College Football Playoff bracket 2026–27
The 12-team College Football Playoff bracket for the 2026–27 season. The field is announced on Sunday, December 6, 2026; until then the sheet shows seed numbers only. Seeds 1–4 have a bye, seeds 5–12 play the first round on December 18–19, and the championship is on Monday, January 25, 2027.
Format and dates
2026–27 season| Round | Dates | Who plays |
|---|---|---|
| First round | Dec 18–19, 2026 | Seeds 5–12. 5 v 12, 6 v 11, 7 v 10 and 8 v 9. Seeds 1–4 have a bye. |
| Quarterfinals | From Dec 30, 2026 | 1 v winner of 8/9, 2 v winner of 7/10, 3 v winner of 6/11, 4 v winner of 5/12. |
| Semifinals | Jan 14–15, 2027 | The 1 and 4 side of the bracket meet; the 2 and 3 side meet. The bracket is not re-seeded. |
| National championship | Mon, Jan 25, 2027 | The two semifinal winners. |
Other sizes and formats
More for the playoffs
Questions
How does the 12-team College Football Playoff work?
Twelve teams are seeded 1–12. Seeds 1–4 skip the first round. Seeds 5–8 play seeds 12–9 in the first round, the winners meet seeds 1–4 in the quarterfinals, and it is single elimination from there.
Is the College Football Playoff bracket re-seeded?
No. The bracket is fixed once the field is set: the No. 1 seed plays the winner of 8 v 9, No. 2 the winner of 7 v 10, No. 3 the winner of 6 v 11 and No. 4 the winner of 5 v 12.
How many games does the champion play?
Three for a top-four seed, four for anyone else: first round, quarterfinal, semifinal and championship game.