The 2025-26 CFP First-Round gets underway this weekend with four first-round games on campus sites. Tonight’s opener features No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma in a rematch from the regular season. The top four seeds (No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Texas Tech) get byes and play in the quarterfinals.
Here is the full first-round schedule with TV and streaming details.
2025 CFP First-Round Game Day Guide
Here’s the 2025 CFP First-Round game day guide for you. The first game kicks off on Friday, December 19th, 2025. Alabama vs Georgia. Should be a fun one for all of us.
Friday, December 19
- No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT)
Location: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK
TV: ABC / ESPN
Streaming: ESPN App, WatchESPN
Saturday, December 20
- No. 10 Miami (Fla.) at No. 7 Texas A&M
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT)
Location: Kyle Field, College Station, TX
TV: ABC / ESPN
Streaming: ESPN App, WatchESPN - No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT)
Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS
TV: TNT / truTV
Streaming: Max - No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT)
Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
TV: TNT / truTV
Streaming: Max
Winners advance to the New Year’s quarterfinals against the top seeds.
How to Watch the TNT/truTV Games on Max
The two Saturday afternoon and evening games air on TNT and truTV, with streaming available on Max (often still listed as HBO Max for these events). The service rebranded from HBO Max to Max in 2023, then partially reverted to HBO Max branding in some regions and listings in 2025 to highlight premium content.
To stream these games live:
- You need a Max subscription (plans start around $10/month with ads, higher for ad-free).
- Search for the game or navigate to live channels — TNT and truTV feeds appear during broadcasts.
- No extra sports add-on is required for these CFP games.
- Alternatives like Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV also carry TNT/truTV if you prefer a live TV package.
How to Make Your Picks
Fill out your bracket or pick’em sheet before the first kickoff tonight. Downloads are free and ready to print.
- Printable 2025-26 College Football Playoff Bracket (Full 12-Team PDF)
- First-Round Pick’em Sheet (Dec 19-20 Games Only)
- Full Bowl Pick’em Sheets with Confidence Points
Track how many perfect brackets remain live on the NCAA Perfect Bracket Tracker.
Which game do you see as the biggest upset risk? Share your picks in the comments.
