The College Football Playoff is back. 2024 marked the first time that the playoff field expanded to 12 teams, and there were some tweaks for the 2025 season.
The top-four seeds in the playoff going to conference champions is gone. Instead, the Big Ten conference has two teams in the top four this year, its conference champion, Indiana, and the runner-up, Ohio State.
First-round games will still be played at the higher seed's home stadium. The specific language this year of the field being made up of the five highest-ranked conference champions came into play as both Tulane and James Madison found themselves ranked ahead of ACC champion Duke, who didn't make the tournament field.
AllSportsPeople breaks down everything there is to know about this year's 12-team bracket.
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College Football Playoff bracket
Here's a look at the full bracket for the 2025 College Football Playoff.
First round
- Game 1: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 JMU
- Game 2: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane
- Game 3: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami
- Game 4: No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama
Quarterfinals
- Game 5: No. 1 Indiana vs. Game 4 winner
- Game 6: No. 2 Ohio State vs. Game 5 winner
- Game 7: No. 3 Georgia vs. Game 6 winner
- Game 8: No. 4 Texas Tech vs. Game 7 winner
Semifinals
- Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 winner
- Game 10: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner
National Championship
- Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner
How was the CFP bracket determined?
The College Football Playoff Committee put together the 12-team bracket with some slight tweaks from 2024. The five best conference champions still made the playoff field automatically, but the best four of the group were not given automatic byes through the first round.
This year, the bracket is comprised of the five highest-ranked conference champions, with the remaining seven teams being the best of the rest as at-large bids.
Similar to last year, teams are not reseeded in later rounds, so each team's path to the championship is already determined.
College Football Playoff schedule
First Round
| Date | Matchup | Location | Time (ET) | TV Channel |
| Fri., Dec. 19 | No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama | Norman, Oklahoma | 8 p.m. | ABC, ESPN, Fubo |
| Sat., Dec. 20 | No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami | College Station, Texas | 12 p.m. | ABC, ESPN, Fubo |
| Sat., Dec. 20 | No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane | Oxford, Mississippi | 3:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV |
| Sat., Dec. 20 | No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison | Eugene, Oregon | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Bowl Game | Matchup | Location | Time (ET) | TV Channel |
| Wed., Dec. 31 | Cotton Bowl | No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Texas A&M/No. 10 Miami | Arlington, Texas | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| Thurs., Jan. 1 | Orange Bowl | No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 Oregon/No. 12 James Madison | Miami, Florida | 12 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| Thurs., Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl | No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 8 Oklahoma/No. 9 Alabama | Pasadena, California | 4 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| Thurs., Jan. 1 | Sugar Bowl | No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss/No. 11 Tulane | New Orleans, Louisiana | 8 p.m. | EPN, Fubo |
Semifinals
| Date | Bowl Game | Matchup | Location | Time (ET) | TV Channel |
| Thurs., Jan. 8 | Fiesta Bowl | TBD | Glendale, Arizona | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| Fri., Jan. 9 | Peach Bowl | TBD | Atlanta, Georgia | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
National championship
| Date | Bowl Game | Matchup | Location | Time (ET) | TV Channel |
| Mon., Jan. 19 | CFP National Championship | TBD | Miami, Florida | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
How to watch the College Football Playoff
The majority of these playoff games will air on ESPN and be streamed on the ESPN App and Fubo. Two of them will air on TNT and truTV and stream on HBO Max. Both of ESPN's first-round games will be simulcast on ABC.
Fubo carries both ABC and ESPN in its channel lineup, and is currently offering a free trial.
When does the College Football Playoff end?
- Start date: Friday, December 19
- End date: Monday, January 19
The postseason tournament will begin on Dec. 19 with the better seed hosting a game on their home field, and will run until the national championship on Jan. 19.
Much of the gap comes from a 10-day break between the second semifinal game and the national championship. The College Football Playoff will be four rounds and played over the course of a month.