College Football Playoff Bracket Maker: Pick All 12 Teams

How the 12-team CFP bracket works

The 2026-27 College Football Playoff uses a 12-team field. Seeds 1 to 4 receive first-round byes, while the other eight teams play four opening games. The first-round pairings are 5 versus 12, 6 versus 11, 7 versus 10, and 8 versus 9. Higher seeds host those first-round games on campus. A bye means a team advances without playing; it is not a victory to predict. Enter the official seeded field once it is announced, or leave the placeholders while exploring possible scenarios. This tool does not select the field or calculate committee rankings.

Fixed quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship

The CFP bracket does not reseed after an upset. Seed 1 plays the winner of 8 versus 9. Seed 4 plays the winner of 5 versus 12. Seed 3 plays the winner of 6 versus 11, and seed 2 plays the winner of 7 versus 10. The first two quarterfinal winners share a semifinal, as do the other two. Quarterfinals and semifinals take place at bowls, followed by the national championship. Every team follows its original side of the draw. Winning as the 12 seed does not move a school into a different quarterfinal or produce an easier route.

Make CFP bracket predictions without losing track

Start by editing the school names in seed order. A seed is a position in the field, not a live ranking that changes after every game. Click an opening-round team to advance it, then continue through each available matchup. If you change an earlier pick, dependent later selections clear so the bracket never keeps an eliminated champion. Randomize picks is useful for comparing a surprise-heavy scenario with your original choices. It makes random selections rather than estimating win probabilities. Copy your completed picks before resetting if you want to keep several different forecasts.

Run it as a pool with your group

A private prediction sheet and an organized group pool serve different purposes. Use this widget to map every game, discuss upset paths, and share a snapshot with friends. The group pool button opens Brackify setup with single elimination and a 12-participant capacity. You still enter the participants and configure predictions in the wizard. Team names and individual game selections do not transfer automatically. Agree on scoring and a submission deadline before collecting entries. Keep a copy of each submitted bracket so everyone can distinguish an original prediction from a later experiment.

Printable CFP brackets and share links

Print produces a bracket-focused view with the page navigation and editing toolbar hidden. Complete your predictions first, or print the unpicked matchups for a paper exercise. The share link contains the current team names and picks, so another visitor can restore that snapshot without your browser storage. A shared link does not update when you make later changes; copy a fresh link to share a revision. Browser storage saves your current work on this device when available. Clearing site data removes that local copy. Avoid entering private information because names are included in the share URL.

Use the bracket for a college football video game tournament

For a College Football 26 game night, replace school placeholders with player handles and select the winners of your actual matches. Explain first-round byes before registration closes, particularly when four players receive them and eight do not. Decide whether seeds reflect a qualifier, previous results, or a random draw. Keep game settings, overtime rules, controller rules, and disconnect procedures in the event description. A 12-player single elimination tournament needs 11 played matches to produce a champion. The prediction widget is a local planning tool; use the live bracket setup when you need organized score reporting.

Check the official field before sharing

This page uses generic seed placeholders instead of assumed qualifiers, school logos, or projected rankings. The official CFP selection committee announcement confirms the 2026-27 12-team format. Consult the official bracket for the announced teams and their exact positions. A school name you type here is your own label and does not establish qualification. Comparing your CFP bracket with a different sport is also useful: the NFL reseeds its divisional matchups, while this college bracket preserves fixed paths. Use the linked tools when your group changes seasons rather than forcing football rules into a basketball chart.

Frequently asked questions