The College Football Playoff unveiled the dates and host sites for its quarterfinal and semifinal rounds over the next two seasons on Tuesday. This comes not long after the CFP Management Committee announced that the 2026-27 playoff will remain at 12 teams as the conferences have continued discussions about further expansion.
There are a couple of notable changes to the future CFP schedule. The 2026-27 playoff’s first quarterfinal game will be played on Dec. 30, rather than the traditional Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve game. That’s likely because New Year’s Eve falls on a Thursday in 2026, which means that the CFP would be competing with the NFL for views.
The Rose Bowl was granted its preferred Jan. 1 timeslot, so it will not host a semifinal game over the next two seasons. There will also be two weeks between the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds in 2026-27 and 2027-28 instead of just one week. That means at least 24 days will pass between the first round of the 2026-27 CFP and the semifinal round.
Here’s a look at the dates and the host sites for the College Football Playoff in the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
2026-27 College Football Playoff schedule
College Football Playoff Quarterfinals
Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2026
- Fiesta Bowl (State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Arizona)
Friday, Jan. 1, 2027
- Cotton Bowl (AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas)
- Peach Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia)
- Rose Bowl (Rose Bowl — Pasadena, California)
College Football Playoff Semifinals
Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027
- Orange Bowl (Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, Florida)
Friday, Jan. 15, 2027
- Sugar Bowl (Caesars Superdome — New Orleans, Louisiana)
2027-28 College Football Playoff schedule
College Football Playoff Quarterfinals
Friday, Dec. 31, 2027
- Sugar Bowl (Caesars Superdome — New Orleans, Louisiana)
Saturday, Jan. 1, 2027
- Fiesta Bowl (State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Arizona)
- Peach Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia)
- Rose Bowl (Rose Bowl — Pasadena, California)
College Football Playoff Semifinals
Thursday, Jan. 13, 2028
- Orange Bowl (Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, Florida)
Friday, Jan. 14, 2028
- Cotton Bowl (AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas)
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