Bowl season is here, and the 2025-26 schedule is packed from the weekend kickoff on Saturday, December 13 all the way to the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 19. This guide lays out the full slate, including dates, matchups, times (ET), and TV channels, so you can plan which games to watch and when. As bowl matchups are announced, expect updates throughout the season.
Key points to know as you dive in:
- The schedule spans a wide range of venues from coast to coast, featuring traditional bowls, new sponsorships, and playoff remnants that shape the postseason landscape.
- The Playoff first-round and quarterfinal games appear in the middle and end of December, culminating in the semifinals in early January and the National Championship in Miami on January 19.
- Times and networks are listed in ET to help fans across time zones follow along without confusion.
Complete schedule and notable notes (all times ET):
Saturday, Dec. 13
- Celebration Bowl: South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M — 12:00 p.m., ABC, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
- LA Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington — 8:00 p.m., ABC, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Tuesday, Dec. 16
- Salute to Veterans Bowl: Troy vs. Jacksonville State — 9:00 p.m., ESPN, Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
Wednesday, Dec. 17
- Cure Bowl: Old Dominion vs. South Florida — 5:00 p.m., ESPN, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
- 68 Ventures Bowl: Louisiana vs. Delaware — 8:30 p.m., ESPN, Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL
Thursday, Dec. 18
- Xbox Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Missouri State — 9:00 p.m., ESPN2, Ford Center, Frisco, TX
Friday, Dec. 19
- Myrtle Beach Bowl: Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan — 11:00 a.m., ESPN, Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC
- Gasparilla Bowl: Memphis vs. NC State — 2:30 p.m., ESPN, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
- College Football Playoff First Round Game: No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama — 8:00 p.m., ESPN, ABC, Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK
Saturday, Dec. 20
- College Football Playoff First Round: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami (Fla.) — 12:00 p.m., ESPN, ABC, Kyle Field, College Station, TX
- College Football Playoff First Round: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 20 Tulane — 3:30 p.m., TNT & HBO Max, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS
- College Football Playoff First Round: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 24 James Madison — 7:30 p.m., TNT & HBO Max, Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
Monday, Dec. 22
- Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Washington State vs. Utah State — 2:00 p.m., ESPN, Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
Tuesday, Dec. 23
- Boca Raton Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss — 5:30 p.m., ESPN, Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
- Frisco Bowl: UNLV vs. Ohio — 9:00 p.m., ESPN, Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, TX
Wednesday, Dec. 24
- Hawai‘i Bowl: Cal vs. Hawai‘i — 8:00 p.m., ESPN, Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI
Friday, Dec. 26
- GameAbove Sports Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Northwestern — 1:00 p.m., ESPN, Ford Field, Detroit, MI
- Rate Bowl: New Mexico vs. Minnesota — 4:30 p.m., ESPN, Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
- First Responder Bowl: FIU vs. UTSA — 8:00 p.m., ESPN, Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
Saturday, Dec. 27
- Military Bowl: Pitt vs. East Carolina — 11:00 a.m., ESPN, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
- Pinstripe Bowl: Clemson vs. Penn State — 12:00 p.m., ABC, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
- Fenway Bowl: UConn vs. Army — 2:15 p.m., ESPN, Fenway Park, Boston, MA
- Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 12 BYU vs. No. 22 Georgia Tech — 3:30 p.m., ABC, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
- Arizona Bowl: Miami (OH) vs. Fresno State — 4:30 p.m., The CW, Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ
- New Mexico Bowl: UNT vs. San Diego State — 5:45 p.m., ESPN, University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
- Gator Bowl: Missouri vs. No. 19 Virginia — 7:30 p.m., ABC, EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
- Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Houston — 9:15 p.m., ESPN, NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Monday, Dec. 29
- Birmingham Bowl (date TBA)
Tuesday, Dec. 30
- Independence Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech — 2:00 p.m., ESPN, Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
- Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Illinois — 5:30 p.m., ESPN, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
- Alamo Bowl: No. 16 Southern Cal vs. TCU — 9:00 p.m., ESPN, Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Wednesday, Dec. 31
- ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 23 Iowa vs. No. 14 Vanderbilt — 12:00 p.m., ESPN, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
- Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. Duke — 2:00 p.m., CBS, Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
- Citrus Bowl: No. 13 Texas vs. No. 18 Michigan — 3:00 p.m., ABC, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
- Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska vs. No. 15 Utah — 3:30 p.m., ESPN, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
- College Football Playoff Quarterfinal: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Texas A&M/No. 10 Miami (Fla.) winner — 7:30 p.m., ESPN, WatchESPN, AT&T Stadium (Cotton Bowl), Arlington, TX
Thursday, Jan. 1
- College Football Playoff Quarterfinal: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 Oregon/No. 24 James Madison winner — 12:00 p.m., ESPN, WatchESPN, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
- College Football Playoff Quarterfinal: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 8 Oklahoma/No. 9 Alabama winner — 4:00 p.m., ESPN, WatchESPN, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
- College Football Playoff Quarterfinal: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss/No. 20 Tulane winner — 8:00 p.m., ESPN, WatchESPN, Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, LA
Friday, Jan. 2
- Armed Forces Bowl: Texas State vs. Rice — 1:00 p.m., ESPN, Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
- Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati — 4:30 p.m., ESPN, Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN
- Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest — 8:00 p.m., ESPN, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
- Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. SMU — 8:00 p.m., FOX, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
Thursday, Jan. 8
- College Football Playoff Semifinal: 7:30 p.m., ESPN, State Farm Stadium (Fiesta Bowl), Glendale, AZ
Friday, Jan. 9
- College Football Playoff Semifinal: 7:30 p.m., ESPN, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Peach Bowl), Atlanta, GA
Monday, Jan. 19
- College Football Playoff National Championship: 7:30 p.m., ESPN, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL
Notes on the CFP history and context
- Since the CFP began in 2014, the postseason has featured three major components: the Playoff quarterfinals, the semifinals, and the National Championship. The results below recap the yearly champions and notable outcomes across the first decade of the format, illustrating how the balance of power among conferences has shifted over time and how those shifts have influenced bowl selections and playoff access.
- The list of past CFP scores and outcomes shows a rolling history of dramatic upsets, dominant performances, and memorable comebacks, which fans often reference when discussing current rankings and playoff potential.
Would you like this rewritten version tailored for a specific audience (students, casual fans, or bettors) or formatted as a quick-reference cheat sheet with bullet-point highlights and essential matchups? Also, should I maintain the same level of detail, or compress certain date clusters into a high-level overview to save space?
