ESPN and the College Football Playoff (CFP) today announced dates, kick times and broadcast information for the Playoff Quarterfinals, Playoff Semifinals and the national championship game for the 2025-26 edition of the postseason event.
 
The exclusive home of the CFP since its inception in 2015, ESPN is in the second year of its current expanded package, which also includes all four games of the CFP First Round and a sublicense of two games to TNT Sports/WBD.
 
The 2025-26 Playoff schedule includes a New Year's Day tripleheader of Quarterfinal games on ESPN with new kickoff times: the Capital One Orange Bowl (9 a,m. PT/noon ET), the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential (1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET) and the Allstate Sugar Bowl (5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET) will all start earlier than their traditional windows.
 
"This New Year's Day schedule adjustment is the result of a thoughtful collaboration between the CFP, ESPN, the Capital One Orange Bowl, the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl," said Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff. "All three bowls shifting their start times allows us to place each game in an ideal window on New Year's Day and provide the optimal viewing experience. New Year's Day and college football are synonymous with each other, and these changes only strengthen that relationship."
 
"The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is confident that the one-hour time shift to the traditional kickoff time of the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential will help to improve the overall timing for all playoff games on January 1," said David Eads, Chief Executive Officer of the Tournament of Roses. "A mid-afternoon game has always been important to the tradition of The Granddaddy of Them All, but this small timing adjustment will not impact the Rose Bowl Game experience for our participants or attendees. Over the past five years the Rose Bowl Game has run long on several occasions, resulting in a delayed start for the following bowl game and ultimately it was important for us to be good partners with ESPN and the College Football Playoff and remain flexible for the betterment of college football and its postseason."
 
Pre-game festivities for the 2026 CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game will begin at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET with the game kickoff commencing at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.
 
Further scheduling details, including Playoff First Round dates, times and networks, as well as full MegaCast information, will be announced later this year.
 

Date	Time (PT)	Game	Platform
Wed, Dec 31	4:30 p.m.	Playoff Quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic	ESPN
Thu, Jan 1	9 a.m	Playoff Quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl	ESPN
	1 p.m.	Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential	ESPN
	5 p.m.	Playoff Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl	ESPN
Thu, Jan 8	4:30 p.m.	Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl	ESPN
Fri, Jan 9	4:30 p.m.	Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl	ESPN
Mon, Jan 19	4:30 p.m.	College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T	ESPN