The 2025-26 college football bowl schedule is a sprawling showcase of postseason matchups, spanning from December through the culmination of the College Football Playoff at the end of January. If you’re a fan trying to map out viewings, know this: the season kicked off with bowls starting on December 13 and runs all the way to the national championship on January 19. This rewritten guide preserves every key detail from the original, while offering a fresh, beginners-friendly explanation and a few clarifications to help you follow along.
First, a quick orientation: all times are listed in Eastern Time, and the schedule includes a mix of standalone bowls, playoff games, and a few marquee primetime showdowns that determine who advances to the CFP semifinals and finals. The events are hosted at various stadiums across the country, from familiar venues like Camping World Stadium in Orlando to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and many games air on major networks such as ESPN, ABC, FOX, CBS, TNT, HBO Max, and truTV.
Starting with the earliest action, the Cure Bowl and the 68 Ventures Bowl kicked off on Wednesday, December 17 in Orlando and Mobile, respectively. These early bowls feature teams like Old Dominion, South Florida, Louisiana, and Delaware. If you’re new to bowl intrigue, consider these early matchups as a judge of depth and momentum before the calendar really heats up. On December 18, the Xbox Bowl in Frisco adds Arkansas State versus Missouri State to the slate, broadcast on ESPN2.
As the week advances, Friday, December 19 brings two games in the Myrtle Beach Bowl (Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan) and the Gasparilla Bowl (Memphis vs. NC State), both on ESPN. That same evening features a College Football Playoff First Round game, No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama, at Memorial Stadium in Norman. These CFP first-round games begin the postseason tournament that determines the national champion.
On Saturday, December 20, there are three CFP First Round games: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami (Fla.) in College Station; No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 20 Tulane in Oxford; and No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 24 James Madison in Eugene. Each matchup carries a win-or-go-home stakes dynamic, with broadcasts on ESPN/ABC or TNT/HBO Max/truTV depending on the game.
The following week continues with a full slate of bowl games, culminating in several CFP Quarterfinals and a handful of high-profile bowls leading into January. Notable CFP Quarterfinals are scheduled for Wednesday, December 31 (No. 2 Ohio State vs. the winner of Texas A&M/Miami), and the CFP Quarterfinals unfold across New Year’s Day and January 2, featuring No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 Oregon/No. 24 James Madison, No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 8 Oklahoma/No. 9 Alabama, and No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss/No. 20 Tulane. These semifinals rotate among the Fiesta, Peach, Rose, and Sugar Bowls, with the ultimate national championship game set for January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Beyond the CFP pages, the schedule includes a broad mix of traditional bowls: the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise; the Independence Bowl in Shreveport; the Music City Bowl in Nashville; the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio; the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville; and many others across Detroit, Charlotte, San Diego, and more. This spread provides a platform for teams from conferences big and small to cap their seasons with a postseason win, a bowl record, or a stepping stone to greater things next season.
Also included in the document are results from a few early bowls, such as the Celebration Bowl (South Carolina State over Prairie View A&M) in Atlanta and the LA Bowl (Washington over Boise State). These results give a snapshot of postseason momentum as teams prepare for the longer grind of December and January play.
Across the CFP’s history, a few threads remain constant: the excitement of upsets or breakthrough performances, the drama of playoff seeding, and the potential for a bold, controversial take on which teams deserved inclusion or placement. The 2024 season recap provided a sense of continuity for this 2025-26 cycle, showing the patterns of semifinal rotations, late surges, and the enduring question of whether style points or consistent execution define success in the postseason.
If you’re planning to discuss this season, a few prompts could spark thoughtful conversation: Which bowls do you expect to produce the biggest upsets or standout performances? Do you think the CFP structure delivers the fairest path to the national championship, or should there be a reform to the format or seeding process? Share your views in the comments: would you rather see more access for mid-major programs, or should the playoff remain a smaller, elite field? And as a practical tip, bookmark the CFP bracket updates and network schedules, since times and network assignments can shift with late-breaking game considerations.
Would you like a condensed, date-by-date printable calendar or a stadium-by-stadium map to help you plan viewing parties and travel?
