When and Where is the 2026 National Championship Game? NCAA football title game schedule, location, and time

The 2025 College Football Playoff is here. From now until late January, the excitement builds every week as some of the best football programs in the nation compete for the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship.

When is the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game?

The 2026 CFP National Championship Game will take place Monday, Jan 19 at 7:30p ET. Teams are currently TBD.

For the second year in a row, 12 teams were chosen to compete in the College Football Playoff, putting the National Championship Game in late January.

Where is the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game?

The 2026 CFP National Championship Game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Hard Rock Stadium previously hosted the CFP National Championship Game in 2021 when the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes, 52–24. It is normally the home of the Miami Dolphins (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, who are in the College Football Playoff this season. Hard Rock Stadium has also hosted six Super Bowls, with Super Bowl LIV in 2020 being the most recent.

2025–26 College Football Playoff full schedule

All times Eastern.

First Round

Friday, Dec 19 at 8p ET: Alabama (8) vs. Oklahoma (9)
Where: Norman, Oklahoma
Watch: ABC/ESPN

Saturday, Dec 20 at 12p ET: Miami (10) vs. Texas A&M (7)
Where: College Station, Texas
Watch: ABC/ESPN

Saturday, Dec 20 at 3:30p ET: Tulane (11) vs. Ole Miss (6)
Where: Oxford, Mississippi
Watch: TNT/HBO Max

Saturday, Dec 20 at 7:30p ET: James Madison (12) vs. Oregon (5)
Where: Eugene, Oregon
Watch: TNT/HBO Max

Quarterfinals

Wednesday, Dec 31 at 7:30p ET: Miami OR Texas A&M vs. Ohio State (2)
Where: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, Texas
Watch: ESPN

Thursday, Jan 1 at 12p ET: James Madison OR Oregon vs. Texas Tech (4)
Where: Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida
Watch: ESPN

Thursday, Jan 1 at 4p ET: Alabama OR Oklahoma vs. Indiana (1)
Where: Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential in Pasadena, California
Watch: ESPN

Thursday, Jan 1 at 8p ET: Tulane OR Ole Miss vs. Georgia (3)
Where: Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana
Watch: ESPN

Semifinals

Thursday, Jan 8 at 7:30p ET: TBD vs. TBD
Where: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona
Watch: ESPN

Friday, Jan 9 at 7:30p ET: TBD vs. TBD
Where: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia
Watch: ESPN

Championship

Monday, Jan 19 at 7:30p ET: TBD vs. TBD
Where: Hard Rock Statdium in Miami Gardens, Florida
Watch: ESPN