First Round: Campus Site Showdowns
The CFP first round launches tonight, December 19, with No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma at 8:00 p.m. ET from Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK, airing on ABC/ESPN. Tomorrow, December 20, features key clashes like No. 10 Miami (FL) at No. 7 Texas A&M at 11:00 a.m. CST from Kyle Field in College Station, TX on ABC/ESPN, and No. 12 Tulane at Ole Miss at 3:30 p.m. from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, MS on TNT/truTV.
These campus-hosted games mark debuts for teams like Miami and Texas A&M in the CFP, adding fresh narratives. Winners advance to face top seeds in quarterfinals, heightening stakes for underdogs.
Additional December 20 games include No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT/truTV from Autzen Stadium. Home-field advantage could propel surprises in this expanded field.
Quarterfinals and Semifinals Breakdown
Quarterfinals span New Year's Eve and Day: December 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET, a matchup like Miami/TAMU winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on ESPN. January 1 features the Capital One Orange Bowl at noon ET, Rose Bowl at 4 p.m. ET, and Allstate Sugar Bowl at 8 p.m. ET, all on ESPN.
Semifinals follow on January 8 in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, and January 9 in the Peach Bowl at 7:30 p.m. ET from Atlanta, both on ESPN. These games determine the final two contenders.
National Championship Spotlight
The season peaks on Monday, January 19, 2026, with the CFP National Championship at 7:30 p.m. ET from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, broadcast exclusively on ESPN and streaming via ESPN App/ESPN+.
This Miami finale follows the playoff's New Year's tripleheader, promising peak viewership after last year's 26.1 million average. Teams battle for college football immortality in this climactic showdown.
ESPN's expanded package ensures broad access, sublicensing select games to TNT Sports for wider reach. Stay tuned as brackets unfold from tonight's action.