The 2026-27 College Football Playoff runs from Friday, Dec. 18, when the first of four campus site first round games kicks off, through Monday, Jan. 25, 2027, when the national championship is played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. It is the third season of the 12 team bracket: the five highest ranked conference champions qualify automatically, seven at large teams fill out the field, and the four highest ranked teams overall skip the first round. Every round is below with dates, sites, kickoff windows and TV, and the rankings release schedule that leads into Selection Day on Dec. 6.
2026-27 College Football Playoff Schedule
| Round | Date | Game | Site | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round | Fri, Dec. 18 | First round game 1 | Campus of the higher seed | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| First round | Sat, Dec. 19 | First round game 2 | Campus of the higher seed | Noon | ABC, ESPN |
| First round | Sat, Dec. 19 | First round game 3 | Campus of the higher seed | 3:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| First round | Sat, Dec. 19 | First round game 4 | Campus of the higher seed | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| Quarterfinal | Wed, Dec. 30 | Fiesta Bowl | State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| Quarterfinal | Fri, Jan. 1 | Cotton, Peach or Rose Bowl | AT&T Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium or Rose Bowl | Noon | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| Quarterfinal | Fri, Jan. 1 | Cotton, Peach or Rose Bowl | AT&T Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium or Rose Bowl | 4 p.m. | ABC, ESPN |
| Quarterfinal | Fri, Jan. 1 | Cotton, Peach or Rose Bowl | AT&T Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium or Rose Bowl | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Semifinal | Thu, Jan. 14 | Orange Bowl | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| Semifinal | Fri, Jan. 15 | Sugar Bowl | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans | 7:30 p.m. | ABC, ESPN |
| Championship | Mon, Jan. 25 | CFP National Championship | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas | 7:30 p.m. | ABC, ESPN |
The three New Year’s Day quarterfinals (Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Rose Bowl in Pasadena) are assigned to their noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. windows on Selection Day. TNT Sports carries the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal and the Orange Bowl semifinal, its first CFP semifinal, with ESPN and ABC handling the rest, including the title game.
CFP Rankings Release Dates
| Release | Date | Time (ET) | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rankings 1 | Tue, Nov. 3 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rankings 2 | Tue, Nov. 10 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rankings 3 | Tue, Nov. 17 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rankings 4 | Tue, Nov. 24 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rankings 5 | Tue, Dec. 1 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Selection Day | Sun, Dec. 6 | Noon | ESPN |
How the 12 Team Bracket Works
| Field | 12 teams: the five highest ranked conference champions plus the next seven highest ranked teams in the final CFP rankings |
| Byes | Seeds 1 through 4 go to the four highest ranked teams overall, champion or not, and skip the first round |
| First round | Seeds 5 through 12 play on campus at the higher seed: 12 at 5, 11 at 6, 10 at 7, 9 at 8 |
| Quarterfinals | Four New Year’s bowls, with seeds 1 through 4 placed against the first round winners |
| Semifinals | Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl, one week before the title game |
| Championship | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Jan. 25, the first CFP title game in Nevada |
The bracket, seeds and first round pairings are filled in on this site’s CFP bracket page the moment they are announced on Dec. 6, and the CFP rankings page tracks every Tuesday release starting Nov. 3.
Related
CFP rankings · CFP bracket · CFP odds · How the CFP works · Byes and auto bids · AP Top 25 · College football TV schedule