The 2025–26 College Football Playoff starts with the first-round games on Friday, December 19, 2025.

Key dates

  • First round begins: Friday, December 19, 2025, with games also on Saturday, December 20.
  • Quarterfinals: Played on December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026 (New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day).
  • Semifinals: Held on January 8–9, 2026.
  • National Championship: Monday, January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Simple timeline table

[3][5] [7][3] [1][7] [5][9][1]
Round Dates (2025–26) Notes
First Round Dec. 19–20, 2025 Playoff officially starts these days.
Quarterfinals Dec. 31, 2025–Jan. 1, 2026 New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day bowl games.
Semifinals Jan. 8–9, 2026 Hosted at Fiesta and Peach Bowls.
National Championship Jan. 19, 2026 Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.