Ohio State’s pursuit of a national championship this year will require it to manage a longer postseason.
Though the College Football Playoff remained at 12 teams for 2026, it will take more than a month to be held, according to a release of dates for the full bracket on June 1.
There are 37 days between the start of the first round on Dec. 18 and championship game on Jan. 25 in Las Vegas, the longest period since the format was adopted. The quarterfinal round is on Dec. 30 and Jan. 1 and the semifinal round on Jan. 14 and 15 at the various New Year’s Six bowl sites.
When the Buckeyes won the first iteration of the 12-team playoff in 2024, it was about a week shorter. There were 30 days between the start of the opening round and title game, where it defeated Notre Dame in Atlanta.
There were either eight, nine or 10 days between the Buckeyes’ playoff games in 2024, but there could be as many as 15 days between quarterfinal and semifinal games this winter.
The playoff also took just a under a month last year with 30 days between the first round and final.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: College Football Playoff schedule to be longer in 2026-27
Reporting by Joey Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
