The attention of the college football world is already turning to the 2025 season. The expansion of the playoff has added a new layer of intrigue for fans, with the College Football Playoff National Championship Game being the pinnacle of the sport.
Which city will hold the 2026 college football national championship game?
Who Will Host the 2026 College Football National Championship Game?
The college football National Championship Game will be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL, on Jan. 19, 2026, as the game returns to South Florida.
Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins, will host the prestigious title game as well as the traditional Orange Bowl, which will serve as a quarterfinal game in the 2025-2026 campaign. It will be the second time that Miami has held the National Championship game since the playoff era began in 2014, with the title game also being played in South Florida in 2021.
FOLLOW ALONG: Track Every Transfer Portal Entrant in our CFN Transfer Portal Tracker now!
When the 2026 National Championship Game kicks off on January 19, 2026, it will be five years since the city hosted its last title game, which saw the Alabama Crimson Tide defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes 52-24.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the stadium operated at only 20% capacity and lacked the collegiate atmosphere with which the sport is so systematically associated. With only 14,926 tickets allocated, there was a certain lack of buzz around the stadium. There were none of the tailgates, pomp, or pageantry that you would ordinarily expect from a championship game.
The organizing committee, who also arrange the Orange Bowl, felt they missed an opportunity to showcase South Florida’s vibrant college football traditions, which led to them applying to host the game again in 2026.
Speaking to the Miami Herald, Eric Poms, CEO of the Orange Bowl, said, “We don’t think there’s any better place to stage postseason college football than South Florida.”
He continued by claiming the event would showcase the “pageantry around what is a typical College Football Playoff national championship game.”
Executive Director of the College Football Playoff, Bill Hancock, expressed, “South Florida was a great host for the 2021 national championship game despite the event having to be scaled back.”
He further said, “We look forward to returning in 2026 with a full complement of events and activities during national championship weekend. The first-class stadium, convention center, hotels, and supportive people in South Florida made the decision to return quite easily.”
The 2027 College Football National Championship Game is due to be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.
