College Football Playoff TV Schedule Adds TNT Games, ABC Simulcasts
The 2026-27 College Football Playoff (CFP) television schedule is out, and honestly, it’s looking different from what we saw last year. ESPN has dropped the new dates, times, and channel assignments for the season, which kicks off a fresh chapter in this 12-team playoff era.
This time, TNT’s got more games in the mix, and ABC will simulcast more of them too. There’s even talk that the Rose Bowl could shift out of its classic New Year’s Day mid-afternoon spot, which feels almost sacrilegious but hey, times change.
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First Round: December 18-19, 2026
The first round keeps a familiar pace, with one game on Friday, December 18, and three more on Saturday, December 19. But the TV lineup’s getting a shake-up.
Friday Opener
For the first time since the 12-team format started, the Friday opener’s airing only on ESPN. In the past, ABC shared the broadcast, but now ESPN’s taking the reins.
Guess they really want to put their stamp on the CFP this year.
Saturday Games
On Saturday, December 19, the noon ET kickoff will be on both ESPN and ABC. That early game won’t have to battle with the NFL’s doubleheader, which is honestly a relief for fans trying to watch both.
TNT’s handling the afternoon and evening games—3:30 p.m. ET and 7:30 p.m. ET. Those will go up against some stiff NFL competition, like Seahawks-Eagles at 5 p.m. on Fox and Bears-Bills at 8:20 p.m. on CBS. Good luck flipping between channels.
Quarterfinals: December 30, 2026 – January 1, 2027
The quarterfinals are mixing things up too. TNT’s got two games now, thanks to a bigger sublicense deal with ESPN.
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl leads things off, airing on TNT on Wednesday, December 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Wildly enough, this is the first time a quarterfinal game in the 12-team era isn’t on New Year’s Eve. Feels a bit odd, but maybe it’ll grow on us.
New Year’s Day Games
New Year’s Day kicks off with TNT broadcasting the first quarterfinal at noon ET. ESPN steps in for the 4 p.m. ET game, and for the first time, that one’s also on ABC.
The 8 p.m. ET game stays exclusive to ESPN. The Rose Bowl, which usually owns that mid-afternoon slot, might slide to 8 p.m. ET this year—still hard to picture. The Sugar Bowl and Peach Bowl round out the quarterfinals.
Semifinals: January 14-15, 2027
For the semifinals, TNT’s finally getting a crack at broadcasting a game. That’s new territory for them and part of the broader ESPN sublicense plan.
Orange Bowl
TNT will show the Orange Bowl on Thursday, January 14, at 7:30 p.m. ET. That’s a big deal for TNT, stepping up to the CFP semifinals for the first time.
Sugar Bowl
ESPN’s got the Sugar Bowl on Friday, January 15, at 7:30 p.m. ET, and this one’s also on ABC. The simulcast should pull in a bigger audience and give fans more ways to tune in. Not a bad move, honestly.
National Championship: January 25, 2027
The College Football Playoff wraps up with the national championship game on Monday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
This time, it’s a bit different. For the first year in the 12-team era, the game’s airing on both ESPN and ABC at once. That’s a big move for reaching fans everywhere.
With more games moving to TNT and ABC picking up simulcasts, there’s no shortage of ways to tune in. If you’re curious about all the broadcasting changes, check out the full scoop on Awful Announcing.
