ESPN Unveils TV Schedule for 2026-27 College Football Playoff, Introducing TNT Games and ABC Simulcasts

The 2026-27 College Football Playoff television schedule has been officially announced by ESPN, showcasing several notable changes from the previous year. The new lineup includes a variety of dates, times, and broadcasting details for the upcoming playoff games, highlighting an increase in games sublicensed to TNT and new simulcasts on ABC.

In a shift from prior seasons, the first round will see one game played on Friday, December 18, followed by three games on Saturday, December 19. ESPN will hold exclusive rights to the Friday matchup, differing from the last two years, which featured simulcasts on ABC. On Saturday, ESPN and ABC will air the noon ET game, strategically avoiding overlap with the NFL's doubleheader that day. TNT will take over for the afternoon games, airing the 3:30 p.m. ET and 7:30 p.m. ET contests, which will compete with NFL matchups.

For the first time, TNT will broadcast two quarterfinal games, thanks to an expanded sublicense agreement with ESPN. The Fiesta Bowl will air on Wednesday, December 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET, marking a departure from the previous tradition of holding the first quarterfinal on New Year’s Eve. The New Year’s Day schedule will feature TNT broadcasting the noon ET quarterfinal, followed by ESPN airing the 4 p.m. ET game, which will also be simulcast on ABC for the first time, and an 8 p.m. ET game exclusively on ESPN. It remains possible that the Rose Bowl could shift to an 8 p.m. ET slot this year.

TNT will also make its debut in broadcasting a semifinal game, showcasing the Orange Bowl on Thursday, January 14, at 7:30 p.m. ET. ESPN will air the Sugar Bowl the following day at 7:30 p.m. ET, with a simulcast on ABC, another first under the new scheduling agreement. Lastly, the national championship game is set for Monday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m. ET, and will be available on both ESPN and ABC, marking the first time in the 12-team era that the championship will be simulcast on ABC.