The 2027 College Football Playoff National Championship is January 25 in Las Vegas on ESPN, simulcast free on ABC. Here's the kickoff time, how to watch it with an antenna, and which other playoff games are free.
The 2027 College Football Playoff National Championship is Monday, January 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with kickoff at 7:30 PM ET. It airs on ESPN and is simulcast on ABC, and that ABC simulcast means the whole game is free over the air with an antenna.
- Network
- ABC and ESPN
- Date
- Monday, January 25, 2027
- Kickoff
- 7:30 PM ET
- Where
- Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Who plays in it
The championship is the last game of the 12-team College Football Playoff. The two teams in it will be the winners of the semifinals: the Orange Bowl on Thursday, January 14, and the Sugar Bowl on Friday, January 15. The matchup is set once the Sugar Bowl ends.
Is the national championship free?
Yes. ESPN is a cable and streaming channel, but ABC is a broadcast network, and ABC airs the same game at the same time. If you can pick up your local ABC station with an antenna, you can watch the entire game for free, with no cable or streaming subscription.
ESPN usually adds alternate versions of the title game on its other channels, such as a film-room broadcast with coaches breaking down plays. Those need cable or streaming, but the main game on ABC doesn't.
Which other playoff games are free?
Most of the playoff is on ESPN or TNT, which need cable or a streaming service. Four games are on ABC, so an antenna gets you:
- One first-round game on Saturday, December 19
- The Rose Bowl quarterfinal on Friday, January 1, at 4:00 PM ET
- The Sugar Bowl semifinal on Friday, January 15
- The national championship on Monday, January 25
Our college football TV guide has the full playoff schedule, round by round.
The short version: You don't need cable or ESPN to watch the national championship. Point an antenna at your local ABC station on January 25, 2027, and you'll get the whole game for free.
Not sure what channel ABC is where you live?
ABC stations broadcast on a different channel number in nearly every city. Search your city or zip code below to find your local ABC station, its channel number, and how strong a signal to expect, so you know before kickoff whether your antenna will pull it in.
Need help picking out an antenna for the game? Check out our antenna buying guide.
