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College Football Playoff: kickoff times and dates revealed

Rowan Fisher Shotton|
Nov 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A view of the college football playoff national championship trophy on the sidelines of a game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Pittsburgh Panthers in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.
Nov 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A view of the college football playoff national championship trophy on the sidelines of a game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Pittsburgh Panthers in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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The College Football Playoff bracket unveiled Sunday saw undefeated Indiana earn the tournament’s No. 1 seed after a 13-10 Big Ten title victory over Ohio State.

The 12-team field mixes traditional powers like Georgia and the Buckeyes with surprising entries Tulane and James Madison, immediately sparking debate over who got left out.

Notre Dame, a 10-2 team that closed the year on a 10-game win streak, was not among the 12, while Alabama and Miami secured berths. 

The committee defended its weekly re‑rankings, pointing to comparative metrics and head‑to‑head results, noting Miami beat Notre Dame earlier in the season.

Shortly after the selections were announced, the CFP committee revealed the dates, times, and venues for each first-round game. 

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza.
Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) celebrates after the Indiana versus Ohio State Big Ten Championship football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Eight campus-site first-round games and New Year’s bowl assignments set up a compact, high-stakes December to January run to Miami.

The top four seeds, Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia and Texas Tech, receive first-round byes. 

The other eight teams play campus games on Dec. 19-20; winners advance to quarterfinals staged at the Cotton, Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls on Dec. 31–Jan 1. 

The first-round games are as follows: 

Alabama at Oklahoma (Dec. 19, 8 p.m. ET)

Miami at Texas A&M (Dec. 20, Noon ET)

Tulane at Ole Miss (Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET)

James Madison at Oregon (Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Quarterfinal pairings are already set by seed: the Oklahoma/Alabama winner meets Indiana in Pasadena; the Oregon/JMU winner draws Texas Tech in Miami; the Ole Miss/Tulane victor draws Georgia in New Orleans; and the Texas A&M/Miami winner travels to Arlington to face Ohio State. 

The first‑round slate kicks off Friday night, the road to Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 19 and a national title now clear, and college football enters a volatile postseason that will quickly test established names and newcomers.

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Rowan Fisher
ROWAN FISHER SHOTTON

Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a versatile journalist known for sharp analysis, player-driven storytelling, and quick-turn coverage across CFB, CBB, the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. A Wilfrid Laurier alum and lifelong athlete, he’s written for FanSided, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek, tackling every beat with both a reporter’s edge and a player’s eye.

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