platinum by the RIAA. His two singles, "HUMBLE" and "DNA", have been used for the NBA playoffs, and "DAMN." has been nominated for both Album of the Year and Best Rap Album for the 2018 Grammys.
The College Football Playoff will begin on New Years Day when Georgia faces off against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Once that game is over, Clemson will play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The winners of those games will play on ESPN on Jan. 8 in the CFP National Championship Game at 8 p.m. ET at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.