Bowl Season


The 2026-27 college football bowl season arrives with another reshaped postseason landscape. The 12-team College Football Playoff returns, the rebuilt Pac-12 begins play with its new membership, and Bowl Season adds new and returning games to the calendar.

Conference affiliations remain flexible after CFP selections, but the dates, kickoff windows and television assignments below reflect the currently announced 2026-27 postseason schedule. Team matchups will be added after bowl selections in December.

*Note: Bowl affiliations, kickoff details and television assignments remain subject to change.

2026-27 College Football Playoff Format

  • The College Football Playoff remains a 12-team field.
  • The four highest-ranked teams are seeded No. 1-4 and receive first-round byes.
  • Seeds No. 5-12 play first-round games at the higher seed's campus or designated home site.
  • First Round: Dec. 18 (1 game) and Dec. 19 (3 games)
  • Quarterfinals: Dec. 30 at the Fiesta Bowl; Jan. 1 at the Cotton, Peach and Rose Bowls
  • Semifinals: Jan. 14 at the Orange Bowl and Jan. 15 at the Sugar Bowl
  • National Championship: Jan. 25, 2027 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV
  • The bracket is not re-seeded after the first round.

2026-27 Bowl Tie-Ins and Conference Affiliations

*Bowl selections are made after the CFP field is set. Conference availability, rankings and bowl agreements can alter individual assignments.*

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

  • Key 2026 opportunities: Pinstripe (vs Big Ten), Fenway (vs American), Duke's Mayo (vs SEC), Military (vs American), Pop-Tarts (vs Big 12), TaxSlayer Gator (vs SEC), Holiday (vs Pac-12), Sun (vs Pac-12).
  • Notre Dame remains eligible for selected ACC-affiliated bowls when not selected for the CFP.

American Conference

  • Key 2026 opportunities: Fenway, Military, Birmingham, Hawai'i and a group of ESPN Events bowls including Boca Raton, Cure, Frisco, Gasparilla, Myrtle Beach and Puerto Rico.

Big Ten Conference

  • Key 2026 opportunities: Citrus, Pinstripe, Music City, ReliaQuest, Las Vegas and Cactus, with additional placements depending on CFP selections and conference availability.

Big 12 Conference

  • Key 2026 opportunities: Alamo (vs Pac-12), Pop-Tarts (vs ACC/Notre Dame), Cactus (vs Big Ten), Independence, Armed Forces and selected additional bowls.

Southeastern Conference (SEC)

  • Key 2026 opportunities: Citrus, Duke's Mayo, Gator, Music City, ReliaQuest, Texas, Birmingham and Las Vegas, subject to CFP selections.

Sun Belt Conference

  • Key 2026 opportunities: New Orleans, 68 Ventures and ESPN Events pool bowls such as Cure, Frisco, Myrtle Beach, Boca Raton and Puerto Rico.

Conference USA (CUSA)

  • Key 2026 opportunities: Independence, New Orleans, 68 Ventures and ESPN Events pool bowls including Cure, Frisco, Boca Raton and Puerto Rico.

Mid-American Conference (MAC)

  • Key 2026 opportunities: Arizona, Famous Idaho Potato, 68 Ventures and ESPN Events pool bowls including Boca Raton, Cure, Frisco and Puerto Rico.

Mountain West Conference (MWC)

  • The 2026 Mountain West lineup reflects the departures of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State to the Pac-12, while UTEP joins and Northern Illinois competes as a football-only member.
  • Key 2026 opportunities: Arizona, Famous Idaho Potato, New Mexico, Hawai'i, Armed Forces and ESPN Events pool bowls.

Pac-12 Conference

  • The rebuilt Pac-12 begins its new era in 2026 with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State and Washington State competing in football.
  • 2026 postseason opportunities include: Alamo, Las Vegas, Holiday, Sun, SDCCU Poinsettia and Independence, with eligibility varying by agreement and former/new Pac-12 membership.

Independents

  • Notre Dame can access selected ACC bowl opportunities when not in the CFP. Other independents may be selected where contractual or at-large openings are available.

2026-27 College Football Bowl Schedule

Cricket Celebration Bowl
🗓️ Dec 12 (Sat)
⏰ 12:00 PM ET
📍 Atlanta, GA (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
📺 ABC
🏈 Matchup: TBA
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl
🗓️ Dec 15 (Tue)
⏰ 5:30 PM ET
📍 Montgomery, AL (Cramton Bowl)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Frisco Football Classic
🗓️ Dec 15 (Tue)
⏰ 9:00 PM ET
📍 Frisco, TX (Ford Center at The Star)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Boca Raton Bowl
🗓️ Dec 18 (Fri)
⏰ 11:00 AM ET
📍 Boca Raton, FL (Flagler Credit Union Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
🗓️ Dec 18 (Fri)
⏰ 2:30 PM ET
📍 Tampa, FL (Raymond James Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
College Football Playoff (First Round)
🗓️ Dec 18 (Fri)
⏰ 8:00 PM ET
📍 Higher seed hosts
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
College Football Playoff (First Round)
🗓️ Dec 19 (Sat)
⏰ 12:00 PM ET
📍 Higher seed hosts
📺 ABC / ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
College Football Playoff (First Round)
🗓️ Dec 19 (Sat)
⏰ 3:30 PM ET
📍 Higher seed hosts
📺 TNT / truTV / HBO Max
🏈 Matchup: TBA
College Football Playoff (First Round)
🗓️ Dec 19 (Sat)
⏰ 7:30 PM ET
📍 Higher seed hosts
📺 TNT / truTV / HBO Max
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Myrtle Beach Bowl
🗓️ Dec 21 (Mon)
⏰ 11:00 AM ET
📍 Conway, SC (Brooks Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
🗓️ Dec 21 (Mon)
⏰ 2:30 PM ET
📍 Boise, ID (Albertsons Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Puerto Rico Bowl
🗓️ Dec 22 (Tue)
⏰ 1:30 PM ET
📍 Bayamon, Puerto Rico (Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
StaffDNA Cure Bowl
🗓️ Dec 22 (Tue)
⏰ 5:00 PM ET
📍 Orlando, FL (Acrisure Bounce House)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
🗓️ Dec 22 (Tue)
⏰ 8:30 PM ET
📍 Shreveport, LA (Independence Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
New Orleans Bowl
🗓️ Dec 23 (Wed)
⏰ 2:00 PM ET
📍 New Orleans, LA (Caesars Superdome)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
🗓️ Dec 23 (Wed)
⏰ 5:30 PM ET
📍 Fort Worth, TX (Amon G. Carter Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl
🗓️ Dec 23 (Wed)
⏰ 7:30 PM ET
📍 San Diego, CA (Snapdragon Stadium)
📺 The CW
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Frisco Bowl
🗓️ Dec 23 (Wed)
⏰ 9:00 PM ET
📍 Frisco, TX (Ford Center at The Star)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Isleta New Mexico Bowl
🗓️ Dec 24 (Thu)
⏰ 2:30 PM ET
📍 Albuquerque, NM (University Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
🗓️ Dec 24 (Thu)
⏰ 7:00 PM ET
📍 Honolulu, HI (Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
🗓️ Dec 26 (Sat)
⏰ 12:00 PM ET
📍 Bronx, NY (Yankee Stadium)
📺 ABC
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Wasabi Fenway Bowl
🗓️ Dec 26 (Sat)
⏰ 2:00 PM ET
📍 Boston, MA (Fenway Park)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Duke's Mayo Bowl
🗓️ Dec 26 (Sat)
⏰ 3:30 PM ET
📍 Charlotte, NC (Bank of America Stadium)
📺 ABC
🏈 Matchup: TBA
68 Ventures Bowl
🗓️ Dec 26 (Sat)
⏰ 5:30 PM ET
📍 Mobile, AL (Hancock Whitney Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Cactus Bowl
🗓️ Dec 26 (Sat)
⏰ 7:30 PM ET
📍 Tempe, AZ (Mountain America Stadium)
📺 ABC
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Arizona Bowl
🗓️ Dec 27 (Sun)
⏰ 4:30 PM ET
📍 Tucson, AZ (Arizona Stadium)
📺 The CW
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl
🗓️ Dec 28 (Mon)
⏰ 2:00 PM ET
📍 Annapolis, MD (Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Holiday Bowl
🗓️ Dec 28 (Mon)
⏰ 5:00 PM ET
📍 San Diego, CA (Snapdragon Stadium)
📺 The CW
🏈 Matchup: TBA
JLab Birmingham Bowl
🗓️ Dec 29 (Tue)
⏰ 2:00 PM ET
📍 Birmingham, AL (Protective Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Pop-Tarts Bowl
🗓️ Dec 29 (Tue)
⏰ 5:30 PM ET
📍 Orlando, FL (Camping World Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Valero Alamo Bowl
🗓️ Dec 29 (Tue)
⏰ 9:00 PM ET
📍 San Antonio, TX (Alamodome)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
🗓️ Dec 30 (Wed)
⏰ 11:30 AM ET
📍 Jacksonville, FL (EverBank Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl
🗓️ Dec 30 (Wed)
⏰ 3:00 PM ET
📍 Nashville, TN (Nissan Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal)
🗓️ Dec 30 (Wed)
⏰ 7:30 PM ET
📍 Glendale, AZ (State Farm Stadium)
📺 TNT / truTV / HBO Max
🏈 Matchup: TBA
ReliaQuest Bowl
🗓️ Dec 31 (Thu)
⏰ 12:00 PM ET
📍 Tampa, FL (Raymond James Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
🗓️ Dec 31 (Thu)
⏰ 2:00 PM ET
📍 El Paso, TX (Sun Bowl Stadium)
📺 CBS
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Las Vegas Bowl
🗓️ Dec 31 (Thu)
⏰ 3:45 PM ET
📍 Las Vegas, NV (Allegiant Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Kinder's Texas Bowl
🗓️ Dec 31 (Thu)
⏰ 7:30 PM ET
📍 Houston, TX (NRG Stadium)
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
CFP Quarterfinal - Peach / Cotton / Rose
🗓️ Jan 1 (Fri)
⏰ 12:00 PM ET
📍 Bowl assignment TBA on Selection Day
📺 TNT / truTV / HBO Max
🏈 Matchup: TBA
CFP Quarterfinal - Peach / Cotton / Rose
🗓️ Jan 1 (Fri)
⏰ 4:00 PM ET
📍 Bowl assignment TBA on Selection Day
📺 ABC / ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
CFP Quarterfinal - Peach / Cotton / Rose
🗓️ Jan 1 (Fri)
⏰ 8:00 PM ET
📍 Bowl assignment TBA on Selection Day
📺 ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Citrus Bowl
🗓️ Jan 2 (Sat)
⏰ 12:00 PM ET
📍 Orlando, FL (Camping World Stadium)
📺 ABC
🏈 Matchup: TBA
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
🗓️ Jan 2 (Sat)
⏰ 3:30 PM ET
📍 Dallas, TX (Gerald J. Ford Stadium)
📺 ABC
🏈 Matchup: TBA
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
🗓️ Jan 2 (Sat)
⏰ 7:30 PM ET
📍 Memphis, TN (Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium)
📺 ABC
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Capital One Orange Bowl (CFP Semifinal)
🗓️ Jan 14 (Thu)
⏰ 7:30 PM ET
📍 Miami Gardens, FL (Hard Rock Stadium)
📺 TNT / truTV / HBO Max
🏈 Matchup: TBA
Allstate Sugar Bowl (CFP Semifinal)
🗓️ Jan 15 (Fri)
⏰ 7:30 PM ET
📍 New Orleans, LA (Caesars Superdome)
📺 ABC / ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
CFP National Championship
🗓️ Jan 25 (Mon)
⏰ 7:30 PM ET
📍 Las Vegas, NV (Allegiant Stadium)
📺 ABC / ESPN
🏈 Matchup: TBA
*All times Eastern and subject to change. Team matchups will be added after bowl selections. CFP Jan. 1 quarterfinal bowl/time assignments will be finalized on Selection Day.
Carolina Gridiron