2026-27 College Football Bowl Schedule Announced: Key Dates and Networks
The College Football Bowl Schedule for the 2026-27 season is out, and it’s shaping up to be a wild postseason with 46 games on tap. This year, 80 FBS teams will take the field—so that’s about 58% of the whole FBS, if you’re counting.
Most games will air on ESPN’s networks, but you’ll catch a few on CBS and TNT too. The season starts December 12, 2026, with the Cricket Celebration Bowl and wraps up with the College Football National Championship on January 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Want the nitty-gritty? Here’s the complete College Football Bowl Schedule.
Contents
Kickoff: Early December Action
Postseason kicks off Saturday, December 12, 2026, with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at noon on ABC. Right after, the Army-Navy Game keeps its classic 3:00 pm ET slot on CBS.
Even with bowl games starting early, the Army-Navy Game stands alone—still a must-watch, honestly.
First Week Highlights
Between Tuesday, December 15, and Friday, December 18, there are four bowl games lined up. The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl and the Frisco Football Classic are both set for Tuesday.
Friday brings the Boca Raton Bowl and the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. These early games are a nice appetizer before the Playoff madness.
College Football Playoff: First Round
The 12-team College Football Playoff kicks off its third run on Friday, December 18, with a First Round game at 8:00 pm ET on ESPN. On Saturday, December 19, three more games follow.
Noon starts things off on ABC/ESPN, then it’s 3:30 pm on TNT, and finally 7:30 pm on truTV and HBO Max. All these First Round games will be played at the higher-seeded teams’ home stadiums—those matchups drop on Selection Day, December 6.
First Round Schedule
- Friday, Dec. 18: First Round game at 8:00 pm ET on ESPN
- Saturday, Dec. 19: Noon on ABC/ESPN
- 3:30 pm on TNT
- 7:30 pm on truTV and HBO Max
Christmas Eve and Beyond
The Sheraton Bowl lands on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN. Before that, the Isleta New Mexico Bowl kicks off at 2:30 pm ET, also on ESPN.
Holiday football has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Quarterfinals and New Year’s Day
The College Football Playoff quarterfinals start Wednesday, December 30, with the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. That one’s on TNT, truTV, and streaming on HBO Max at 7:30 pm ET.
Quarterfinals roll on into New Year’s Day—Friday, January 1, 2027—with the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl in Arlington. Kickoff times? We’ll get those on Selection Day.
Semifinals and National Championship
Semifinals hit on back-to-back weeknights in January. The Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens is up first, Thursday, January 14, at 7:30 pm ET on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max.
The next night, Friday, January 15, the Allstate Sugar Bowl takes over New Orleans, airing at 7:30 pm ET on ABC and ESPN.
National Championship
The grand finale of the college football season, the College Football National Championship, is set for Monday, January 25, 2027.
The two playoff semifinal winners will face off at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. This showdown will be televised by ABC and ESPN at 7:30 pm ET.
Want the full bowl schedule or just curious about more details? Check out the College Football Bowl Schedule.
