2025-26 College Football Playoff Schedule Dates and TV Channels

The 2025-26 College Football Playoff (CFP) schedule is out, and it’s only the second year we’ll see the 12-team format in action. That means more chaos, more underdogs, and a lot more teams with a real shot at the national title.

The action runs from December 19, 2025, to January 19, 2026. It all wraps up with the CFP National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Here’s what’s coming up, with all the big dates, matchups, and a quick look back at how we got here.

2025-26 College Football Playoff Schedule

This CFP schedule is loaded. If you’re a fan, you might want to clear your calendar.

First Round (Dec. 19-20)

First-round games are back on campus, which always brings a different kind of energy. There’s something about those home crowds that just hits different.

• Friday, Dec. 19: 8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN, WatchESPN
• Saturday, Dec. 20: 12 p.m. on ABC, ESPN, WatchESPN
• 3:30 p.m. on TNT, truTV, HBO Max
• 7:30 p.m. on TNT, truTV, HBO Max

Quarterfinals (Dec. 31-Jan. 1)

Quarterfinals will hit the classic bowl locations. That’s always a treat—these venues practically breathe football history.

• Wednesday, Dec. 31: Cotton Bowl (Arlington, Texas) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
• Thursday, Jan. 1: Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Fla.) | 12 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
• Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.) | 4 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
• Sugar Bowl (New Orleans) | 8 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN

Semifinals (Jan. 8-9)

Semifinal matchups will play out at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl. It’s hard not to get hyped just thinking about it.

• Thursday, Jan. 8: Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Ariz.) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
• Friday, Jan. 9: Peach Bowl (Atlanta) | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN

CFP National Championship

The season wraps up on Monday, January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and WatchESPN.

Historical Context of the College Football Playoff

Since the CFP started, we’ve seen some wild finishes and unforgettable plays. Want a quick refresher on recent national championship games?

• 2015: No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Oregon 20 (Arlington, Texas)
• 2016: No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40 (Glendale, Arizona)
• 2017: No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31 (Tampa, Florida)
• 2018: No. 4 Alabama 26, No. 3 Georgia 23 (Atlanta, Georgia)
• 2019: No. 2 Clemson 44, No. 1 Alabama 16 (Santa Clara, California)
• 2020: No. 1 LSU 42, No. 3 Clemson 25 (New Orleans, Louisiana)
• 2021: No. 1 Alabama 52, No. 3 Ohio State 24 (Miami Gardens, Florida)
• 2022: No. 3 Georgia 33, No. 1 Alabama 18 (Indianapolis, Indiana)
• 2023: No. 1 Georgia 65, No. 3 TCU 7 (Inglewood, California)
• 2024: No. 1 Michigan 34, No. 2 Washington 13 (Houston, Texas)
• 2025: No. 8 Ohio State 34, No. 7 Notre Dame 23 (Atlanta, Georgia)

In 2023-24, Michigan finally broke through. They capped a perfect season and won their first national title since 1997.

J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum were monsters that year. Corum even set the school rushing touchdowns record—pretty wild stuff.

Looking Ahead to the 2025-26 Season

The 12-team playoff format, which kicked off last season, already feels like a game-changer. More teams, more chaos, and honestly, more fun.

The first round of the 2025-26 playoffs brought some real fireworks:

• Friday, Dec. 20: No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 10 Indiana 17
• Saturday, Dec. 21: No. 6 Penn State 38, No. 11 SMU 10
• No. 5 Texas 38, No. 12 Clemson 24
• No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Tennessee 17

Quarterfinal Highlights

The quarterfinals? No shortage of drama there:

• Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State 31, No. 3 Boise State 14
• Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31 (2OT)
• Rose Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State 41, No. 1 Oregon 21
• Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 2 Georgia 10

Semifinal Showdowns

Some of these semifinal games—honestly, they were as close as it gets:

• Orange Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 6 Penn State 24
• Cotton Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State 28, No. 5 Texas 14

No. 8 Ohio State finished it off by beating No. 7 Notre Dame 34-23 in the national championship. It’s a run folks in Columbus probably won’t forget anytime soon.

The 2025-26 College Football Playoff is shaping up to be something special. With the new 12-team format, there are more chances for teams to make a run at the national title.

Fans are in for a wild ride—more games, more drama, and probably a few surprises along the way. If you want the full schedule or need more details, check out the official NCAA website.