The 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket has arrived, and it has come with plenty of controversy.
While Miami’s inclusion in the playoff field makes sense given its head-to-head victory over Notre Dame, it is certainly fair to question the committee about why it ranked the Fighting Irish multiple spots ahead of the Hurricanes as recently as Tuesday and how it changed its mind with neither team playing this past weekend.
However, with four first-round games on campus coming up soon, it’s time to park that discussion and get ready for more meaningful college football games.
In this article, we’ll break down the College Football Playoff bracket and schedule, as we get ready to embark on a journey to the 2026 CFP National Championship in Miami.
College Football Playoff Bracket
The College Football Playoff bracket includes 12 teams: the five-highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams. All rankings are determined by the CFP selection committee.
The four highest-ranked teams, regardless of how they finished in their conference, received a bye to the quarterfinals, where they will play the winner of one of four first-round matchups. From there, the bracket will proceed as usual to the semifinals and National Championship, where a champion will be crowned.
Here is how the 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket shook out:
College Football Playoff Schedule
The College Football Playoff schedule features four stages: the first round, quarterfinals, semifinals, and the National Championship.
In all, 11 games will be played to determine the top team in college football.
Let’s take a look at the 2025-26 CFP Schedule by round.
First Round
Friday, Dec. 19
No. 9 Alabama vs No. 8 Oklahoma — Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK (8 p.m. ET/ABC & ESPN)
Saturday, Dec. 20
No. 10 Miami vs No. 7 Texas A&M — Kyle Field, College Station, TX (Noon ET/ABC & ESPN)
No. 11 Tulane vs No. 6 Ole Miss — Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS (3:30 p.m. ET/TNT, HBO Max, truTV)
No. 12 James Madison vs No. 5 Oregon — Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR (7:30 ET/TNT, HBO Max, truTV)
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, Dec. 31
Cotton Bowl: Winner of Texas A&M/Miami vs No. 2 Ohio State — AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN)
Thursday, Jan. 1
Orange Bowl: Winner of Oregon/James Madison vs No. 4 Texas Tech — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL (Noon ET/ESPN)
Rose Bowl: Winner of Oklahoma/Alabama vs No. 1 Indiana — Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA (4 p.m. ET/ESPN)
Sugar Bowl: Winner of Ole Miss/Tulane vs No. 3 Georgia — Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA (8 p.m. ET/ESPN)
Semifinals
Thursday, Jan. 8
Fiesta Bowl: Winner of Sugar Bowl vs Winner of Cotton Bowl — State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN)
Friday, Jan. 9
Peach Bowl: Winner of Orange Bowl vs Winner of Rose Bowl — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN)
CFP National Championship
Monday, Jan. 19
Winner of Fiesta Bowl vs Winner of Peach Bowl — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN)
If you’re interested in NCAAF futures betting advice, head over to our CFP odds page to find our thoughts on who will win the 2026 college football National Championship and more.
