2026 College Football Playoff: Full Schedule, Dates, Times, TV Coverage

The College Football Playoff (CFP) just dropped its schedule and broadcast plans for the 2026-27 postseason. It’s a pretty big deal—things are going to look a bit different for fans.

This season will be the first with ESPN’s new expanded rights package. Supposedly, we’ll get more ways to watch than ever before.

Some key games will air on both ABC and ESPN. TNT Sports is also picking up more matchups, which should mean more eyeballs on the games.

If you’re a college football junkie or just a casual fan, there’s a lot to unpack here.

Expanded Coverage and New Broadcast Partnerships

For the first time, one game per round will be on both ABC and ESPN. That’s a move to give more people access, especially those without cable.

The CFP clearly wants to pull in viewers outside the usual sports TV crowd. Will it work? Maybe.

TNT Sports Joins the Playoff Action

Thanks to a deal between ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT Sports is getting five games, including a semifinal. That’s up three from last season.

It’s the most distributed CFP postseason yet, and with TNT, truTV, and HBO Max all in the mix, fans have more options than ever.

Key Dates and Locations

Here’s the rundown for the 2026-27 CFP postseason:

• Friday, Dec. 18, 8 p.m. ET – Campus site, ESPN
• Saturday, Dec. 19, Noon ET – Campus site, ABC & ESPN
• Saturday, Dec. 19, 3:30 p.m. ET – Campus site, TNT, truTV & HBO Max
• Saturday, Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m. ET – Campus site, TNT, truTV & HBO Max

We won’t know which schools are hosting until Selection Day, Sunday, Dec. 6. That always adds a bit of suspense.

Upcoming Bowl Games

After the campus games, it’s on to the bowls:

• Wednesday, Dec. 30, 7:30 p.m. ET – Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Ariz.), TNT, truTV & HBO Max
• Friday, Jan. 1, Noon ET – TBD*, TNT, truTV & HBO Max
• Friday, Jan. 1, 4 p.m. ET – TBD*, ABC & ESPN
• Friday, Jan. 1, 8 p.m. ET – TBD*, ESPN

*The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, and Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential will get their timeslots on Selection Day.

Semifinals and Championship Game

Semifinals and the championship are set for mid-January:

• Thursday, Jan. 14, 7:30 p.m. ET – Capital One Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Fla.), TNT, truTV & HBO Max
• Friday, Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m. ET – Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, La.), ABC & ESPN
• Monday, Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m. ET – Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, Nev.), ABC & ESPN

The title game on Jan. 25 is the latest it’s ever been. Some folks, like LSU’s Lane Kiffin, aren’t thrilled about the long wait between games.

CFP boss Rich Clark says the schedule keeps things fair and makes for a better fan experience. Maybe he’s right, maybe not—depends who you ask.

Viewer Ratings and Audience Growth

With more ways to watch, the CFP is hoping for bigger audiences. Last season’s title game between Miami and Indiana pulled in 30.1 million viewers—the biggest since 2015.

The whole 11-game bracket averaged 16.3 million viewers. That’s up four percent from the year before, and apparently, 37 billion minutes were watched—also up four percent.

It’s clear people are tuning in. The format seems to be working, at least for now.

Looking Ahead: Selection Day

The next big date on the CFP calendar is Selection Day, Sunday, Dec. 6. That’s when the 12-team field and all campus sites finally get announced.

This event really kicks off what should be an exciting and more open postseason. There’s a lot of buzz about how accessible it’ll feel this time around.

If you’re after all the nitty-gritty on the 2026-27 College Football Playoff schedule—bracket dates, times, TV details—check out the official announcement.