Tripleheader Set for Saturday, December 20 – New Kickoff Times at Noon, 3:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. ET
PHOENIX, AZ — November 2025 | Habari Sports Report
The College Football Playoff (CFP), in collaboration with ESPN and TNT Sports, has officially announced the full schedule, kickoff times, and broadcast details for the 2025 CFP First Round, marking the second season under the expanded 12-team playoff format.
This year’s playoff action will kick off on Friday, December 19, at 8 p.m. ET with the first first-round matchup airing on ABC and ESPN. The excitement continues with a Saturday tripleheader on December 20, featuring three first-round clashes at Noon, 3:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. ET.
All ESPN broadcasts will also stream live on the ESPN App, while the two TNT Sports games will simulcast on truTV and HBO Max. The four rounds of the tournament will take place on campus sites, with host locations to be revealed on Selection Day, December 7.
🏈 The Full 2025–26 College Football Playoff Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Dec. 19 | 8:00 p.m. | CFP First-Round Game | ABC & ESPN |
| Sat, Dec. 20 | Noon | CFP First-Round Game | ABC & ESPN |
| 3:30 p.m. | CFP First-Round Game | TNT, truTV & HBO Max | |
| 7:30 p.m. | CFP First-Round Game | TNT, truTV & HBO Max | |
| Wed, Dec. 31 | 7:30 p.m. | Playoff Quarterfinal – Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic | ESPN |
| Thu, Jan. 1 | Noon | Playoff Quarterfinal – Capital One Orange Bowl | ESPN |
| 4:00 p.m. | Playoff Quarterfinal – Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential | ESPN | |
| 8:00 p.m. | Playoff Quarterfinal – Allstate Sugar Bowl | ESPN | |
| Thu, Jan. 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Playoff Semifinal – Vrbo Fiesta Bowl | ESPN |
| Fri, Jan. 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Playoff Semifinal – Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl | ESPN |
| Mon, Jan. 19 | 7:30 p.m. | College Football Playoff National Championship – Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) | ESPN |
📺 Expanded Coverage and Growing Audience
This year’s broadcast marks the second season of ESPN’s expanded CFP package, which includes every First-Round matchup, with two games sublicensed to TNT Sports to further increase national coverage.
“We are pleased to work with both ESPN and TNT Sports to deliver these first-round games to fans across the country in premier viewing windows,” said Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff. “We also appreciate the collaboration with the National Football League in coordinating schedules to best serve fans of both college and professional football. This all reflects the growing reach and excitement surrounding the new Playoff format.”
The ratings continue to back up that enthusiasm. The 2024–25 CFP First Round averaged 10.6 million viewers across ESPN and TNT Sports, while the Playoff Quarterfinals reached multi-year highs. The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic drew 20.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched in its history, and the Capital One Orange Bowl logged its best audience in nearly two decades with 17.8 million.
The 2025 CFP National Championship, which saw Ohio State triumph over Notre Dame, attracted 22.1 million viewers, peaking at 26.1 million — the most-watched non-NFL sporting event of the past year.
🌴 Looking Ahead: 2026 National Championship in Miami
Following the first-round and bowl matchups, the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship will take place on Monday, January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It will be the first time since 2021 that Miami hosts the title game and the second straight season that the championship returns to a city for a second appearance, following Atlanta’s 2025 hosting of the event.
Further broadcast details, including full MegaCast coverage options, will be released later this year.
🏆 About the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) determines the national champion of Division I college football. The selection committee ranks the top 25 teams after the regular season, with the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams forming the 12-team bracket.
The top four seeds receive a first-round bye, while teams ranked 5–12 face off in campus-hosted first-round games. Quarterfinal and Semifinal games rotate annually among six premier bowl games:
- Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
- Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
- Capital One Orange Bowl
- Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
- Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential
- Allstate Sugar Bowl
For full details, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com.
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