College Football Playoff Schedule: 2025-26 dates, host sites

After a highly successful first run of the 12-team College Football Playoff, the sport is set to run it back again in the 2025-26 season. And now the schedule has been set.

The NCAA announced the dates and locations for all playoff games on Tuesday afternoon. It’s a similar setup as last year. You can check it out below.

2025-26 College Football Playoff schedule

First round (Dec. 19-20) — on campus

• Friday, Dec. 19: One game
• Saturday, Dec. 20: Three games

Quarterfinals (Dec. 31-Jan. 1)

• Wednesday, Dec. 31: Cotton Bowl
• Thursday, Jan. 1: Orange Bowl (early afternoon)
• Thursday, Jan. 1: Rose Bowl (late afternoon)
• Thursday, Jan. 1: Sugar Bowl (primetime)

Semifinals (Jan. 8-9)

• Thursday, Jan. 8: Fiesta Bowl
• Friday, Jan. 9: Peach Bowl

CFP National Championship

• Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida

2024-25 College Football Playoff Recap

The first edition of the new playoff format debuted last fall, and it was mostly a smashing success. Home playoff games in the first round provided an interesting atmosphere, although the visiting teams found it tough sledding.

It’ll be interesting to see if a second season of the College Football Playoff expanded format produces a few more upsets. Last year there were none in the first round, producing a chalky quarterfinal round.

That said, there were some upsets by seed in the quarterfinal round. In fact, each of the four games in the quarterfinals produced a win by the lower-seeded team. That left seeds No. 5 through No. 8 competing into the semifinals.

Ohio State pounced on Texas to advance to the national championship game, while Notre Dame slipped by Penn State to advance. That set up a College Football Playoff final between two traditional powers.

Ohio State would take control of the contest relatively early against Notre Dame, eventually coasting to a 34-23 win to take home the title. It was the first ever championship won in a 12-team playoff field.

Will this year’s produce similar results? Or will we get a bit more drama? We’ll have to wait and see.