2026-27 College Football Playoff bracket, printable
The 12-team bracket on one landscape page, with every round's dates, bowls and TV already printed. Selection Day is Sunday, Dec 6; print it blank now, or start from the committee's latest ranking.
The first CFP ranking of the season is Tuesday, Nov 3. A projected bracket built from it appears here the same night.
Download the bracket
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The bracket
First round
Dec 18-19
- 89
Dec 18 or 19
Higher seed's campus
- 512
Dec 18 or 19
Higher seed's campus
- 710
Dec 18 or 19
Higher seed's campus
- 611
Dec 18 or 19
Higher seed's campus
Quarterfinals
Dec 30 - Jan 1
- 1Winner 8 / 9
Dec 30 or Jan 1
Fiesta, Peach, Rose or Cotton Bowl
- 4Winner 5 / 12
Dec 30 or Jan 1
Fiesta, Peach, Rose or Cotton Bowl
- 2Winner 7 / 10
Dec 30 or Jan 1
Fiesta, Peach, Rose or Cotton Bowl
- 3Winner 6 / 11
Dec 30 or Jan 1
Fiesta, Peach, Rose or Cotton Bowl
Semifinals
Jan 14-15
- WinnerWinner
Jan 14 or 15 · 7:30 PM ET
Orange or Sugar Bowl
- WinnerWinner
Jan 14 or 15 · 7:30 PM ET
Orange or Sugar Bowl
Championship
Jan 25
- WinnerWinner
Mon, Jan 25 · 7:30 PM ET · ABC/ESPN
CFP National Championship, Las Vegas, NV
2026-27 College Football Playoff schedule
| Round | Date | Games | Where | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selection Day | Sun, Dec 6 | 12-team field and seeds revealed | ESPN | |
| First round | Fri, Dec 18 | 1 game, 8:00 PM ET | Home of the higher seed | ESPN |
| First round | Sat, Dec 19 | 3 games: 12:00, 3:30 and 7:30 PM ET | Home of the higher seed | ABC/ESPN (noon), TNT/truTV/HBO Max (3:30, 7:30) |
| Quarterfinal | Wed, Dec 30 | Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, 7:30 PM ET | State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ | TNT/truTV/HBO Max |
| Quarterfinals | Fri, Jan 1 | Peach, Rose and Cotton Bowls: 12:00, 4:00 and 8:00 PM ET, order set Dec 6 | Atlanta, Pasadena, Arlington | TNT/truTV/HBO Max (noon), ABC/ESPN (4pm), ESPN (8pm) |
| Semifinal | Thu, Jan 14 | Capital One Orange Bowl, 7:30 PM ET | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL | TNT/truTV/HBO Max |
| Semifinal | Fri, Jan 15 | Allstate Sugar Bowl, 7:30 PM ET | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA | ABC/ESPN |
| Championship | Mon, Jan 25 | CFP National Championship, 7:30 PM ET | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV | ABC/ESPN |
All times Eastern. Every bowl game, playoff and non-playoff, is on the printable 2026-27 bowl schedule.
How the 12-team bracket works
Who gets in
Automatic bids go to the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC champions and the highest-ranked Group of Six team. Notre Dame is in if it finishes in the committee's top 12. The rest are at-large picks.
Who gets a bye
The four highest-ranked teams are seeds 1 to 4 and start in the quarterfinals. An automatic qualifier ranked outside the top 12 is seeded at the bottom.
First round on campus
Seeds 5 to 8 host 12 to 9 on Dec 18 and 19: 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, 8 vs. 9.
A fixed bracket
No reseeding. The 8/9 winner plays 1, 5/12 plays 4, 7/10 plays 2 and 6/11 plays 3, in the Fiesta, Peach, Rose and Cotton Bowls, then the Orange and Sugar Bowl semifinals.
CFP ranking release dates
The committee's ranking is released on ESPN each Tuesday night through Dec 1. The projection on this page is rebuilt after each one.
- Tue, Nov 3
- Tue, Nov 10
- Tue, Nov 17
- Tue, Nov 24
- Tue, Dec 1
- Sun, Dec 6 (Selection Day)
College Football Playoff bracket FAQ
When is Selection Day for the 2026-27 College Football Playoff?
Sunday, December 6, 2026. The CFP Selection Committee reveals the 12 teams, their seeds and the first-round matchups and sites that day.
How many teams are in the College Football Playoff?
Twelve. The champions of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC get automatic bids, as does the highest-ranked team from the Group of Six conferences. Notre Dame gets a bid if it is ranked in the committee's top 12. The rest of the field is at-large.
Which teams get a first-round bye?
The four highest-ranked teams in the committee's final ranking are seeded 1 to 4 and skip the first round. They open in the quarterfinals.
Where are the first-round games played?
On campus. Seeds 5 to 8 host seeds 12 to 9 at their own stadiums on Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19, 2026.
Which bowls host the 2026-27 quarterfinals and semifinals?
The Fiesta Bowl hosts a quarterfinal on Wednesday, December 30. The Peach, Rose and Cotton Bowls host the other three on Friday, January 1, 2027. The Orange Bowl (January 14) and the Sugar Bowl (January 15) are the semifinals. Which quarterfinal goes to which bowl, and the Jan 1 kickoff order, is set on Selection Day.
When and where is the 2027 national championship game?
Monday, January 25, 2027 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, at 7:30 PM ET on ABC and ESPN.
Is the bracket reseeded after each round?
No. The bracket is fixed on Selection Day: the winner of 8 vs. 9 plays the 1 seed, 5 vs. 12 plays 4, 7 vs. 10 plays 2, and 6 vs. 11 plays 3.
Is the projected bracket a prediction?
No. It is the CFP Selection Committee's latest ranking run through the published selection rules: the top 12 in ranking order, with the highest-ranked Group of Six team moved in if it sits outside the top 12. The power-conference champions also get automatic bids, and those are not decided until conference championship weekend, so the real field can differ.