2025-26 college football bowl schedule: Dates, locations, kickoff times for all postseason games
Breaking down the college football bowl game schedule as it's released on Selection Sunday
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4 min read
It's the best time of the year for college football fans as they prepare for an all-you-can-watch buffet of action that lasts all the way through the holiday season and well into 2026. College football bowl season provides an opportunity for fan bases to see their team one last time and get a sneak peek into the future as younger players get into the game.
The bowl schedule kicks off with the HBCU Celebration Bowl on Dec. 13 and goes all the way until Jan. 2. The College Football Playoff carries us from there all the way to Jan. 19, when two teams will vie for a national championship in Miami Gardens, Florida.
CBS will once again broadcast the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. Kick is set for 2 p.m. on Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas. Additionally, Dec. 27 is one of the most stacked days of the year as eight bowl games will take place on that day, including the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Texas Bowl and Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Presented By Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop (yes, that's its official name).
College Football Playoff bracket: Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech earn byes; Miami in over Notre Dame
David Cobb
Below is a detailed look at the complete schedule for the 2025-26 college football season, including dates, locations and TV channels. All times are Eastern.
College Football Playoff
| Date | Bowl | Time (TV) | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|
Jan. 19 (Monday) | College Football Playoff National Championship | 7:30 (ESPN) | Semifinal winners |
Jan. 9 (Friday) | Peach (CFP Semifinal) | 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) | TBA vs. TBA |
Jan. 8 (Thursday) | Fiesta (CFP Semifinal) | 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) | TBA vs. TBA |
| Jan. 1 (Thursday) | Sugar (CFP Quarterfinal) New Orleans, Louisiana | 8:00 p.m. (ESPN) | (3) Georgia vs. (11/6) winer |
| Jan. 1 (Thursday) | Rose (CFP Quarterfinal) Pasadena, California | 4 p.m. (ESPN | (1) Indiana vs. (8/9) winner |
| Jan. 1 (Thursday) | Orange (CFP Quarterfinal) Miami Gardens, Florida | 12 p.m. (ESPN) | (3) Texas Tech vs. (12/5) winner |
| Dec. 31 (Wednesday) | Cotton (CFP Quarterfinal) Arlington, Texas | 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) | (2) Ohio State vs. (10/7) winner |
| Dec. 20 (Saturday) | CFP First Round Game | 7:30 p.m. (TNT) | (12) James Madison vs. (5) Oregon |
| Dec. 20 (Saturday) | CFP First Round Game | 3:30 p.m. (TNT) | (11) Tulane vs. (6) Ole Miss |
| Dec. 20 (Saturday) | CFP First Round Game | 12 p.m. (ABC) | (10) Miami at (7) Texas A&M |
| Dec. 19 (Friday) | CFP First Round Game | 8 p.m. (ABC) | (9) Alabama at (8) Oklahoma |
Other bowl games
| Date | Time (TV channel) | Bowl | Location | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 13 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. ABC | Cricket Celebration Bowl | Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia | South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M |
Dec. 13 (Saturday) | 8 p.m. ESPN | LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk | SoFi Stadium Inglewood, California | Boise State vs. Washington |
Dec. 16 (Tuesday) | 9 p.m. ESPN | Salute to Veterans Bowl | Cramton Bowl Montgomery, Alabama | Troy vs. Jacksonville State |
Dec. 17 (Wednesday) | 5 p.m. ESPN | Cure Bowl | Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida | Old Dominion vs. South Florida |
| Dec. 17 (Wednesday) | 8:30 p.m. ESPN | 68 Ventures Bowl | Hancock White Stadium Mobile, Alabama | Louisiana vs. Delaware |
| Dec. 18 (Thursday) | 9 p.m. ESPN2 | Xbox Bowl | Ford Center Frisco, Texas | Arkansas State vs. Missouri State |
| Dec. 19 (Friday) | 11 a.m. ESPN | Myrtle Beach Bowl | Brooks Stadium Conway, South Carolina | Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan |
| Dec. 19 (Friday) | 2:30 p.m. ESPN | Gasparilla Bowl | Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida | Memphis vs. NC State |
| Dec. 22 (Monday) | 2 p.m. ESPN | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Albertsons Stadium Boise, Idaho | Utah State vs. Washington State |
| Dec. 23 (Tuesday) | 2 p.m. ESPN | Boca Raton Bowl | Flagler Credit Union Stadium Boca Raton, Florida | Toledo vs. Louisville |
| Dec. 23 (Tuesday) | 5:30 p.m. ESPN | New Orleans Bowl | Caesars Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana | Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss |
| Dec. 23 (Tuesday) | 9 p.m. ESPN | Frisco Bowl | Ford Center at The Star Frisco, Texas | UNLV vs. Ohio |
| Dec. 24 (Wednesday) | 8 p.m. ESPN | Hawai'i Bowl | Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex Honolulu, Hawaii | Cal vs. Hawai'i |
| Dec. 26 (Friday) | 1 p.m. ESPN | GameAbove Sports Bowl | Ford Field Detroit, Mich. | Central Michigan vs. Northwestern |
| Dec. 26 (Friday) | 4:30 p.m. ESPN | Rate Bowl | Chase Field Phoenix, Ariz. | New Mexico vs. Minnesota |
| Dec. 26 (Friday) | 8 p.m. ESPN | First Responder Bowl | Gerald J. Ford Stadium Dallas, Texas | FIU vs. UTSA |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. ESPN | Military Bowl | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Annapolis, Maryland | Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. ABC | Pinstripe Bowl | Yankee Stadium Bronx, New York | Penn State vs. Clemson |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 2:15 p.m. ESPN | Fenway Bowl | Fenway Park Boston, Massachusetts | UConn vs. Army |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 3:30 p.m. ABC | Pop-Tarts Bowl | Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida | Georgia Tech vs. BYU |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 4:30 p.m. The CW | Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Presented By Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop | Arizona Stadium Tucson, Arizona | Fresno State vs. Miami (OH) |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 5:45 p.m. ESPN | New Mexico Bowl | Branch Field at University Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico | North Texas vs. San Diego State |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 7:30 p.m. ABC | Gator Bowl | EverBank Stadium Jacksonville, Florida | Missouri vs. Virginia |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 9:15 p.m. ESPN | Texas Bowl | NRG Stadium Houston, Texas | LSU vs. Houston |
| Dec. 29 (Monday) | 2 p.m. ESPN | Birmingham Bowl | Protective Stadium Birmingham, Alabama | |
| Dec. 30 (Tuesday) | 2 p.m. ESPN | Independence Bowl | Independence Stadium Shreveport, Louisiana | Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech |
| Dec. 30 (Tuesday) | 5:30 p.m. ESPN | Music City Bowl | Nissan Stadium Nashville, Tennessee | Tennessee vs. Illinois |
| Dec. 30 (Tuesday) | 9 p.m. ESPN | Alamo Bowl | Alamodome San Antonio, Texas | USC vs. TCU |
| Dec. 31 (Wednesday) | 12 p.m. ESPN | ReliaQuest Bowl | Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida | Vanderbilt vs. Iowa |
| Dec. 31 (Wednesday) | 2 p.m. CBS | Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl | Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, Texas | Duke vs. Arizona State |
| Dec. 31 (Wednesday) | 3 p.m. ABC | Citrus Bowl | Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida | Michigan vs. Texas |
| Dec. 31 (Wednesday) | 3:30 p.m. ESPN | Las Vegas Bowl | Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, Nevada | Nebraska vs. Utah |
| Jan. 2 (Friday) | 1 p.m. ESPN | Armed Forces Bowl | Amon Carter Stadium Fort Worth, Texas | Texas State vs. Rice |
| Jan. 2 (Friday) | 4:30 p.m. ESPN | Liberty Bowl | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium Memphis, Tennessee | Navy vs. Cincinnati |
| Jan. 2 (Friday) | 8 p.m. ESPN | Mayo Bowl | Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, North Carolina | Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest |
| Jan. 2 (Friday) | 8 p.m. FOX | Holiday Bowl | Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, California | Arizona vs. SMU |
