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
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
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 | |
Dec. 16 (Tuesday) | 9 p.m. ESPN | Salute to Veterans Bowl | Cramton Bowl Montgomery, Alabama | |
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 | |
| Dec. 19 (Friday) | 2:30 p.m. ESPN | Gasparilla Bowl | Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida | |
| Dec. 22 (Monday) | 2 p.m. ESPN | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Albertsons Stadium Boise, Idaho | |
| Dec. 23 (Tuesday) | 2 p.m. ESPN | Boca Raton Bowl | Flagler Credit Union Stadium Boca Raton, Florida | |
| Dec. 23 (Tuesday) | 5:30 p.m. ESPN | New Orleans Bowl | Caesars Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana | |
| Dec. 23 (Tuesday) | 9 p.m. ESPN | Frisco Bowl | Ford Center at The Star Frisco, Texas | |
| 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. | |
| Dec. 26 (Friday) | 4:30 p.m. ESPN | Rate Bowl | Chase Field Phoenix, Ariz. | |
| Dec. 26 (Friday) | 8 p.m. ESPN | First Responder Bowl | Gerald J. Ford Stadium Dallas, Texas | |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. ESPN | Military Bowl | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Annapolis, Maryland | |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. ABC | Pinstripe Bowl | Yankee Stadium Bronx, New York | |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 2:15 p.m. ESPN | Fenway Bowl | Fenway Park Boston, Massachusetts | |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 3:30 p.m. ABC | Pop-Tarts Bowl | Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida | |
| 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 | |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 5:45 p.m. ESPN | New Mexico Bowl | Branch Field at University Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico | |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 7:30 p.m. ABC | Gator Bowl | EverBank Stadium Jacksonville, Florida | |
| Dec. 27 (Saturday) | 9:15 p.m. ESPN | Texas Bowl | NRG Stadium Houston, Texas | |
| 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 | |
| Dec. 30 (Tuesday) | 5:30 p.m. ESPN | Music City Bowl | Nissan Stadium Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Dec. 30 (Tuesday) | 9 p.m. ESPN | Alamo Bowl | Alamodome San Antonio, Texas | |
| Dec. 31 (Wednesday) | 12 p.m. ESPN | ReliaQuest Bowl | Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida | |
| Dec. 31 (Wednesday) | 2 p.m. CBS | Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl | Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, Texas | |
| Dec. 31 (Wednesday) | 3 p.m. ABC | Citrus Bowl | Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida | |
| Dec. 31 (Wednesday) | 3:30 p.m. ESPN | Las Vegas Bowl | Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| Jan. 2 (Friday) | 1 p.m. ESPN | Armed Forces Bowl | Amon Carter Stadium Fort Worth, Texas | |
| Jan. 2 (Friday) | 4:30 p.m. ESPN | Liberty Bowl | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jan. 2 (Friday) | 8 p.m. ESPN | Mayo Bowl | Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, North Carolina | |
| Jan. 2 (Friday) | 8 p.m. FOX | Holiday Bowl | Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, California |
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