2025-26 College Football Playoff, bowl schedule - ESPN

As always, the college football season concludes with the most wonderful time of the year — bowl season.

In 2025, that includes the second year of the 12-team College Football Playoff, which culminates with the crowning of a national champion on Monday, Jan. 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The CFP begins with four first-round games to be played at campus sites Dec. 19 and 20. The quarterfinals and semifinals follow at the traditional New Year's Six bowl games.

Bowl season kicks off Dec. 13 at noon with the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

In all, 36 bowl games are scheduled, in addition to the 11 games of the CFP, and 42 of those games will air on the ESPN/ABC family of networks.

All times Eastern.

First-round games (at campus sites)

Friday, Dec. 19

No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama

Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Norman, Oklahoma)
8 p.m., ABC, ESPN

Saturday, Dec. 20

No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M

Kyle Field (College Station, Texas)
Noon, ABC, ESPN

No. 11 Tulane vs. No. 6 Ole Miss

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Oxford, Mississippi)
3:30 p.m., TNT

No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Oregon

Autzen Stadium (Eugene, Oregon)
7:30 p.m., TNT

Wednesday, Dec. 31

CFP Quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Miami-Texas A&M winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
7:30 p.m., ESPN

Thursday, Jan. 1

CFP Quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl
James Madison-Oregon winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Noon, ESPN

CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential
Alabama-Oklahoma winner vs. No. 1 Indiana
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
4 p.m., ESPN

CFP Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
Tulane-Ole Miss winner vs. No. 3 Georgia
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