College Football Playoff Bracket: FREE, Printable 12-Team CFP Bracket
The College Football Playoff bracket returns this year after last season's inaugural 12-team CFP led to No. 8 seed Ohio State being crowned the CFP national champion. The Buckeyes, alongside Texas, are the favorites by the college football championship odds heading into this season.
However, the College Football Playoff bracket will look slightly different in its second season with the CFP switching to a straight seeding format. That means College Football Playoff odds favorites from the same conference could receive byes.
The hunt to make the College Football Playoff begins on Aug. 23, with Week 0 kicking off the college football schedule.
🧩 How the 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket works
✅ College Football Playoff team selection
- On Sunday, Dec. 7, the 12 CFP teams will be 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, will 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 at No. 5, No. 9 at No. 8, No. 11 at No. 6, and No. 10 at No. 7
- Quarterfinals (Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowl): Dec. 31 & Jan. 1, with No. 4 vs. winner of No. 12/5, No. 1 vs. winner of No. 9/8, No. 3 vs. winner of No. 11/6, and No. 2 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.
🖨️ Printable 2025-26 College Football Playoff bracket
Click here to download our FREE printable college football playoff bracket.
📌 College Football Playoff bracket key dates
| Round | Date (time) | Location | How to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| First round | Friday, Dec. 19 (TBD) | TBD (campus site) | TBD |
| First round | Saturday, Dec. 20 (TBD) | TBD (campus site) | TBD |
| First round | Saturday, Dec. 20 (TBD) | TBD (campus site) | TBD |
| First round | Saturday, Dec. 20 (TBD) | TBD (campus site) | TBD |
| Quarterfinal | Wednesday, Dec. 31 (7:30 p.m. ET) | Cotton Bowl (AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas) | ESPN |
| Quarterfinal | Thursday, Jan. 1 (noon ET) | Orange Bowl (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.) | ESPN |
| Quarterfinal | Thursday, Jan. 1 (4 p.m. ET) | Rose Bowl Game (Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.) | ESPN |
| Quarterfinal | Thursday, Jan. 1 (8 p.m. ET) | Sugar Bowl (Caesars Superdome in New Orleans) | ESPN |
| Semifinal | Thursday, Jan. 8 (7:30 p.m. ET) | Fiesta Bowl (State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.) | ESPN |
| Semifinal | Friday, Jan. 9 (7:30 p.m. ET) | Peach Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta) | ESPN |
| CFP National Championship | Monday, Jan. 19 (7:30 p.m. ET) | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.) | ESPN |
🔄 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's 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 applied to last year's CFP, the byes would have gone to Oregon, Georgia, Texas, and Penn State.
However, the automatic qualifiers will still be the five highest-ranked conference champions. So while it's not necessarily the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC champions that are guaranteed a spot, there's almost no way the CFP Committee would rank two Group of 5 champs over a Power 4 champ.
Essentially, that means the five automatic qualifiers will be the Power 4 champs and the highest-ranked G5 champ - last year, that was Boise State. The remaining seven playoff spots will go to the seven highest-ranked teams that are not automatic qualifiers. These seven at-large bids will be selected by the committee.
The committee will be releasing its selections for the 12-team playoff, along with the seeding, following conference championship weekend on Sunday, Dec. 7. The playoff will then get underway 12 days later with four first-round games.
🏟️ CFP matchups & schedule
The eight teams that don't receive byes will play at the home stadium or location of the higher seed's choice during the first round. The No. 12 seed will play 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.
One of those games will be played Friday, Dec. 19, with the other three the next day on Saturday, Dec. 20. Two of the first-round games will be broadcast by TNT Sports, with every other CFP game being 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.
📋 Last year's College Football Playoff seeding
Seeding via the final College Football Playoff rankings.
| Seed | Team | Record | Selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | 13-0 | Big Ten Champion |
| 2 | Georgia | 11-2 | SEC Champion |
| 3 | Boise State | 12-1 | MWC Champion |
| 4 | Arizona State | 11-2 | Big 12 Champion |
| 5 | Texas | 11-2 | At-large |
| 6 | Penn State | 11-2 | At-large |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 11-1 | At-large |
| 8 | Ohio State | 10-2 | At-large |
| 9 | Tennessee | 10-2 | At-large |
| 10 | Indiana | 11-1 | At-large |
| 11 | SMU | 11-2 | At-large |
| 12 | Clemson | 10-3 | ACC Champion |
❓ College Football Playoff bracket FAQs
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 are the favorites to make the College Football Playoff bracket?
Ohio State (-400), Texas (-330), Penn State (-305), Oregon (-250), and Georgia (-250) have the shortest College Football Playoff odds. Their odds imply they all have better than a 71% probability of making the CFP.
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.
🏈 College football odds pages
| CFP National Championship Odds | SEC Odds | Big 12 Odds | Bowl Season Odds & Info |
| Heisman Trophy Odds | Big Ten Odds | ACC Odds | College Football Playoff Odds |
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