2026-27 NCAA College Football Bowl Schedule: Complete TV, Scores, Kickoff Times

The 2026-27 NCAA college football bowl season is shaping up to be a wild ride. It starts earlier and runs longer than in past years.

We’re talking 46 games across 45 days. That’s a serious amount of football for anyone’s December and January.

With 80 teams—over half of the Football Bowl Subdivision—getting in, there’s a lot to keep track of. Games will air on ESPN, CBS, TNT, and The CW.

So, if you want to catch the best matchups, you’ll need a plan. Let’s try to make sense of the chaos.

The Bowl Season Timeline

Bowl season opens with the Celebration Bowl on Saturday, December 12, at noon ET on ABC. That same day, the Army-Navy Game kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on CBS—kind of a doubleheader for history buffs.

Everything wraps up with the CFP National Championship on Monday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. This year, it’s at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which honestly feels like a perfect fit for a finale.

Key Dates and Games

Here are a few dates you might want to scribble down:

Selection Day: Sunday, December 6
First Game: Celebration Bowl, Saturday, December 12, noon ET on ABC
Last Game: CFP National Championship, Monday, January 25, 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC

With 46 games in 45 days, there’s barely a break. Even 6-6 teams can sneak in and get a taste of the postseason.

Broadcasting Networks

ESPN and its family of networks are doing most of the heavy lifting, airing 38 out of 46 games. CBS has one, TNT gets five playoff games, and The CW snags the Arizona Bowl.

The Holiday Bowl’s network? Still up in the air. Maybe we’ll get a surprise there.

Noteworthy Broadcasts

Fiesta Bowl: Wednesday, December 30, 7:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV/HBO Max
Orange Bowl: Thursday, January 14, 7:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV/HBO Max
Sugar Bowl: Friday, January 15, 7:30 p.m. on ABC/ESPN

Quarterfinals finish up on January 1. Then, after almost two weeks, the semifinals hit on January 14.

Playoff teams will get four games in 39 days, all building up to that national championship moment.

New and Returning Bowls

This year brings the Puerto Rico Bowl, set for Tuesday, December 22, at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Christmas Eve doubleheader is back too—New Mexico Bowl at 2:30 p.m. and Hawai’i Bowl at 7 p.m., both on ESPN.

Tripleheaders and Doubleheaders

ABC’s got tripleheaders lined up for December 26 and January 2. That’s a full day of football, if you can handle it.

Some games to watch for:

Frisco Football Classic: December 15, Ford Center at The Star
Frisco Bowl: December 23, Ford Center at The Star
Gasparilla Bowl: December 18, Raymond James Stadium
ReliaQuest Bowl: December 31, Raymond James Stadium

Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium gets two games—Gasparilla Bowl on December 18 and ReliaQuest Bowl on December 31. Both Frisco games are at Ford Center at The Star.

First Round and Quarterfinals

The first round of the College Football Playoff (CFP) happens at campus sites. Matchups will be set soon, but here are the times:

Friday, December 18, 8 p.m. on ESPN
Saturday, December 19, noon on ABC/ESPN
Saturday, December 19, 3:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV/HBO Max
Saturday, December 19, 7:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV/HBO Max

Higher seeds get to host these first-round games at home. Quarterfinals are all set for January 1, with the Fiesta, Cotton, Rose, and Peach Bowls in the spotlight.

Exact times for the Cotton, Rose, and Peach Bowls? We’ll find out on Selection Day.

Semifinals and National Championship

Semifinals go down January 14 and 15, split between the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl. Orange Bowl’s on TNT/truTV/HBO Max, Sugar Bowl lands on ABC/ESPN.

Then, finally, the CFP National Championship takes over Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on January 25. ABC’s got the broadcast.

Additional Noteworthy Games

There are a few others that might catch your eye. The Salute to Veterans Bowl is on December 15, and the Boca Raton Bowl lands December 18.

Don’t forget the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on December 22, the Independence Bowl on December 24, and the New Orleans Bowl on December 26.

Highlighted Matchups

Pinstripe Bowl: December 27, Yankee Stadium
Fenway Bowl: December 28, Fenway Park
Duke’s Mayo Bowl: December 29, Bank of America Stadium
Cactus Bowl: December 30, Mountain America Stadium

Other big ones: the Military Bowl on December 31, Birmingham Bowl on January 1, and Alamo Bowl on January 2.

Gator Bowl, Music City Bowl, and First Responder Bowl are also on the schedule. Should be a fun ride for college football fans.

Conclusion

The 2026-27 college football bowl season is shaping up to be a wild ride. There’s a huge mix of games and networks, so honestly, fans probably won’t miss much—unless they blink.

Early kickoffs start in mid-December. Then, everything builds up to that big finale in late January.

For all the nitty-gritty details, you can check out the full 2026-27 NCAA college football bowl schedule.