College football
CFP First Round: big games, kickoff times and TV
4 games, Friday 18 December to Saturday 19 December. The first starts at 8:00 pm Eastern (01:00 UK time on Saturday).
Starts Friday 18 December 2026Add to calendarBig times are in your own time zone.
Key facts
- Four first-round games at the higher seeds' campuses on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December.
Start times around the world
| Where you are | First game |
|---|---|
| Your time (UK) | |
| UK & Ireland (London, Dublin, GMT) | Sat 19 Dec, 01:00 |
| Central Europe | Sat 19 Dec, 02:00 |
| Nigeria (Lagos, WAT) | Sat 19 Dec, 02:00 |
| US & Canada Eastern | Fri 18 Dec, 8:00 pm |
| US Central | Fri 18 Dec, 7:00 pm |
| US Mountain | Fri 18 Dec, 6:00 pm |
| US Pacific | Fri 18 Dec, 5:00 pm |
| Mexico City | Fri 18 Dec, 7:00 pm |
| Brazil (São Paulo) | Fri 18 Dec, 22:00 |
| Argentina | Fri 18 Dec, 22:00 |
| South Africa (SAST) and Central Africa (CAT) | Sat 19 Dec, 03:00 |
| Saudi Arabia and East Africa (Nairobi) | Sat 19 Dec, 04:00 |
| UAE | Sat 19 Dec, 05:00 |
| India (IST) | Sat 19 Dec, 6:30 am |
| Philippines & Malaysia | Sat 19 Dec, 9:00 am |
| Australia (Sydney, AEDT) | Sat 19 Dec, 12:00 pm |
| New Zealand | Sat 19 Dec, 2:00 pm |
Games
| Your time | At the venue | Match | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 19 Dec 01:00 | 20:00 local 01:00 UK · 8:00 pm ET | Higher seed vs Lower seed Campus site to be decided | US: ESPN |
| Sat 19 Dec 17:00 | 12:00 local 17:00 UK · 12:00 pm ET | Higher seed vs Lower seed Campus site to be decided | US: ABC and ESPN |
| Sat 19 Dec 20:30 | 15:30 local 20:30 UK · 3:30 pm ET | Higher seed vs Lower seed Campus site to be decided | US: TNT and truTV |
| Sun 20 Dec 00:30 | 19:30 local 00:30 UK · 7:30 pm ET | Higher seed vs Lower seed Campus site to be decided | US: TNT and truTV |
Away team first, at the home team. Kickoff times can be moved for TV.
Every date still to come is on the College football big games, kickoff times and TV page.
Where to watch
| Country | Where to watch | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| All countries | VVOLTIX Ad Every sport and every channel in one IPTV subscription: 55,000+ live channels from 80+ countries, PPV and events included | From $6.66 a month for all of it. Free trial, no card |
| US | ABC, ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC (regular season and conference title games) | Free-to-air and subscription |
| US | ESPN, ABC, TNT and truTV (College Football Playoff) | Free-to-air and subscription |
The row marked Ad is advertising. Every other row is the official broadcaster there.
Quick answers
- What time is the CFP First Round in the UK?
- First game: 01:00 on Saturday 19 December UK time.
- What time is the CFP First Round in the US?
- First game: 8:00 pm on Friday 18 December ET. On the West Coast: 5:00 pm PT.
- What time is the CFP First Round in Australia?
- First game: 12:00 pm on Saturday 19 December in Sydney.
- How can I watch the CFP First Round?
- US: ABC, ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC (regular season and conference title games); US: ESPN, ABC, TNT and truTV (College Football Playoff). The table above has the other countries.
Sources
Checked 26 October 2026. We update this page when a time, card or broadcaster changes.