The 12-team College Football Playoff returns for its third season under the expanded format, and the CFP, ESPN and TNT Sports have released the complete schedule of dates, times, TV networks and host sites. Here is everything to know about the road to the 2026-27 national championship.
First Round: Campus Sites
The opening round of the playoff will again be played on the campus of the higher seeded teams.
- Friday, Dec. 18: One game at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
- Saturday, Dec. 19: Three games at noon, 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET
The first game of the Dec. 19 tripleheader will air on ABC and ESPN, while the other two games that day will be split between TNT and truTV.
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Quarterfinals: Bowl Games
The quarterfinal round moves to four traditional bowl sites. The Fiesta Bowl hosts the first game, with the Peach, Cotton and Rose bowls following two days later. Matchups and exact kickoff windows for each bowl will not be finalized until the 12-team field is announced Dec. 6.
- Wednesday, Dec. 30: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, at 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT, truTV)
- Friday, Jan. 1, 2027: Three quarterfinals at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta and the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, California
Of the Jan. 1 games, the noon and 4 p.m. matchups will air on TNT and truTV, the 4 p.m. game airs on ABC and ESPN, and the 8 p.m. game airs on ESPN.
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Semifinals: Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl
The two semifinal games return to their rotating bowl sites.
- Thursday, Jan. 14: Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, at 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT, truTV)
- Friday, Jan. 15: Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans at 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN)
National Championship
- Monday, Jan. 25, 2027: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, 7:30 p.m. ET, airing across ESPN networks including ABC
Where to Watch
All games airing on ESPN networks will also be available to stream on the ESPN app. Fans can get ESPN networks and FOX One together with the FOX One and ESPN bundle, bringing the College Football Playoff and FOX college football into one subscription. Games airing on TNT and truTV will also stream on HBO Max.
FOX does not hold broadcast rights to the College Football Playoff, so all games in this bracket will air exclusively on ESPN, ABC, TNT and truTV as listed above. FOX Sports will continue to provide coverage, analysis and reporting on the CFP field and matchups leading into the postseason.
