College Football Playoff: 2025/26 dates, schedule, locations, how to watch, format

The 2024/25 College Football Playoff is a wrap, with Ohio State capturing its first national championship since 2014/15, defeating Notre Dame 34-23 in the title game.

The Buckeyes’ title triumph marks the first in the history of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.

This format will return in 2025/26, which we look ahead to in this article.

2025/26 College Football Playoff dates and schedule

The 2025/26 College Football Playoff first round will kick off on a date TBD in December 2025.

The quarterfinals are scheduled for Wednesday, December 31, 2025 and Thursday, January 1, 2026.

The semifinals will take place on a date TBD in January 2026.

When is the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship?

The national championship for the 2025/26 college football season will take place on Monday, January 19, 2026.

Where is the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship?

The 2026 national championship will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

How to watch the 2025/26 College Football Playoff, TV channel and streaming

The 2025/26 College Football Playoff will air on ESPN, which is available through cable TV and live streaming apps such as YouTube TV.

ESPN does have the right to sub-license CFP games, which it did in 2024/25, with some games airing on TNT and MAX.

2025/26 College Football Playoff format

The 2024/25 College Football Playoff was the first to include 12 teams, expanding from four.

The 12-team field will consist of the five highest-ranked conference champions, based on the College Football Playoff committee’s rankings and conference championship game results, and the next seven highest-ranked teams.

The top four seeds – which are the four highest-ranked conference champs - will receive a bye to the CFP quarterfinals. The fifth conference champion will not receive a bye and be seeded where the CFP committee decides in their end-of-season rankings.

In the first round, seeds five through eight will host seeds nine through 12 at the home field of the higher ranked team. So the 12-seed will visit the 5-seed, 11 vs. 6, 10 vs. 7 and 9 vs. 8.

The bracket will then play out without re-seeding, although the CFP has not ruled out potential tweaks to this ruling for 2025/26.

The CFP quarterfinals and semifinals will take place at traditional bowl locations, including the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl.

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