College Football Playoff announces quarterfinal, semifinal dates, bowl sites for 2026, 2027

The College Football Playoff announced the dates and bowl sites for its upcoming quarterfinal and semifinal games for the 2026 and 2027 Playoffs in a release Tuesday afternoon.

The 2026 national quarterfinals will kick off on Wednesday, Dec. 30 with the Fiesta Bowl, while the Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl and Rose Bowl will be held two days later on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027. The national semifinals will then follow two weeks after that, beginning with the Orange Bowl set for Thursday, Jan. 14 and the Sugar Bowl set for Friday, Jan. 15. The 2027 CFP National Championship Game will follow 10 days later on Monday, Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For the 2027 Playoffs, the national quarterfinals will begin with the Sugar Bowl on Friday, Dec. 31, 2027, and conclude with the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl and Rose Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2028. The national semifinals will follow two weeks later, beginning with the Orange Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 13, and the Cotton Bowl on Friday, Jan. 14, 2028. The 2028 CFP National Championship Game will follow 10 days after that on Monday, Jan. 24, 2028 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

“These dates allow us to maintain competitive balance, maximize the fan experience, and provide consistency for everyone involved in the Playoff,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement. “I also want to thank our bowl partners and their local communities for the incredible work, collaboration, and commitment they’ve shown throughout the first two years of the expanded playoff. The bowl games and the people behind them embraced change, delivered at the highest level, and helped ensure the expanded format was a success for student-athletes, fans, and the sport.”

Specific game times and television network assignments for the 2026 and 2026 College Football Playoffs will be revealed later this year.

Check out the full schedule below:

2026-27 Playoffs

Quarterfinals

Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2026, at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential

Semifinals

Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027, at the Capital One Orange Bowl

Friday, Jan. 15, 2027, at the Allstate Sugar Bowl

National Championship

Monday, Jan. 25, 2027 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada

2027-28 Playoffs

Quarterfinals

Friday, Dec. 31, 2027, at the Allstate Sugar Bowl

Saturday, Jan. 1, 2028, at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential

Semifinals

Thursday, Jan. 13, 2028, at the Capital One Orange Bowl

Friday, Jan. 14, 2028, at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

National Championship

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