We’re gearing up for the College Football Playoffs starting next month, but before that, the CFP Selection Show reveals which 12 teams will be competing.
When are the 12 teams chosen for the 2025 College Football Playoff? How to watch the CFP selection show
The 2025–26 College Football Playoff (CFP) will again feature a 12-team field, continuing the expanded format introduced last year. The structure gives automatic berths to the five highest-ranked conference champions, while the remaining seven spots go to the next highest-ranked teams regardless of conference.
Under this system, the top four seeds receive a first-round bye, while seeds 5–12 play initial games at the higher-seed’s home stadium, a format designed to reward strong regular-season performance and conference success.
With the regular season concluded and conference championships on the way, we’re now entering the final stretch, and the long-awaited Selection Day is almost here.
Selection Day: When will the teams be announced?
Selection Sunday is the moment every contender, and every bubble team, has been waiting for. This year’s College Football Playoff Selection Show will air Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, beginning at noon ET, revealing the full 12-team bracket, seeding, first-round pairings, and which four teams will earn byes into the quarterfinals.
Where to watch
- TV Broadcast: The selection show will air live on ESPN, the exclusive broadcast partner of the College Football Playoff.
- Streaming Options: Fans can stream the reveal through the ESPN App, which includes access via mobile devices, tablets, smart TVs, and supported streaming platforms. Viewers who receive ESPN through their cable, satellite, or streaming provider can log in directly through the app for full access.
What the show includes
- The final CFP Top 25 (the last and definitive ranking of the season)
- The full 12-team College Football Playoff field
- Seeds 1–12
- Campus-site first-round matchups (Seeds 5–8 hosting Seeds 9–12)
- Quarterfinal bowl assignments at the Cotton, Orange, Rose, and Sugar Bowls
- Semifinal matchups set for the Fiesta and Peach Bowls
- Instant analysis on teams that made the cut, and those that didn’t
CFP Contenders, bubble teams and what to watch
Here’s a look at the current landscape: who appears to have solid spots, who’s on the bubble, and what factors could shake things up before Selection Day.
Likely locks / Top contenders
According to the most recent projections and rankings, these teams are widely viewed as strong candidates for the 12-team field, with many appearing likely to secure top seeds and first-round byes.
- Ohio State Buckeyes: Undefeated and commanding on both sides of the ball; widely regarded as the No. 1 seed.
- Indiana Hoosiers: Also undefeated and poised for a strong seed, especially with their conference title game upcoming.
- Texas A&M Aggies: Entered recent weeks among the top-four, though a late-season upset complicates their trajectory.
- Georgia Bulldogs: Despite a loss, they hold a strong resume and remain among the top contenders.
- Texas Tech Red Raiders: With a strong finish and a top-5 ranking entering the final week, they’re seen by many analysts as a presumed playoff team.
Bubble/contenders fighting for the final spots
Beyond the top contenders, several programs remain in serious contention. Their fate likely depends heavily on conference championship outcomes, key wins/losses, and how the committee views their team overall.
- Oregon Ducks: A loss late in the season could complicate things, but they still have a strong chance depending on how other games shake out.
- Ole Miss Rebels: Their team remains solid. If they avoid bad losses and key teams ahead of them falter, they could sneak in.
- Oklahoma Sooners and Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Both have been durable this season and could benefit if the committee marks balance over chaos in the final two spots.
- Alabama Crimson Tide: The Tide remain a wildcard; with the right conference-championship result (or a strong resume despite a loss), they could be among the final selections.
- Other dark-horses/Group of Five or mid-tier contenders: According to some projection models, a strong finish from teams like Tulane Green Wave could land them the Group-of-Five bid.
What could shake everything up
- Conference championship games (coming this weekend): A big upset or surprise winner could reshape which teams get automatic conference-champion berths or jump ahead as “at-large” picks.
- Strength-of-record and “eye test” vs resume debates: As seen this season, teams with similar records (and costs of losses) may be judged on margin of victory, consistency, and head-to-head or common opponents.
- Group-of-Five bid pressure: At least one “G5” spot will go to the highest-ranked non-Power 5 champion, making leagues like the American, Mountain West, etc., more relevant than ever before.
What a 12-team field could look like (based on latest projections)
If today were Selection Day, and assuming things don’t go off-script this weekend, many analysts project a 12-team field that might look something like this (order approximate):
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Georgia
- Texas A&M or Texas Tech
- Texas Tech or Oregon
- Oregon or Ole Miss
- Ole Miss or Oklahoma
- Oklahoma or Notre Dame
- Notre Dame or Alabama
- Alabama or a strong at-large contender (like Miami / Group-of-Five champ)
- At-large / bubble team
- Group-of-Five champion or at-large bubble team
What to watch between now and Selection Day
- The conference championship games: These will likely determine automatic bids, which indirectly shapes at-large selections and the overall bracket composition.
- The final CFP Top 25 ranking release (presumably this coming Tuesday): That ranking will be the direct basis for Selection Day’s 12-team bracket.
- How the selection committee balances resume vs. “eye test”: A strong resume might be enough for some teams, but others may rely on narrative, momentum, or signature wins to earn a berth.
Given how much is still in flux, especially with bubble teams and conference-championship outcomes, nothing is locked in yet.
2025-26 College Football Playoff schedule
| Date | Bowl / Round | Location | Time (ET) / TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Dec 19, 2025 | CFP First Round - Game 1 (campus site) | Higher-seed’s home stadium | 8:00 p.m., ABC / ESPN |
| Sat, Dec 20, 2025 | CFP First Round - Games 2–4 (campus sites) | Higher-seed campuses | 12:00 p.m. (ABC/ESPN), 3:30 p.m. (TNT/truTV/HBO Max), 7:30 p.m. (TNT/truTV/HBO Max) |
| Wed, Dec 31, 2025 | Quarterfinal - Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX | 7:30 p.m., ESPN |
| Thu, Jan 1, 2026 | Quarterfinals - Capital One Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential, Allstate Sugar Bowl | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL), Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA), Caesars Superdome (New Orleans, LA) | 12:00 p.m. (Orange), 4:00 p.m. (Rose), 8:00 p.m. (Sugar), ESPN |
| Thu, Jan 8, 2026 | Semifinal - Vrbo Fiesta Bowl | Glendale, AZ | 7:30 p.m., ESPN |
| Fri, Jan 9, 2026 | Semifinal - Chick‑fil‑A Peach Bowl | Atlanta, GA | 7:30 p.m., ESPN |
| Mon, Jan 19, 2026 | College Football Playoff National Championship | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL | 7:30 p.m., ESPN |
2025–26 Bowl Game Schedule
Early non-CFP/Bowl Season Schedule
| Date | Bowl | Location / Notes | Time (ET) / TV* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Dec 13, 2025 | Cricket Celebration Bowl | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA | 12:00 p.m., ABC |
| Sat, Dec 13, 2025 | Bucked Up LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA | 8:00 p.m., ABC |
| Tue, Dec 16, 2025 | IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl | Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL | 9:00 p.m., ESPN |
| Wed, Dec 17, 2025 | StaffDNA Cure Bowl | Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL | 5:00 p.m., ESPN |
| Wed, Dec 17, 2025 | 68 Ventures Bowl | Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL | 8:30 p.m., ESPN |
| Fri, Dec 19, 2025 | Myrtle Beach Bowl | Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC | 11:00 a.m., ESPN |
| Fri, Dec 19, 2025 | Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | 2:30 p.m., ESPN |
| Wed, Dec 20, 2025 | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID | 2:00 p.m., ESPN |
| Tue, Dec 23, 2025 | Boca Raton Bowl | Flagler Credit Union Stadium, Boca Raton, FL | 2:00 p.m., ESPN |
| Tue, Dec 23, 2025 | New Orleans Bowl | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA | 5:30 p.m., ESPN |
| Tue, Dec 23, 2025 | Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl | Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, TX | 9:00 p.m., ESPN |
| Wed, Dec 24, 2025 | Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl | Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI | 8:00 p.m., ESPN |
*Some kickoff times or broadcast channels may still be “TBD” depending on matchups and final selections.
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