College Football Playoff Bracket: FREE, Printable 12-Team CFP Bracket Ahead of Round 1

The College Football Playoff bracket is set, with the 12-team CFP kicking off on Friday, and culminating with the CFP National Championship on Monday, Jan. 19.

The College Football Playoff bracket looks slightly different in its second season, with the CFP switching to a straight seeding format, and the top two seeds (Indiana, Ohio State) both hailing from the same conference as a result. With 11 games in this year's College Football Playoff, fill out your bracket and make your college football predictions before the action gets underway. 

🖨️ Printable 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket

Click here to download our FREE printable College Football Playoff bracket.

🗓️ College Football Playoff schedule

🧩 How the 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket works

✅ College Football Playoff team selection

• On Sunday, Dec. 7, the 12 CFP teams were selected and seeded by the College Football Playoff committee following conference championship weekend
• Five automatic qualifiers (the five highest ranked conference champions)
• Seven at-large bids selected by the CFP selection committee
• The four highest-ranked teams, regardless of conference, receive a first-round bye into the quarterfinals as the top four seeds for the CFP
• The eight remaining teams play based on seeding, with the higher-seeded team playing on its campus or at a location of its choice
• The expanded playoff will not impact the committee's selection criteria

🗓️ College Football Playoff schedule

• First round (on-campus): Dec. 19 & 20, with No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon, No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss, and No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M
• Quarterfinals (Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowl): Dec. 31 & Jan. 1, with No. 4 Texas Tech vs. winner of No. 12/5, No. 1 Indiana vs. winner of No. 9/8, No. 3 Georgia vs. winner of No. 11/6, and No. 2 Ohio State vs. winner of No. 10/7
• Semifinal 1 (Fiesta Bowl): Jan. 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
• Semifinal 2 (Peach Bowl): Jan. 9 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
• CFP National Championship: Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

🔄 How the new 2025-26 College Football Playoff format works

With the 12-team College Football Playoff heading into its second year of existence, there have already been changes made from last season's format. Last year, the four highest-seeded conference champions received first-round byes, but this season, the CFP has taken on a straight seeding format.

That means the four highest-ranked teams by the CFP committee, regardless of conference, will receive byes. Last year, Oregon (Big Ten), Georgia (SEC), Boise State (Mountain West), and Arizona State (Big 12) received first-round byes as conference champions. With the straight seeding format this year, the byes are going to Indiana (Big Ten), Ohio State (Big Ten), Georgia (SEC), and Texas Tech (Big 12).

However, the automatic qualifiers are still the five highest-ranked conference champions. This year's five automatic qualifiers are Indiana (Big Ten), Georgia (SEC), Texas Tech (Big 12), Tulane (American), and James Madison (Sun Belt).

The remaining seven playoff spots go to the seven highest-ranked teams that are not automatic qualifiers. These seven at-large bids were selected by the committee. 

The committee released its selections for the 12-team playoff, along with the seeding, following conference championship weekend on Sunday, Dec. 7. The playoff will get underway with the first round on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20.

🏟️ CFP matchups & schedule

The eight teams that don't receive byes play at the home stadium or location of the higher seed's choice during the first round. The No. 12 seed plays the No. 5, the No. 11 plays the No. 6, the No. 10 plays the No. 7, and the No. 9 plays the No. 8.

The first is played on Friday, Dec. 19, with the other three on Saturday, Dec. 20. Two of the first-round games will be broadcast by TNT Sports, with every other CFP game broadcast by ESPN or ABC.

🎯 Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals will take place over a week later with the No. 4-seed playing the winner of the No. 12/5 game, No. 3 playing the winner of No. 11/6, No. 2 playing the winner of No. 10/7, and No. 1 playing the winner of No. 9/8.

The first of those games is slated for New Year's Eve - Wednesday, Dec. 31 - at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) from the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The other three quarterfinals will take place on New Year's Day - Thursday, Jan. 1 - with the Orange Bowl from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. at noon ET (ESPN), the Rose Bowl Game from Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif at 4 p.m. ET (ESPN), and the Sugar Bowl from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN).

🚨 Semifinals

The semifinals will be the following week with the Fiesta Bowl from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) on Thursday, Jan. 8, and the Peach Bowl from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) on Friday, Jan. 9.

One of those games will feature the winner of the No. 12/5/4 matchup vs. the winner of the No. 9/8/1 game while the other will be between the winner of No. 11/6/3 and the winner of No. 10/7/2.

🏆 National championship

The CFP National Championship Game will then be played on Monday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

❓ College Football Playoff bracket FAQs

Who is in the College Football Playoff?

The 12 teams in the College Football Playoff are Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, Miami, Tulane, and James Madison.

How many teams make the College Football Playoff?

The College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams last season, with the top five ranked conference champions automatically qualifying for the CFP. The College Football Playoff selection committee decides the remaining seven at-large bids. 

The top four seeds, regardless of conference, will receive a first-round bye in the playoff.

How does the College Football Playoff bracket work?

The 2025 College Football Playoff starts with the first round on Dec. 19 and 20, with games being played at the campus of the higher seed or a location of their choice. The quarterfinals will then be played across the Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowls on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

The semifinals take place Jan. 9 and 10 at the Fiesta and Peach Bowl before the CFP National Championship game on Jan. 20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

When does the College Football Playoff start?

The 2025-2026 College Football Playoff begins Friday, Dec. 19, with the first of four first-round games; the other three will be played Saturday, Dec. 20. The quarterfinal games will then be played on Wednesday, Dec. 31, and Thursday, Jan. 1.

The semifinal games will be Thursday, Jan. 8, and Friday, Jan. 9, with the championship game slated for Monday, Jan. 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Who made the College Football Playoff bracket last year?

Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, Arizona State, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Indiana, SMU, and Clemson were the programs selected to participate in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff last year.