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, 35 bowl games are scheduled, in addition to the 11 games of the CFP, and 41 of those games will air on the ESPN/ABC family of networks.

First-round games (at campus sites)

Friday, Dec. 19

Saturday, Dec. 20

Tuesday, Dec. 31

CFP Quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
7:30 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday, Jan. 1

CFP Quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Noon, ESPN

CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
4 p.m., ESPN

CFP Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
8 p.m., ESPN

Thursday, Jan. 8

CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
7:30 p.m., ESPN

Friday, Jan. 9

CFP Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
7:30 p.m., ESPN

Monday, Jan. 19

CFP National Championship
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
7:30 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, Dec. 13

Cricket Celebration Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Noon, ABC

LA Bowl
SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
9 p.m., ESPN

Tuesday, Dec. 16

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
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