College Football Playoff National Championship

Division I FBS · National championship

Football season

January 25, 2027
Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, NV

Format and selection

Expanded CFP (2026)

12 teams. Campus games on December 18–19 lead to bowl quarterfinals, bowl semifinals and a January 25, 2027 final.

The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions qualify. The highest-ranked team from the other six FBS conferences also qualifies.
The next seven highest-ranked teams fill the field. Notre Dame qualifies if ranked in the top 12; when that guarantee applies, the remaining at-large allotment is six.
The four highest-ranked teams receive byes. Seeds 5–8 host seeds 12–9. The top seed selects its quarterfinal and semifinal path; the next seeds choose among the remaining quarterfinal sites.
The committee evaluates the season using its voting protocol, considering schedule strength, head-to-head results, common opponents and other relevant circumstances. Computer rankings such as Colley do not directly allocate bowl berths.

These are documented selection procedures. They do not explain why a particular participant was chosen unless the source expressly records that decision.

History

A separate national championship game has concluded the College Football Playoff since its first season in 2014.

The two semifinal winners meet at a selected neutral site. Its date in January belongs to the preceding football season.

Related competitions: College Football Playoff

Sources and coverage

Previous editions