The College Football Playoff field size isn’t set beyond this season’s 12-team bracket, but it has settled on where its quarterfinal and semifinal games will be played through the next six seasons.
The CFP sites for the next two seasons were already in place, but on Thursday the postseason quarterfinal and semifinal sites for the 2028-2031 regular seasons were released.
Atlanta, to no one’s surprise, remains entrenched in the mix of rotating CFP sites.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set to host semifinal games following the 2028 and 2031 regular seasons, and quarterfinal games following the 2029 and 2030 regular seasons.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who is no stranger to bringing his Bulldogs to play in Atlanta, has noted UGA’s familiarity with Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“(We) know where the scoreboards, the clocks, and (where) all the different stuff is, that’s the biggest thing,” Smart said before the CFP semifinal win over Ohio State. “The field is the same. There’s not a lot of difference in terms of the diameter and the width of the field.
“But I think it’s more about the familiarity for the quarterback. Knowing the play clock, the ribbons, and the different things.”
The CFP is currently using a 12-team field, but there’s speculation that the SEC and Big Ten might soon agree on a playoff model that would enable the CFP field to expand to 16, or perhaps 24, teams following this season.
This season’s 12-team CFP field will be made up of the conference champions from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC along with the highest-ranked team from the collection of Group of 6 schools — The American, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West, Pac-12 Conference and Sun Belt Conference — and then the next seven highest-ranked “at-large” teams.
In a change from last year, Notre Dame will be included in the playoff if it is ranked among the top 12 teams in the final CFP rankings.
Another change from last year, related to the removal of conference bowl tie-ins , is that the top three seeds, in rank order, can select their bowl path in the CFP field.
Here’s a look at where the College Football Playoff quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled to be played in the coming seasons.
2026-2027 College Football Playoff
Quarterfinals
Dec. 30, 2026, Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 1, 2027, Cotton Bowl
Jan. 1, 2027, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Jan. 1, 2027, Rose Bowl
Semifinals
Jan. 14, 2027, Orange Bowl
Jan. 15, 2027, Sugar Bowl
CFP Championship Game
Jan. 25, 2027, Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium
2027-2028 College Football Playoff
Quarterfinals
Dec. 31, 2027, Sugar Bowl
Jan. 1, 2028, Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 1, 2028, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Jan. 1, 2028, Rose Bowl
Semifinals
Jan. 13, 2028, Orange Bowl
Jan. 14, 2028, Cotton Bowl
CFP Championship Game
Jan. 24, 2028, New Orleans, Caesars Superdome
2028-29 College Football Playoff
Quarterfinals
Dec. 30, 2028, Orange Bowl
Jan. 1, 2029, Cotton Bowl
Jan. 1, 2029, Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 2029, Sugar Bowl
Semifinals
Jan. 11, 2029, Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 12, 2029, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
CFP Championship Game
Jan. 22, 2029, Tampa Bay, Raymond James Stadium
2029-30 College Football Playoff
Quarterfinals
Jan. 1, 2030, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Jan. 1, 2030, Orange Bowl
Jan. 1, 2030, Rose Bowl
Jan. 2, 2030, Fiesta Bowl
Semifinals
Jan. 10, 2030, Sugar Bowl
Jan. 11, 2030, Cotton Bowl
2030-31 College Football Playoff
Quarterfinals
Dec. 31, 2030, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Jan. 1, 2030, Cotton Bowl
Jan. 1, 2030, Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 1, 2030, Rose Bowl
Semifinals
Jan. 9, 2031, Orange Bowl
Jan. 10, 2031, Sugar Bowl
2031-32 College Football Playoff
Quarterfinals
Dec. 31, 2031, Cotton Bowl
Jan. 1, 2032, Orange Bowl
Jan. 1, 2032, Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 2032, Sugar Bowl
Semifinals
Jan. 8, 2032, Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 9, 2032, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Additional details regarding game times and television network assignments for all Playoff games will be announced at a later date.
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