When the College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams in 2024, one of the most-anticipated new additions was on-site games in the first round. For the first time in college football history, there were playoff games on college campuses; this included the eventual champions, Ohio State, who hosted Tennesssee in Columbus.
Now, in the second year of the 12-team Playoff, four more championship contenders are set to host first round games. This includes SEC programs in Texas A&M and Ole Miss, along with two other championship contenders. The road teams, who are the No. 9 through No. 12 seeds in the bracket, are looking to become the first team to pull off a road win in the Playoff.
Let’s look at when the College Football Playoff first round games will be and the action will begin.
STREAM: Watch College Football Playoff games live with Fubo
When does the College Football Playoff start?
- Start date: Friday, Dec. 19
The first round of the College Football Playoff begins in mid-December, with the first game happening on Dec. 19.
It will be followed by three games — which will be on college campuses — on Saturday, Dec. 20. The winner of these four games will advance to the quarterfinals, where the top four seeds will be waiting.
| Game | Date |
| First round | Dec. 19-20 |
| Cotton Bowl (Quarterfinals) | Dec. 31 |
| Orange, Rose, Sugar Bowls (Quarterfinals) | Jan. 1 |
| Fiesta Bowl (Semifinals) | Jan. 8 |
| Peach Bowl (Semifinals) | Jan. 9 |
| National Championship | Jan. 19 |
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College Football Playoff 2025 schedule
Here are the times for each College Football Playoff game, starting with the first round.
First Round
Friday, Dec. 19
- TBD vs. TBD, 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 20
- TBD vs. TBD, 12:00 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN
- TBD vs. TBD, 3:30 p.m. ET on TNT
- TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, Dec. 31
- Cotton Bowl: TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Thursday, Jan. 1
- Orange Bowl: TBD vs. TBD, 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
- Rose Bowl: TBD vs. TBD, 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
- Sugar Bowl: TBD vs. TBD, 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Semifinals
Thursday, Jan. 8
- Fiesta Bowl: TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Friday, Jan. 9
- Peach Bowl: TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
CFP National Championship
Monday, Jan. 19
- TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
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College Football Playoff bracket
This section will be updated when the bracket is revealed on Sunday.
When is the College Football Playoff national championship?
- Date: Monday, Jan. 19, 2025
- Start time: 7:30 p.m. ET | 6:30 p.m. CT
The College Football Playoff national championship will be at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla., on Jan. 19. It will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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How to watch College Football Playoff games
The College Football Playoff will mainly be on ABC and ESPN, with the exception being two first round games on Dec. 20.
The national championship will be on ESPN, with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call. Holly Rowe will be on the sidelines. Broadcast crews for each game will be revealed closer to the date.
Those looking to stream the game can in two ways. For the ESPN and ABC games, viewers can stream on ESPN App. All College Football Playoff games are also available on Fubo, which offers new subscribers a free trial.
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