The College Football Playoff is ready to level up — literally. With the 12-team format officially rolling out for the 2025–26 season, fans are in for a postseason extravaganza like never before. The CFP, in collaboration with ESPN, recently dropped the full schedule for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship game.
Let’s just say it’s time to start planning your couch setup (or travel itinerary). From the New Year’s Day bowl tradition to a Miami showdown for the title, the road to glory is mapped out and more competitive than ever.
CFP 2025-26: Mark Your Calendar for a Football-Filled Winter
The CFP quarterfinals and semifinals will be played at existing bowl sites before culminating in the 2026 National Championship in Miami Gardens. All games will be broadcast on ESPN platforms, with staggered kickoff times designed to create wall-to-wall action across multiple days.
The quarterfinals begin with a primetime clash at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Then, the real New Year’s Day football feast begins:
- Capital One Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens — Wednesday, Jan. 1 at Noon ET
- Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential, Rose Bowl, Pasadena — Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. ET
- Allstate Sugar Bowl, Caesars Superdome, New Orleans — Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. ET
This new schedule embraces tradition, with the Rose and Sugar Bowls sticking to their classic New Year’s slots, while also spreading the playoff matchups to maximize viewer engagement.
“This format brings the best of both worlds — honoring the bowl traditions fans love while adding more meaningful football games,” said CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock during the April 2025 announcement.
These games will feature the four highest-ranked teams with byes and the next four highest-ranked teams, each playing at designated bowl sites instead of on-campus locations, due to the logistics and tradition associated with major bowls.
Semifinals and Championship: Who’s Making the Final Cut?
Once the quarterfinal dust settles, the four winners will head into the CFP semifinals. Both games will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the venues rotating among major bowls:
- Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium, Glendale — Thursday, Jan. 8
- Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta — Friday, Jan. 9
The semifinal locations rotate annually, and the 2025–26 edition ensures a warm-weather playoff setup, giving teams and fans ample incentive to travel, not to mention the championship implications.
Then comes the biggest college football showdown of the season: the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, set for Monday, Jan. 19, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It’s a fitting backdrop for the culmination of the first full 12-team playoff — a venue with palm trees, high stakes, and national attention.
Miami last hosted the title game in 2021, when Alabama steamrolled Ohio State. The city is no stranger to big moments, and it’s ready to welcome a new champion in 2026.
What’s New, What’s Big, and Why It Matters
The 12-team format changes everything. Gone are the days of just four elite programs making the cut. In 2025–26, the six highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed berths, with the remaining six spots going to the next best-ranked teams, as determined by the CFP Selection Committee.
The top four conference champions will receive first-round byes and begin their playoff run in the quarterfinals. First-round games, which precede the dates outlined above, will be played at campus sites of the higher-seeded teams on Friday, Dec. 19, and Saturday, Dec. 20. Those matchups will provide electric, win-or-go-home atmospheres unlike anything previously seen in the CFP era.
“This is an era-defining moment for college football,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said during the official announcement in April 2025. “It’s about growing the sport, growing fan engagement, and delivering value to student-athletes, institutions, and, most importantly, fans.”
The CFP expansion comes after years of debate among conference commissioners, university presidents, and television executives. It follows trends seen in other sports — more games, more access, and, ideally, fewer controversies about who gets in.
A New Chapter Begins
College football is no longer the exclusive domain of four powerhouse programs battling for supremacy. The 2025–26 CFP schedule shows that access, parity, and tradition can coexist — and thrive — in a bold new format.
The expanded playoff means more storylines, more underdogs, and more opportunities for programs to create legacy-defining runs. From Cotton Bowl drama to Miami nights, the calendar is packed with can’t-miss moments that will shape the sport for years to come.
KEEP READING: How Does the College Football Playoff Selection Committee Work?
Fans can now circle the dates and ready themselves for a playoff system designed to deliver maximum excitement — and, maybe, a Cinderella story or two. The 2025–26 College Football Playoff is set to make history, and all roads lead to January in Miami.
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