There are plenty of college football games on TV today for New Year’s Eve, but NFL fans will have to rely on the collegiate bowl schedule. College football offers a hefty five-game schedule on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, ahead of New Year’s Day.
As for the NFL, the league is off until this weekend with a marquee double-header on Saturday, January 3, kicking off the Week 18 schedule. There are no NFL games on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.
The next set of NFL games are on January 3, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Carolina Panthers on 4:30 p.m. Eastern, while the Seattle Seahawks take on the San Francisco 49ers at 8 p.m.
Both of these contests are on ABC and ESPN and have major NFL playoff implications. College football takes center stage as fans begin 2026. There are four College Football Playoff matchups on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The first CFP matchup features the Ohio State Buckeyes taking on the Miami Hurricanes tonight at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN in the Cotton Bowl.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming college football schedule for New Year’s Eve.
College Football TV Schedule for New Year’s Eve: CFP Game Between Miami & Ohio State Headlines the Bowl Matchups on December 31
Here’s a look at the full college football schedule for New Year’s Eve. The College Football Playoff matchup between Ohio State and Miami headlines the bowl schedule for December 31. All times listed are in Eastern.
| DATE | BOWL GAME | TIME (ET) | TV CHANNEL |
| January 1 | Vanderbilt vs. Iowa | 12 p.m. | ESPN |
| January 1 | Duke vs. Arizona State | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| January 1 | Texas vs. Michigan | 3 p.m. | ABC |
| January 1 | Utah vs. Nebraska | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| January 1 | Ohio State vs. Miami | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Miami vs. Ohio State Odds: The Buckeyes Are 9.5-Point Favorites Over the Canes in the College Football Spread
The Cotton Bowl kicks off the College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchups as the field will be narrowed to four teams by the end of New Year’s Day. Ohio State is a 9.5-point favorite versus Miami in the college football odds, per DraftKings.
The Buckeyes enter the CFP contest rested having not played since losing 13-10 to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship on December 6. We have seen this extended time away from football have mixed results on teams in the past.
Ohio State Has Not Played Since the Big Ten Championship on December 6
Miami is hoping to build on the momentum of upsetting Texas A&M at College Station in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day emphasized that the staff had a detailed plan designed to maximize the time off ahead of the Cotton Bowl.
“Well, we had to have a plan in place for this time,” Day told reporters on December 30, per 247Sports. “I felt we were very specific on what we wanted to get done, the first week, second week, third week, and now into the game week. Needed players and coaches to all be bought into exactly how we wanted to approach this and primed up for playing in this game.
“So, I think it’s important on how this time has gone. I think they bought into it. They’ve understood it. I think practice has been efficient. Our preparation has been efficient. But now, we need to continue to do that as we head into this game.”
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