2026-27 College Football Playoff Schedule – Complete Dates, Times, TV & Locations

The 2026-27 College Football Playoff schedule keeps the 12-team format for a third consecutive season and brings a meaningful shift in how fans can watch the games. For the first time, one contest from every round will be available on ABC, giving viewers without cable an over-the-air option. TNT Sports also expands its role and will broadcast its first College Football Playoffs semifinal.

Selection Day is locked in for Sunday, Dec. 6. That is when the selection committee will reveal the full 12-team bracket, the seeding, and the four first-round matchups. From that point the playoff runs 39 days and culminates with the national championship at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Monday, Jan. 25.

How the 12-Team Format Works in 2026-27

The College Football Playoff continues with the same 12-team structure used the previous two seasons. The five highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic bids, and the remaining seven spots go to the next highest-ranked teams in the final selection committee rankings. The four highest-seeded teams earn first-round byes.

That structure creates a clean four-round path: first round on campus, quarterfinals at traditional New Year’s Six bowl sites, semifinals at the Orange and Sugar Bowls, and the championship in Las Vegas. The calendar is designed to give teams adequate recovery time between rounds while still finishing before the end of January.

First Round – Dec. 18 and 19

The first round opens with a single primetime game and expands into a full Saturday slate.

• Friday, Dec. 18 – 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
• Saturday, Dec. 19 – 12:00 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN
• Saturday, Dec. 19 – 3:30 p.m. ET on TNT / truTV / HBO Max
• Saturday, Dec. 19 – 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT / truTV / HBO Max

All four games will be played at the home stadium of the higher-seeded team. Exact matchups and locations will not be known until Selection Day on Dec. 6. The decision to keep first-round games on campus continues the approach that has produced strong atmospheres and home-field advantages since the 12-team format began.

Quarterfinals – Dec. 30 and Jan. 1

After the first round, the playoff moves to the traditional major bowl sites.

The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl opens the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. That game will air on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.

The remaining three quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday, Jan. 1, 2027:

• Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential – Pasadena, California
• Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic – Arlington, Texas
• Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – Atlanta, Georgia

Those three games will occupy the 12:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET windows. The exact order of the bowls and networks (TNT/truTV/HBO Max, ABC/ESPN, ESPN) will be assigned on Selection Day once the bracket is set.

Semifinals – Jan. 14 and 15

The semifinals return to consecutive weeknights for the second straight year.

• Thursday, Jan. 14 – Capital One Orange Bowl Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT / truTV / HBO Max This will be TNT Sports’ first College Football Playoff semifinal broadcast.
• Friday, Jan. 15 – Allstate Sugar Bowl Caesars Superdome, New Orleans 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN This marks the first time a College Football Playoffs semifinal has been carried on ABC.

The back-to-back Thursday-Friday schedule gives the championship game participants a full week-plus to prepare for the final.

National Championship – Jan. 25 in Las Vegas

The 2026-27 College Football Playoff ends on Monday, Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. local Pacific time) on ABC.

This is the first time the national championship has been awarded in Las Vegas. Allegiant Stadium has hosted major events since opening and will give the title game a distinct neutral-site atmosphere in the desert.

Full 2026-27 College Football Playoff Schedule at a Glance

Round	Date(s)	Location / Notes	Primary TV
Selection Day	Sunday, Dec. 6	Bracket and seeds revealed	—
First Round	Fri Dec. 18 – Sat Dec. 19	Campus sites (higher seed hosts)	ESPN, ABC, TNT
Quarterfinals	Wed Dec. 30 & Fri Jan. 1	Fiesta, Cotton, Rose, Peach	TNT, ABC/ESPN, ESPN
Semifinals	Thu Jan. 14 & Fri Jan. 15	Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl	TNT, ABC/ESPN
National Championship	Monday, Jan. 25	Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas	ABC

TV Coverage Changes for 2026-27

The biggest viewing shift is the addition of ABC to every round. Fans who rely on over-the-air television will now have at least one game available without a cable or streaming subscription in the first round, quarterfinals, semifinals and championship.

TNT Sports also receives a larger package, highlighted by the Orange Bowl semifinal. The combination of ESPN, ABC and TNT platforms is designed to reach both traditional cable households and cord-cutters.

Looking Ahead

Future national championship sites are already set:

• 2028 – New Orleans (Caesars Superdome), Jan. 24
• 2029 – Tampa (Raymond James Stadium), Jan. 22
• 2030 – Miami Gardens (Hard Rock Stadium), Jan. 21

The 2026-27 College Football Playoffs schedule spreads the games across more networks, keeps first-round contests on campus, and delivers the title game to a new city. Everything becomes official on Selection Day, Dec. 6.

FAQ

When is Selection Day for the 2026-27 College Football Playoff?
Selection Day is Sunday, Dec. 6. The full 12-team bracket, seeds and first-round matchups will be announced that day.

When does the 2026-27 College Football Playoffs schedule begin?
The first round starts Friday, Dec. 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, followed by three games on Saturday, Dec. 19.

Where is the 2027 College Football Playoff National Championship?
The national championship will be played Monday, Jan. 25, 2027 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

What networks are carrying the 2026-27 College Football Playoff?
ESPN, ABC, TNT, truTV and HBO Max. One game from every round will air on ABC, giving over-the-air viewers access throughout the playoff.