At long last, we are set to learn who will be in College Football Playoff on Sunday, as the 12-team field will be revealed starting at noon ET. It’s the second year the bracket has featured 12 teams, and there are a few things to remember as the bracket is unveiled.
A year ago, the top four conference champions received automatic byes into the quarterfinals. That system was scrapped for the 2025 season, as it will now simply be the four highest-ranked teams receiving byes. However, the top five highest-ranked conference champions will still receive automatic byes into the field.
Additionally, teams ranked No. 5-8 will get the advantage of hosting first-round games. Beyond the playoff, Sunday will also bring official announcements on matchups for dozens of bowl games that comprise the backbone of Bowl Season. By day’s end, we’ll have a firm grasp of college football’s full postseason schedule.
We’ll be tracking all of the developments here as the postseason picture comes into focus.
All times below Eastern
CFP Rankings prediction | Breaking down 12-team bracket
College Football Playoff schedule
Championship game: Jan. 19 — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida
Peach Bowl semifinal: Jan. 9 —
Fiesta Bowl semifinal: Jan. 8 —
QuarterfinalsRose Bowl, Jan. 1: (1) Indiana vs. (8/9) WinnerCotton Bowl, Dec. 31: (2) Ohio State vs. (7/10) WinnerSugar Bowl, Jan. 1: (3) Georgia vs. (6/11) WinnerOrange Bowl, Jan. 1: (4) Texas Tech vs. (5/12) WinnerFirst round(12) James Madison at (5) Oregon | Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m. | Winner faces (4) Texas Tech(9) Alabama at (8) Oklahoma | Dec. 19, 8 p.m. | Winner faces (1) Indiana(11) Tulane at (6) Ole Miss | Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. | Winner faces (3) Georgia
(10) Miami at (7) Texas A&M | Dec. 20, Noon | Winner faces (2) Ohio State2025 Bowl Games