The 2026-27 College Football Playoff is a 12-team bracket: five automatic bids, seven at-large spots, first-round games on campus, quarterfinals and semifinals in six major bowls, and a national championship game on Jan. 25, 2027, in Las Vegas, with the field set on Selection Day, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026. The CFP is also discussing a move to 24 teams for 2027, which has not been approved.
Updated for the 2026 season.
How many teams are in the College Football Playoff?
Twelve. On Jan. 23, 2026, the CFP Management Committee, which is made up of the 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director, voted to keep the 12-team format for the 2026-27 season. The CFP said the extra year would give the commissioners more time to evaluate the format before deciding on any changes. This is the third season of the 12-team playoff, which replaced the four-team event in 2024.
How teams qualify in 2026
The 2026 rules are different from the first two seasons of the 12-team era. According to the CFP, the field is made up of:
- Four automatic bids for the champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.
- One automatic bid for the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, the MAC, the Mountain West, the Pac-12 and the Sun Belt.
- Seven at-large bids for the next-highest-ranked teams from any conference.
Notre Dame, which is an independent in football, is guaranteed a place if it finishes in the top 12 of the final CFP rankings. In that case only six at-large bids are left. Under the CFP's rules, an automatic qualifier ranked outside the top 12 still makes the field and takes one of the lowest seeds.
In 2024 and 2025, automatic bids went to the five highest-ranked conference champions from any conference, which meant no conference had a guaranteed spot. The 2026 format sets aside one bid for each of the four largest conferences and one for the rest of FBS.
Is seeding straight by ranking?
Yes. In May 2025, the Management Committee voted unanimously to seed the bracket directly from the selection committee's final ranking. That ended the 2024 rule that gave the four first-round byes to the four highest-ranked conference champions. The CFP's 2026-27 format page keeps straight seeding:
- Seeds 1-4 get first-round byes. They do not have to be conference champions.
- Seeds 5-12 play in the first round, and the higher seed hosts: No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8.
- In the quarterfinals, No. 1 plays the 8-9 winner, No. 2 plays the 7-10 winner, No. 3 plays the 6-11 winner and No. 4 plays the 5-12 winner.
- The bracket is not re-seeded, and it is not adjusted to avoid rematches or games between teams from the same conference.
How the top seeds pick their bowls
Starting in 2026, the old conference tie-ins with specific bowls no longer decide where teams play. Instead, the No. 1 seed chooses its quarterfinal bowl and the semifinal site it would advance to. The No. 2 seed and then the No. 3 seed choose from the quarterfinal bowls that are left, and both feed into the other semifinal. The No. 4 seed is placed in the last remaining quarterfinal bowl. Before this change, the 2025 rules placed the top seeds while taking existing bowl contracts into account, for example sending a Big Ten team to the Rose Bowl.
The selection committee and the rankings schedule
A selection committee ranks the top 25 teams each week late in the season and then places teams in the bracket. Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek is the 2026 chair. Members are recused from voting on schools they have a financial or professional tie to. The committee meets in person on Mondays and Tuesdays and announces six rankings on ESPN:
| Ranking | Date | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| First rankings | Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 | 7-8 p.m. |
| Second | Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026 | 9-9:30 p.m. |
| Third | Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026 | 9-9:30 p.m. |
| Fourth | Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2026 | 7:30-8 p.m. |
| Fifth | Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026 | 7-7:30 p.m. |
| Final rankings and bracket (Selection Day) | Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026 | Noon-3 p.m. |
The bracket pairings, first-round campus sites and quarterfinal bowl assignments are all announced on Selection Day.
CFP dates: the 2026-27 playoff schedule
There are 11 games in four rounds. First-round games are played on campus. The quarterfinals and semifinals are hosted by the six bowls in the CFP rotation (Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar), and the championship game is at a neutral site. The CFP announced the bowl assignments for the quarterfinals and semifinals in February 2026, and in June 2026 the CFP, ESPN and TNT Sports announced the kickoff times and networks. Under ESPN's new deal, five playoff games are sublicensed to TNT Sports.
| Round | Date | Site | Kickoff (ET) / TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| First round | Fri., Dec. 18, 2026 | Campus of higher seed (set Dec. 6) | 8 p.m., ESPN |
| First round | Sat., Dec. 19, 2026 | Campus of higher seed (set Dec. 6) | Noon, ABC/ESPN |
| First round | Sat., Dec. 19, 2026 | Campus of higher seed (set Dec. 6) | 3:30 p.m., TNT/truTV/HBO Max |
| First round | Sat., Dec. 19, 2026 | Campus of higher seed (set Dec. 6) | 7:30 p.m., TNT/truTV/HBO Max |
| Quarterfinal | Wed., Dec. 30, 2026 | Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz. | 7:30 p.m., TNT/truTV/HBO Max |
| Quarterfinals (3) | Fri., Jan. 1, 2027 | Cotton Bowl (Arlington, Texas), Peach Bowl (Atlanta), Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.); order set Dec. 6 | Noon TNT/truTV/HBO Max; 4 p.m. ABC/ESPN; 8 p.m. ESPN |
| Semifinal | Thu., Jan. 14, 2027 | Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens, Fla. | 7:30 p.m., TNT Sports |
| Semifinal | Fri., Jan. 15, 2027 | Sugar Bowl, New Orleans | 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN |
| National championship | Mon., Jan. 25, 2027 | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas | 7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN networks |
CFP first-round dates
The first round is Friday, Dec. 18 and Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026: one game Friday night and three on Saturday. The higher seed hosts each game, and the sites will be known on Dec. 6. For coverage of how the round was scheduled in an earlier season, see National Football Post's report on the first-round dates.
CFP national championship
The 2027 CFP National Championship will be played Monday, Jan. 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The CFP has also announced future title games in New Orleans on Jan. 24, 2028, and Tampa Bay on Jan. 22, 2029.
Bowl rotation for the next two seasons
| Season | Quarterfinal bowls | Semifinal bowls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Fiesta (Dec. 30); Cotton, Peach, Rose (Jan. 1) | Orange (Jan. 14); Sugar (Jan. 15) |
| 2027-28 | Sugar (Dec. 31); Fiesta, Peach, Rose (Jan. 1) | Orange (Jan. 13); Cotton (Jan. 14) |
The CFP announced the 2027-28 assignments in February 2026, before the current expansion talks. If the field expands for 2027, the schedule could change.
A short history of the playoff format
| Seasons | System | How it worked |
|---|---|---|
| 1998-2013 | Bowl Championship Series (BCS) | Polls and computer rankings picked the top two teams for a title game. |
| 2014-2023 | Four-team CFP | A selection committee picked four teams for two semifinals, followed by a title game. |
| 2024 | 12-team CFP | Five highest-ranked conference champions plus seven at-large teams; the four highest-ranked champions got byes. |
| 2025 | 12-team CFP, straight seeding | Same five-plus-seven field, but seeded directly by ranking; the top four teams got byes. |
| 2026 | 12-team CFP, revised bids | Automatic bids for the four largest conferences' champions and one for the rest of FBS; Notre Dame in if top 12; top seeds pick their bowl path. |
The 12-team event went through several versions before it was played. In September 2022, the CFP Board of Managers approved expansion beginning in 2026, then agreed in December 2022 to start it in 2024. In February 2024, the board replaced the original plan of six conference champions and six at-large teams with five automatic bids and seven at-large teams, saying the conference landscape had changed since the format was first adopted.
Will the playoff expand? CFP expansion talks as of October 2026
No expansion has been approved. The facts below are confirmed by the CFP or attributed to the outlets that reported them.
- Official position. On Sept. 8, 2026, the CFP said it would evaluate a possible 24-team playoff by opening media rights talks with ESPN. The CFP said this step was not a decision or commitment to expand.
- Deadline. ESPN reported in June 2026 that any format change for the 2027 season must be decided by Dec. 1. Yahoo Sports also cited Dec. 1 as the deadline to change next season's format.
- 16 or 24 teams. ESPN reported in June that most of the commissioners' discussion was about a 24-team field, which the Big Ten had pushed. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said his conference still preferred 16 teams but was not opposed to 24. According to ESPN, the field stays at 12 if the Big Ten and SEC cannot agree.
- Reported deal. On Oct. 15, 2026, ESPN reported that the CFP was close to a deal to expand to 24 teams starting in 2027, pending final approvals, as covered in National Football Post's report on the 24-team talks. Yahoo Sports reported that the proposal was presented to the commissioners that day without a vote. The CFP said only that "constructive discussions" with ESPN had continued.
- Proposed format (reported, not adopted). According to reports by ESPN and Yahoo Sports, the proposal would give the top eight seeds byes, with seeds 9-16 hosting seeds 17-24 in December. It would keep the quarterfinals and semifinals at the six CFP bowls and would likely eliminate conference championship games. Some early-round games could be played on weeknights to avoid conflicts with NFL games, as described in National Football Post's report on possible weeknight games.
Until the CFP announces a decision, the 12-team format described above is the only one confirmed for any season. For odds and title favorites from an earlier playoff, see the NFP College Football Playoff betting guide.
Sources
- College Football Playoff Management Committee Extends Current Format Through 2026-27 Season (College Football Playoff, Jan. 23, 2026)
- About the 12-Team CFP Format (College Football Playoff)
- CFP Selection Committee Prepares for 2026-27 Season (College Football Playoff, Aug. 6, 2026)
- The Pursuit of the Playoff Begins Saturday (College Football Playoff, Aug. 27, 2026)
- CFP Announces Quarterfinal and Semifinal Dates and Bowl Sites for the 2026 and 2027 Seasons (College Football Playoff, Feb. 3, 2026)
- 2026-27 CFP Broadcast Schedule Revealed (College Football Playoff, June 1, 2026)
- CFP Issues Statement Regarding Its Evaluation of Potential Playoff Expansion to 24 Teams (College Football Playoff, Sept. 8, 2026)
- CFP Management Committee Modifies Playoff Seeding for 2025-26 (College Football Playoff, May 22, 2025)
- 5-7 Format Confirmed for 12-Team Playoff (College Football Playoff, Feb. 20, 2024)
- College Football Playoff Expands to 12 Teams Beginning in 2024 (College Football Playoff, Dec. 1, 2022)
- College Football Playoff sets 2026-27 schedule, kickoff times, TV designations (FBSchedules.com; secondary, schedule cross-check)
- CFP leaders face serious questions over expanded 24-team field (ESPN, June 17, 2026; secondary, expansion reporting)
- College Football Playoff reportedly near deal to expand to 24 teams in 2027 (Yahoo Sports, Oct. 15, 2026; secondary, expansion reporting)
- Bowl Championship Series (Encyclopaedia Britannica; secondary, BCS history)