CFP Bracket: Texas Tech earns bye, Texas A&M hosts first round game
ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 06: Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire celebrates after winning the Edwards Jones Big 12 Championship game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the BYU Cougars on December 06, 2025 at AT&T Stadium in Arl
TEXAS - The College Football Playoff selection committee announced the 2025-26 12-team bracket on Sunday, with undefeated Indiana claiming the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.
The expanded playoff field features four first-round byes, which were awarded to the four highest-ranked conference champions: No. 1 Indiana (13-0), No. 2 Ohio State (12-1), No. 3 Georgia (12-1), and No. 4 Texas Tech (12-1).
Texas schools have a significant presence in the bracket, with the No. 4 Red Raiders earning a bye, while No. 7 Texas A&M hosts a first-round game.
Featured
This Texas city will host the first-ever college football Xbox Bowl
The game marks the Xbox brand's entrance into the college football scene.
College Football Playoff Bracket
Timeline:
The CFP kicks off with the first round on Friday, Dec. 19, and Saturday, Dec. 20, with four games hosted on campus sites:
- Friday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN): No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2) hosts No. 9 Alabama (10-3).
- Saturday, Dec. 20, 12 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN): No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1) hosts No. 10 Miami (Fla.) (10-2).
- Saturday, Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET (TNT/truTV/HBO Max): No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1) hosts No. 11 Tulane (11-2).
- Saturday, Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT/truTV/HBO Max): No. 5 Oregon (11-1) hosts No. 12 James Madison (12-1).
The winners of the first-round games will advance to the quarterfinals, which are hosted at major bowl sites on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day:
- Dec. 31 (Cotton Bowl): No. 2 Ohio State vs. Texas A&M/Miami winner
- Jan. 1 (Orange Bowl): No. 4 Texas Tech vs. Oregon/James Madison winner
- Jan. 1 (Rose Bowl): No. 1 Indiana vs. Oklahoma/Alabama winner
- Jan. 1 (Sugar Bowl): No. 3 Georgia vs. Ole Miss/Tulane winner
The four quarterfinal winners will meet in the semifinals on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 at the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship Game is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The bracket is not re-seeded after any round.
Texas A&M vs. Miami tickets
Local perspective:
Texas A&M has earned the No. 7 seed in the expanded College Football Playoff and will host No. 10 Miami in a first-round matchup at Kyle Field.
The game is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 20, at 11 a.m. CT and will be broadcast on ABC. The matchup marks the Aggies' first postseason playoff game to be played at their home stadium.
The winner of the 7/10 contest will advance to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl to face No. 2 Ohio State on Dec. 31 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Both Texas A&M (11-1) and Miami (10-2) are making their first appearances in the College Football Playoff.
Texas A&M finished the regular season 11-1, marking the program's most regular season victories since 1992. The Aggies were also perfect at home for the first time with a 7-0 record, setting a single-season home attendance record by averaging 106,159 fans per game.
The Aggies and Hurricanes are meeting for the sixth time overall and the third time at Kyle Field. Texas A&M won the last meeting in College Station, 17-9, in 2022.
Public ticket sales for the game open at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 12. Student ticket allocation begins Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 8 a.m. CT for sports pass holders.
ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 06: Texas Tech Red Raiders linebacker Ben Roberts (13) celebrates after being named Most Outstanding Player of the Edwards Jones Big 12 Championship game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the BYU Cougars on December 06,
Texas Tech lands No. 4 seed, trip to Orange Bowl
Dig deeper:
Texas Tech will make its first-ever appearance in the Capital One Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day, as the Big 12 champion Red Raiders were named the No. 4 seed in the final College Football Playoff rankings announced Sunday.
The Red Raiders will receive a first-round bye in the expanded College Football Playoff and will await the winner of the opening-round matchup between No. 5 Oregon and No. 12 James Madison.
Oregon (11-1) earned an at-large bid and will host Sun Belt champion James Madison (12-1) in the 5/12 game at a date and time to be determined later Sunday.
The quarterfinal game at the Orange Bowl is slated for 11 a.m. CT on Jan. 1 from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Hard Rock Stadium will also host the CFP National Championship Game later this month.
Texas Tech secured its high seeding and playoff berth after defeating BYU on Saturday, which clinched the Red Raiders' first Big 12 title and their first outright conference crown since winning the Border Conference in 1955.
The Red Raiders, who set a new school record with 12 wins behind a strong defense and high-scoring offense, are making their first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Tickets to the Orange Bowl
Ticket requests for the Capital One Orange Bowl are now being accepted from Red Raider Club members and current season ticket holders. Due to limited ticket inventory, Texas Tech will allow only eight requested tickets per Red Raider Club account at the $5,000 level or above and then four tickets for all other accounts.
Red Raider Club members and current season ticket holders can submit ticket requests now by logging into their account on TexasTech.com. The Texas Tech Ticket Office will open at 8:30 a.m. Monday and can be reached at 806-742-TECH for any College Football Playoff ticket information.
If you're not a Red Raider Club member, tickets start at $275 each and can be found here.
The Source: Information in this article is from the NCAA, Texas Tech University, and Texas A&M University.