CFP First Round 2026
The 2026 College Football Playoff First Round: Friday, Dec 18 and Saturday, Dec 19, 2026. Four games on college campuses open the playoff; the top four seeds rest.
First Round Schedule and Scores
Projected First Round matchups
How the First Round Works
Four games on college campuses open the playoff; the top four seeds rest.
Who plays
Seeds 5 to 12.
Matchups
5 v 12, 6 v 11, 7 v 10, 8 v 9.
Home field
On campus at the higher seed (seeds 5 to 8).
What is next
The winners play seeds 1 to 4 in the quarterfinals: 8/9 winner v No. 1, 5/12 v No. 4, 6/11 v No. 3, 7/10 v No. 2.
How to Watch
The four First Round games are split between ESPN (Friday night), ABC and ESPN (Saturday noon) and TNT, truTV and HBO Max (Saturday 3:30 and 7:30 PM ET). ABC is free over the air; the ESPN app streams the ESPN and ABC games and HBO Max the TNT games.
Where This Round Sits
- Regular seasonAug – Oct 4
- First RoundDec 18–19
- QuarterfinalsDec 30 – Jan 1
- SemifinalsJan 14–15
- ChampionshipJan 25
Everything on this First Round page updates automatically: matchups when they are set, scores while games are on, results when they end. The full bracket shows how this round connects to the rest of the 2026 College Football playoffs.
First Round FAQ
When is the CFP First Round?
Friday, Dec 18 and Saturday, Dec 19, 2026.
Who plays?
Seeds 5 to 12.
Where are the games?
On campus at the higher seed (seeds 5 to 8).
What channel?
ESPN (Fri 8 PM ET), ABC/ESPN (Sat noon), TNT/truTV/HBO Max (Sat 3:30 and 7:30 PM).
What comes next?
The winners play seeds 1 to 4 in the quarterfinals: 8/9 winner v No. 1, 5/12 v No. 4, 6/11 v No. 3, 7/10 v No. 2.