2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game Schedule
The 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship will be the twelveth CFP National Championship game is scheduled to be played on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 at Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL. The College Football Playoff National Championship game determines the national champion of the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The College Football Playoff is a postseason tournament where the Quarterfinals and Semifinals rotate among six bowl games — the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl — on a three-year cycle.
When do the 2025-26 College Football Playoffs start?
The first round of four games will be played in December 2025, followed by four Quarterfinals on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The Semifinals and National Championship will take place in January 2026.
What time does National Championship 2026 start?
The 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT) on Monday, January 19, 2026.
What TV channel is the National Championship game on?
The College Football Playoff National Championship game will be televised nationally by ESPN, beginning at 7:30 p.m. EST, and presented by AT&T.
Friday, Dec. 19, 2025
| First-Round Game | Time (ET) | TV | Location |
| TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025
| First-Round Game | Time (ET) | TV | Location |
| TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025
| Quarterfinal Game | Time (ET) | TV | Location |
| Goodyear Cotton Bowl | 7:30pm | ESPN | AT&T Stadium –Arlington, TX |
Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026
| Quarterfinal Game | Time (ET) | TV | Location |
| Capital One Orange Bowl | Noon | ESPN | Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL |
| Rose Bowl Game | 4:00pm | ESPN | Rose Bowl Stadium – Pasadena, CA |
| Allstate Sugar Bowl | 8:00pm | ESPN | Caesars Superdome – New Orleans, LA |
Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026
| Semifinal Game | Time (ET) | TV | Location |
| Vrbo Fiesta Bowl | 7:30pm | ESPN | State Farm Stadium – Glendale, AZ |
Friday, Jan. 9, 2026
| Semifinal Game | Time (ET) | TV | Location |
| Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl | 7:30pm | ESPN | Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA |
Monday, Jan. 19, 2026
| CFP National Championship | Time (ET) | TV | Location |
| TBD vs TBD | 7:30pm | ESPN | Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL |
Note: Time and date are tantative and subject to change.