College football games last on average about 3 hours and 20 to 3 hours and 30 minutes in real time. Although the game clock itself is 60 minutes (four 15-minute quarters), the actual game length is extended by factors such as halftime (usually 20 minutes), commercial breaks, clock stoppages after first downs (except in the last two minutes of each half), reviews, penalties, and the traditional halftime marching band performances. These elements make college football games longer than NFL games, which usually last around three hours or slightly less.
