College Football Playoff Schedule 2025-26: Dates, TV, Sites Locked In

The Road to the National Title Is Set

The College Football Playoff unveiled its 2025-26 calendar on Tuesday, giving fans the clearest roadmap yet to the sport’s next champion. From the First Four to the confetti-strewn turf of the national championship, every date, network, and stadium is now etched in stone.

First Four: December 20–21, 2025

Four at-large teams will collide in back-to-back thrillers on the third weekend of December. ESPN will carry both games live, with kickoffs staggered to ensure prime-time eyeballs. Sites rotate annually; this cycle the winners punch their ticket to either the Sugar or Fiesta Bowl.

“We wanted to reward December football,” said CFP executive director Bill Hancock. “These games feel like the NFL wild-card round—single elimination, nothing held back.”

Quarterfinals: New Year’s Day 2026

January 1 belongs to the sport again. The Peach and Cotton Bowls will host afternoon doubleheaders, while the Rose and Sugar Bowls return to their traditional evening slots. All four games air on ESPN, ensuring a 12-hour marathon of must-win stakes.

Semifinals: January 8–9, 2026

The Orange and Fiesta Bowls get the semifinals for the first time since 2022. Saturday–Sunday windowing is designed to avoid NFL playoff traffic and maximize college-only buzz.

Championship Monday: January 19, 2026

Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host the title game on the third Monday of January, a week later than usual to accommodate the expanded bracket. ESPN’s Megacast will blanket the airwaves, from the command-center “Field Pass” to the coaches’ room “Film Room.”

Why the Shift Matters

With the bracket doubling from four to 12 teams, the calendar had to stretch. Coaches lobbied for the extra week between semifinals and finals, citing player welfare and ticket-planning logistics. Athletic directors welcomed the longer runway for donor events and donor-student travel packages.

• First Four sites: campus stadiums of the top two seeds
• Quarterfinal sites: traditional bowl partners (Rose, Sugar, Peach, Cotton)
• Semifinal sites: Orange and Fiesta Bowls
• Championship site: Atlanta (rotates annually)

TV Windows & Streaming

Every game will stream on ESPN+, but linear ESPN remains the mothership. The network has already committed to a whip-around “RedZone” style show during overlapping kickoffs, a nod to the chaos fans crave.

The Big Picture

For the first time since 2014, the playoff feels genuinely national. By handing first-round home games to the highest seeds, the sport rekindles campus atmospheres last seen in the BCS era. Meanwhile, the bowl ecosystem keeps its historic brands intact, a delicate peace between tradition and expansion.