Ultimate Guide to the 2025-26 College Football Playoff and Bowl Schedule
The 2025-2026 college football season is barreling toward a wild finish, with the second year of the 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) on deck. The season wraps up with a national champion crowned on Monday, Jan. 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Let’s get into the CFP schedule, spotlighting some key matchups and the bowl lineup that’s got fans buzzing.
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2025-2026 College Football Playoff Schedule
The Playoff starts with four first-round games at campus sites on Dec. 19 and 20. These games launch the quarterfinals and semifinals, which play out at the classic New Year’s Six bowls.
The season’s ultimate moment? The national championship in Miami on Jan. 19. Here’s a closer look at the schedule:
First-Round Games
First-round action on campus brought plenty of fireworks. Friday, Dec. 19, saw No. 9 Alabama knock off No. 8 Oklahoma 34-24 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman.
On Saturday, No. 10 Miami squeaked past No. 7 Texas A&M 10-3 at Kyle Field in College Station. No. 6 Ole Miss rolled over No. 11 Tulane 41-10 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.
No. 5 Oregon put up big numbers, beating No. 12 James Madison 51-34 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
Quarterfinal Matches
Quarterfinals? Some of college football’s most iconic stadiums hosted the action. Wednesday, Dec. 31, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic had No. 10 Miami stunning No. 2 Ohio State 24-14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
New Year’s Day brought three more showdowns:
- Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 5 Oregon blanked No. 4 Texas Tech 23-0 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
- Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential: No. 1 Indiana steamrolled No. 9 Alabama 38-3 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
- Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 6 Ole Miss slipped past No. 3 Georgia 39-34 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Semifinals
The semifinals? Yeah, they delivered. Thursday, Jan. 8, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl saw No. 10 Miami keep the magic alive, edging No. 6 Ole Miss 31-27 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Friday, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl had No. 1 Indiana powering past No. 5 Oregon 56-22 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
National Championship
Now, it all comes down to this: No. 10 Miami vs. No. 1 Indiana at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Monday, Jan. 19, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
It’s shaping up to be a heavyweight fight to cap off a wild season.
Other Notable Bowl Games
Beyond the CFP, there are 36 other bowl games on tap. Here are a few standouts:
Early Bowl Games
Things got rolling Dec. 13 with the Cricket Celebration Bowl. South Carolina State held off Prairie View A&M 40-38 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Washington made a statement in the Bucked Up LA Bowl, routing Boise State 38-10 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Over in Montgomery, Jacksonville State edged Troy 17-13 in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at the Cramton Bowl.
Mid-Season Bowls
As December rolled on, fans saw some tight contests. On Dec. 23, Louisville outlasted Toledo 27-22 in the Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans at Flagler Credit Union Stadium.
Western Kentucky topped Southern Miss 27-16 in the New Orleans Bowl at Caesars Superdome. Christmas Eve in Honolulu brought a thriller, with Hawaii beating California 35-31 in the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Bowls
New Year’s Eve and Day were packed with drama. Dec. 31, Iowa got past Vanderbilt 34-27 in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
Duke slipped by Arizona State 42-39 in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso. On Jan. 1, Texas pulled away from Michigan 41-27 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
Utah handled Nebraska 44-22 in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium.
Conclusion
The 2025-2026 college football bowl season has been wild—seriously, just packed with edge-of-your-seat games and moments you can’t forget. There’s still the CFP National Championship on the horizon, so if you’re feeling restless, you’re not alone.
If you want the full bowl schedule and all the results, ESPN has you covered. They’ve got every detail, honestly.
