The College Football Playoff (CFP) has formally declined to move next season's New Year's Six bowl games off Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

According to ESPN, the CFP announced its decision Thursday, confirming the Orange and Cotton Bowls will be played as scheduled on Dec. 31, 2015.

The Sports Business Journal reported in late Jan. that ESPN executives, possibly as high up as company president John Skipper, were "lobbying" the CFP to switch the Thursday, Dec. 31 games to Saturday, Jan. 2. ESPN has exclusive television rights to the CFP semifinal and championship games and wanted to maximize ratings by moving the Thursday games to a date with less competition.

A 10-member committee of FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, makes up the CFP's management committee

"We reviewed it and rejected it," Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, one of the committee members, told ESPN. "We like the concept that we've developed for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Going forward, we think that's the right model for college football."

The NFL was also interested in seeing some alterations, the Journal reported, as they may be planning a Monday night playoff game the same night as the CFP championship game Jan. 11. Even in the BCS system, college football's national title game has traditionally been on a Monday night.

The sports network did not comment on the recent development.

The news is not likely to surprise anyone involved, as the CFP was adamant from the start about not moving the New Year's Six games off Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for even one year.

"We're not going to change," CFP executive director Bill Hancock told ESPN. "It's a done deal."