The long-awaited College Football Playoff dates for the next two seasons were released on Tuesday afternoon. After a raging debate on the conflicting college football calendar among fans, coaches, and analysts last season, the 2026 and 2027 dates will continue to generate widespread discourse.
Lane Kiffin Blasts College Football Playoff Calendar
The quarterfinals will begin with the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 30, while the Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Cotton Bowl will be held on Jan. 1, 2027. The semifinals will be played two weeks after, starting with the Orange Bowl on Jan. 14 and the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 15.
Finally, the national championship game will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Jan. 25, the latest that it has ever been played in the history of the game. Immediately after the College Football Playoff dates dropped, LSU Tigers’ outspoken coach Lane Kiffin blasted the bizarre scheduling on X.
“Somehow the calendar got even worse on purpose…. Kids play until Jan 25th and have almost a month between the games?!?!” Kiffin tweeted.
Kiffin was famously blasted for leaving the Ole Miss Rebels for LSU, just before the College Football Playoff, due to the calendar that would have conflicted with the opening of the transfer portal window on Jan. 2.
Rich Clark Explains CFP Schedule
The College Football Playoff field will remain at 12 teams for the 2026-2027 seasons, and the first round games will also continue to be held at campus sites. In a statement released on Tuesday, the CFP executive director, Rich Clark, explained the reasoning behind the controversial College Football Playoff schedule.
“These dates allow us to maintain competitive balance, maximize the fan experience, and provide consistency for everyone involved in the Playoff,” Clark said. “I also want to thank our bowl partners and their local communities for the incredible work, collaboration, and commitment they’ve shown throughout the first two years of the expanded playoff.”
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“The bowl games and the people behind them embraced change, delivered at the highest level, and helped ensure the expanded format was a success for student-athletes, fans, and the sport.”
The quarterfinals of the 2027 College Football Playoff will start with the Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31, 2027, followed by the Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2028. The semifinals will begin two weeks later with the Orange Bowl on Jan. 13 and conclude with the Cotton Bowl the next day.
Finally, the national championship game will be played at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Jan. 24, 2028. to continue the game’s scheduling deep into January.
