When is College Football Playoff in 2025-26? Dates, times, TV channel, sites for CFP games

The 2026 Fiesta Bowl will be played on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 as the first game of the College Football Playoff semifinals, the College Football Playoff and ESPN announced Tuesday.

The game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. MST) on ESPN.

The second CFP semifinal will be the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, which will be played on Friday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The College Football Playoff national championship game is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Miami.

The four CFP quarterfinal games this season are the Cotton Bowl , Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl.

The Cotton Bowl will be played on Wednesday Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls will be part of a New Year’s Day tripleheader on Jan. 1, with the Orange Bowl beginning at noon ET, the Rose Bowl at 4 p.m. ET and the Sugar Bowl at 8 p.m. ET.

Big 12 football game picks: Arizona | Arizona State | Baylor | BYU | Cincinnati | Colorado | Houston | Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas State | Oklahoma State | TCU | Texas Tech | UCF | Utah | West Virginia | Projected Big 12 standings, records

Start times changed for College Football Playoff quarterfinals

ESPN is scheduled to air the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, semifinals and national title game.

The Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl start times are all moving up ahead of their traditional start times.

“This New Year’s Day schedule adjustment is the result of a thoughtful collaboration between the CFP, ESPN, the Capital One Orange Bowl, the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl,” Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. “All three bowls shifting their start times allows us to place each game in an ideal window on New Year’s Day and provide the optimal viewing experience. New Year’s Day and college football are synonymous with each other, and these changes only strengthen that relationship.”

College football championship odds: Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | National title | Heisman Trophy odds

College Football Playoff format in 2025-26 season

Twelve teams will make the College Football Playoff in the 2025-26 season: the five highest-ranked conference champions and then the seven highest-ranked teams that didn’t win their conference title. The four highest-ranked conference champs receive byes into the quarterfinals. The schools seeded five through eight host the schools seeded nine through 12 in the first round.

The first round dates, times and TV networks for the College Football Playoff will be announced at a later date.

Big 12 football schedule: By week | By team | Strength of schedule rankings | Power rankings | Top games

2025-26 College Football Playoff schedule

Wednesday, Dec. 31

• College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Cotton Bowl, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Thursday, Jan. 1

• College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Orange Bowl, Noon ET, ESPN
• College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Rose Bowl, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN
• College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Sugar Bowl, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Thursday, Jan. 8

• College Football Playoff semifinal at Fiesta Bowl, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Thursday, Jan. 9

• College Football Playoff semifinal at Peach Bowl, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Monday, Jan. 19

• College Football Playoff National Championship, 7:30 p.m.. ET, ESPN

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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