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Dates and bowl sites announced for next two College Football Playoff quarterfinals, semifinals

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The College Football Playoff on Tuesday announced the dates and sites for the quarterfinals and semifinals for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

The 2026 season’s quarterfinals will be Dec. 30 at the Fiesta Bowl and Jan. 1 at the Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl and Rose Bowl. Semifinals are Jan. 14 at the Orange Bowl and Jan. 15 at the Sugar Bowl. The championship game will be Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

The 2027 season’s quarterfinals will be Dec. 31 at the Sugar Bowl and Jan. 1 at the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl and Rose Bowl. Semifinals are Jan. 13 at the Orange Bowl and Jan. 14 at the Cotton Bowl. The championship game will be Jan. 24 at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Game times and television coverage will be announced later.

“These dates allow us to maintain competitive balance, maximize the fan experience, and provide consistency for everyone involved in the Playoff,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said. “I also want to thank our bowl partners and their local communities for the incredible work, collaboration, and commitment they’ve shown throughout the first two years of the expanded playoff. The bowl games and the people behind them embraced change, delivered at the highest level, and helped ensure the expanded format was a success for student-athletes, fans, and the sport.”

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The Cactus Bowl is back, returning to Arizona State’s campus in December

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Cactus Bowl is back and it's returning to Arizona State's campus. Fiesta Sports Foundation, which operates the Fiesta and Cactus bowls, announced the return on Wednesday, ending a nine-year run at Chase Field, home of baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. The game will be played Dec. 26 at Arizona State's Mountain America Stadium. The bowl moved to Chase Field while Arizona State's stadium underwent renovations and had numerous title sponsors, most recently being known as the Rate Bowl from 2024-25.
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