College Football Playoff Quarterfinal and Semifinal game dates have been set for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, according to an announcement by the College Football Playoff (CFP) on Tuesday.
The 2026 season will mark the third for the College Football Playoff (CFP) with an expanded 12-team field. The CFP will begin with four first-round games that will be played on the campus of the higher-seeded team, and those exact dates will be announced later.
The quarterfinals for the 2026 season will begin on Wednesday, December 30 at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Then two days later on Friday, January 1, 2027, quarterfinals will take place at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and Rose Bowl Game.
The College Football Playoff Semifinals will be played two weeks later on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027, at the Capital One Orange Bowl, and Friday, Jan. 15, 2027, at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Quarterfinal and Semifinal dates for the 2027 season will be similar (see below).
The College Football Playoff National Championship for the 2026 season is slated for Monday, Jan. 25, 2027 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Below is the complete list of CFP Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Championship games for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
2026 Season
Quarterfinals
- Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2026: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
- Friday, Jan. 1, 2027: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and Rose Bowl Game
Semifinals
- Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027: Capital One Orange Bowl
- Friday, Jan. 15, 2027: Allstate Sugar Bowl
CFP National Championship
- Monday, Jan. 25, 2027: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
2027 Season
Quarterfinals
- Friday, Dec. 31, 2027: Allstate Sugar Bowl
- Saturday, Jan. 1, 2028: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the Rose Bowl Game
Semifinals
- Thursday, Jan. 13, 2028: Capital One Orange Bowl
- Friday, Jan. 14, 2028: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
CFP National Championship
- Monday, Jan. 24, 2028: Caesars Superdome – New Orleans
“These dates allow us to maintain competitive balance, maximize the fan experience, and provide consistency for everyone involved in the Playoff,” said Rich Clark, Executive Director of the CFP. “I also want to thank our bowl partners and their local communities for the incredible work, collaboration, and commitment they’ve shown throughout the first two years of the expanded playoff. The bowl games and the people behind them embraced change, delivered at the highest level, and helped ensure the expanded format was a success for student-athletes, fans, and the sport.”
Conference commissioners are ruining this game, can’t even align on not giving the top 4 seeds a whole month off. It’s supposed to be an advantage, but they are 1-7 in the 12-team format. Such an easy fix!
Game are way to spread out. Two weeks from the Quarterfinal to Semifinals then another 10 days until the championship is to long. Championship shouldn’t be end of January since people forget about the game.
Maybe play the games on a specific day of the week. For example: every Saturday from Thanksgiving to New Years…
I think the issues with the bye week are a bit overstated, but nevertheless the season takes way too long to finish.
I would:
1. Play the first round on campus the week after the conference championship games. The NFL can’t play that Saturday, so it’s a great television weekend. You have to figure out how to handle Army-Navy, but I would think that can be worked out.
2. Play the next round on campus (so the top 4 seeds get a home game) the week that is currently the first round.
3. Play the semi-finals on New Year’s Day, the way it was in the 4-team playoff. I would lock them into the Rose Bowl in the afternoon and the Sugar Bowl in the evening, but you could rotate them.
4. Play the championship game on the next Friday or Monday night that the NFL isn’t playing (will depend on how the calendar falls each year).
The season is over by the second week in January, all but two teams are done when the transfer portal opens, and you have fewer issues with coaches changing jobs while their team is in the playoffs.
Playoffs, I agree with all 4 points. Maybe Army-Navy could start at 11am Friday after Thanksgiving and nobody else can kick until 2pm eastern that day.
nothin says college football like a bunch of 24 year olds on their third team battling it out at the end of January. and they dont even get the crystal ball trophy anymore
Evidently so (unironically), because the recent IU-Miami natty game was the 2nd most watched CFB the 4th most watch ed CFB game of any type in the last 30 years.
Unlike you, most fans don’t see to careviewersut the stumff you mentioned.
I am curious why the Fiesta Bowl is being played 2 days before the other quarterfinal games. Why not play that on Dec. 31?
Because the NFL will be playing that night, it’s a Thursday.
Because the NFL has a Thursday night game scheduled for that date and the playoff does not want to compete with the NFL for viewers.
Gotta be a Thursday Night football spot for the NFL?
Don’t forget TNT airs CFP Quarterfinals.
WOW
These geniuses have actually managed to make it even worse who are these bozos running this show?
ESPN will not televise a DEC 31 “weeknight” NY6 bowl. They say too many parties and people have to work but they will televise a DEC 31 bowl game if it is on a Friday or Sat.
Interesting though, they play the CF National Championship Game on a “Monday” night and work the next day is not a problem.