The 12-team College Football Playoff has now been in existence for two years, and further expansion continues to be a topic of discussion. We've already seen a change in seeding from Year 1 to Year 2 of the 12-team playoff, and as the conference commissioners continue negotiating avenues of expansion, the CFP schedule continues to miss the mark for fans, coaches, and players.
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On Tuesday, Pete Thamel reported upcoming College Football Playoff dates for the next two years. The National Championship Game will take place on January 25, which means that there is nearly a two-week break between the First Round games and the title game. Furthermore, there is nearly a two-week break between the Quarterfinal and Semifinal matchups, with another prolonged break between the Semifinals and the Championship Game.
Upcoming College Football Playoff dates for the quarterfinals and semi-finals the next two years. This includes a near two-week break between the quarterfinals and semi-finals the next two years. pic.twitter.com/8E7lNBDW85
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 3, 2026
Lane Kiffin sounds off on the CFP schedule
The release of these dates has drawn much scrutiny on social media. Lane Kiffin took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his displeasure with the upcoming CFP schedule:
Somehow the calendar got even worse on purpose…. Kids play until Jan 25th and have almost a month between the games?!?! https://t.co/O71xLD1J9D
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) February 3, 2026
College Football still wants to hold games on New Year's Day, which ultimately is the main factor being considered when making these decisions. However, as Chris Vannini points out, New Year's Day is on a Friday in 2026 and a Saturday in 2027. That creates a huge gap between the Quarterfinals on New Year's Eve/Day and the Semifinals on a Thursday or Friday while providing at least of rest.
The reason the national championship is in late January for the next several years is because of when New Year’s Day falls on the calendar.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) February 3, 2026
It just creates a big gap between the quarters on NYE/NYD and semis on a Thu/Fri while providing at least a week off. pic.twitter.com/WBEc2PEztf
The CFP schedule for the next two years presents several problems. Given the timeline of the transfer portal, holding the Championship Game on January 25 is far too late. It's clear to fans, players, and coaches that the timeline needs to be moved up. Team competing in the National Championship could very well have played just three games over the course of a month, which is simply too much time for the CFP to unfold.
Throw in the transfer portal opening up in early January while the playoff is still going on and the college football schedule is even more chaotic. Having the playoff be fully concluded before the transfer portal opens up would be an ideal scenario for all parties involved.
As potential expansion talks continue, the CFP timeline also needs to be discussed by conference commissioners and the committee. Only time will tell what transpires, but it's clear changes are needed.