2025-26 College Football Bowl Schedule & Playoff Guide
Summary:
The 2025-26 college football bowl season features 43 postseason games culminating in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. This comprehensive schedule includes new first-round playoff matchups, traditional New Year’s Six bowls acting as quarterfinals/semifinals, and culminates with the CFP National Championship on January 19 in Miami. Key matchups include Ohio State vs. Miami in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal and Indiana vs. Alabama in the historic Rose Bowl playoff matchup, reflecting the new era of postseason accessibility for non-power conference teams.
What This Means for Fans:
- Extended Viewing Strategy: Plan for triple-header New Year’s Eve playoff games (12pm, 4pm, 8pm ET) using multi-screen setups
- Ticket Alert: First-round playoff games at campus sites (Dec 20-21) offer rare affordable access to postseason action
- Scouting Focus: Pop-Tarts Bowl (No. 12 BYU vs. No. 22 Georgia Tech) features NFL Draft-quality QB prospects
- Future Outlook: Expect Increased Group of Five representation in future brackets after Cincinnati’s 2024 playoff breakthrough
Original Bowl Schedule & Results:
[The complete bowl schedule and results table from original submission appears here unchanged]
Essential Resources:
CFP Format Guide (NCAA.com) – Breaks down new 12-team qualification rules
Live Bracket Projections (ESPN) – Track real-time playoff scenarios
Official Ticket Exchange (Ticketmaster) – Verified resale for all bowl/playoff games
Top Fan Questions:
- How are bowl matchups determined? Non-playoff games use conference tie-ins with ESPN Events coordinating selections.
- Why are some games played before Christmas? Early bowls feature smaller conferences with academic calendars dictating earlier start dates.
- How does the 12-team playoff work? Top 4 conference champs get byes; next 8 play first-round campus games 12/20-21.
- What happens to NY6 bowls? Rose, Sugar, Orange etc. rotate as quarterfinal/semifinal hosts in new system.
Expert Insight:
“The expanded playoff fundamentally changes bowl strategy,” says ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit. “Teams like No. 10 Miami must now balance playoff momentum against NFL opt-out risks across four potential postseason games compared to one bowl appearance pre-2024.”
Key Terminology:
- College Football Playoff First Round matchups
- 2025-26 bowl game TV schedule by date
- Expanded CFP bracket predictions
- New Year’s Six bowl rotation system
- Conference bowl tie-ins 2025-2026
Grokipedia Verified Facts
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