The College Football Playoff selection committee releases its first Top 25 of the 2026 season on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, then updates it every Tuesday through Dec. 1 before the final rankings and the 12 team bracket are revealed on Selection Day, Sunday, Dec. 6. This page carries the committee’s full Top 25 within minutes of each release, the movement from the week before, and who would be in the bracket if the season ended that day. Until Nov. 3 the AP Top 25 is the best guide to the pecking order, and it is linked below.
CFP Rankings Release Schedule
| 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 |
Latest CFP Top 25
The committee has not released its first rankings yet. The first Top 25 arrives Tuesday, Nov. 3, and it appears here that night with the projected bracket underneath. In the meantime the AP Top 25 and the CFP odds show where the contenders stand.
What Makes the Committee’s Rankings Different
| Who votes | A 13 member committee of athletic directors, former coaches, former players and administrators, not writers or coaches |
| What counts | Wins and losses, strength of schedule, head to head results, results against common opponents, conference championships, and injuries to key players |
| Why the AP poll differs | The AP poll rewards style and momentum from week one; the committee only starts in November and weighs full resumes, so ranked teams with losses to good opponents often sit higher in the CFP rankings |
| What the ranking decides | The 12 team field, the four byes (the four highest ranked teams overall), first round hosts, and the at large order |
| Auto bids | The five highest ranked conference champions in the final rankings are in regardless of where they sit in the Top 25 |
Each week’s release is added above with the change from the previous ranking, and after Dec. 6 the page holds the final rankings that set the bracket.
Related
CFP bracket · CFP schedule · CFP odds · How the CFP works · Byes and auto bids · AP Top 25 · College football TV schedule