Bowl Eligibility Tracker: College Football Playoff + FCS, D2, D3, NAIA, JUCO Playoffs
A guide to the postseason across every level of college football
This Bowl Eligibility Tracker: College Football Playoff + FCS, D2, D3, NAIA, JUCO Playoffs guide is updated regularly. Subscribe to get a daily college football newsletter covering FBS and FCS quarterback news with insider recruiting and transfer portal updates, plus detailed depth chart and injury reports.
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This Bowl Eligibility Tracker: College Football Playoff + FCS, D2, D3, NAIA, JUCO Playoffs guide features everything you need to know about the postseason across every level.
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FBS Postseason
All 138 FBS programs are eligible to compete in the postseason with 82 spots to be filled. The final day of the regular season is on Nov. 28, 2026 with the College Football Playoff and bowl games expected to be announced on Dec. 6, 2026.
The CFP remains at 12 teams and runs from Dec. 18, 2026 through the national championship on Jan. 25, 2027. Traditional bowl season includes 35 games and runs from Dec. 15, 2026 through Jan. 2, 2027.
Lastly, the Army-Navy Game will be played on Dec. 12, 2026.
College Football Playoff
Automatic bids go to the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 champions, in addition to the highest-ranked team from the Pac-12, American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, MAC and Conference USA conferences. Also, Notre Dame receives an automatic bid if it’s ranked inside the top 12 of the final CFP rankings. The remaining spots are filled by at-large teams selected by the CFP Selection Committee, regardless of conference.
Automatic bids (0)
Below is a list of FBS programs that earned an automatic bid to the CFP.
SEC — None
Big Ten — None
ACC — None
Big 12 — None
G6 — None
Notre Dame?
Bowl Season
Teams must win at least six games to become bowl eligible, and they can only count one win over FCS opponents.
If there are more than 82 bowl-eligible teams, some may be left out of postseason play. If there are fewer than 82 bowl-eligible teams, bowl organizers now get to choose from 5-7 teams to participate. APR scores are no longer a factor. Keep in mind, bowl-eligible teams may decide to opt out of postseason play for a variety of reasons.
Bowl-Eligible Teams (0)
Below is a list of FBS programs that are eligible compete in a bowl game with six wins.
SEC (0) — None
Big Ten (0) — None
ACC (0) — None
Big 12 (0) — None
Independents (0) — None
Pac-12 (0) — None
American (0) — None
Mountain West (0) — None
Sun Belt (0) — None
MAC (0) — None
Conference USA (0) — None
A win away from bowl eligibility (0)
Below is a list of FBS programs that are one win away from bowl eligibility.
SEC (0) — None
Big Ten (0) — None
ACC (0) — None
Big 12 (0) — None
Independents (0) — None
Pac-12 (0) — None
American (0) — None
Mountain West (0) — None
Sun Belt (0) — None
MAC (0) — None
Conference USA (0) — None
A win away from five wins (0)
Below is a list of FBS programs that are one win away from five wins.
SEC (0) — None
Big Ten (0) — None
ACC (0) — None
Big 12 (0) — None
Independents (0) — None
Pac-12 (0) — None
American (0) — None
Mountain West (0) — None
Sun Belt (0) — None
MAC (0) — None
Conference USA (0) — None
Eliminated from bowl eligibility (0)
Below is a list of FBS programs with no chance at becoming bowl eligible.
SEC (0) — None
Big Ten (0) — None
ACC (0) — None
Big 12 (0) — None
Independents (0) — None
Pac-12 (0) — None
American (0) — None
Mountain West (0) — None
Sun Belt (0) — None
MAC (0) — None
Conference USA (0) — None
FCS Postseason
All 128 FCS programs are eligible to compete in the postseason with 26 spots to be filled. The final day of the regular season is on Nov. 21, 2026 with the FCS Playoffs bracket expected to be released on Nov. 22, 2026.
The FCS Playoffs format remains at 24 teams and runs from Nov. 28, 2026 through the national championship on Jan. 4, 2027. The MEAC and SWAC do not compete in the FCS Playoffs, and those conference champions compete in the Celebration Bowl instead on Dec. 12, 2026.
Finally, Alabama State will play Tuskegee (D2) in the Turkey Day Classic on Nov. 26, 2026. The Bayou Classic will feature Grambling State and Southern for the Bayou Classic on Nov. 28, 2026.
FCS Playoffs
Automatic bids go to the 11 conference champions, excluding the MEAC and SWAC. The remaining 13 spots are filled by at-large teams selected by the FCS Playoffs committee.
Automatic bids (0)
Below is a list of FCS programs that earned an automatic bid to the playoffs.
Big Sky — None
OVC/Big South — None
CAA — None
Ivy — None
MVFC — None
NEC — None
Patriot — None
Pioneer — None
Southern — None
Southland — None
UAC — None
Celebration Bowl
MEAC/SWAC Champions (0)
Below is a list of FCS programs that earned a spot in the Celebration Bowl.
MEAC — None
SWAC — None
D2 Postseason
All 163 D2 programs are eligible to compete in the postseason with 38 spots to be filled. The final day of the regular season is on Nov. 14, 2026 with the D2 Playoffs expected to be announced on Nov. 15, 2026.
The D2 Playoffs format remains at 32 teams and runs from Nov. 21, 2026 through the national championship on Dec. 19, 2026.
Finally, Tuskegee will play Alabama State (FCS) in the Turkey Day Classic on Nov. 26, 2026.
D2 Playoffs
Automatic bids go to the 16 conference champions. The remaining 16 spots are filled by at-large teams selected by the committee. Keep in mind, eight teams from each of the four super regions qualify for the playoffs.
Regional rankings releases are published in the weeks leading up to Selection Sunday.
Automatic bids (0)
Below is a list of D2 programs that earned an automatic bid to the playoffs. Super region number is in parentheses.
CIAA (1) — None
MEC (1) — None
NE10 (1) — None
PSAC (1) — None
Carolinas (2) — None
GSC (2) — None
SAC (2) — None
SIAC (2) — None
GLIAC (3) — None
GLVC (3) — None
GMAC (3) — None
NSIC (3) — None
GAC (4) — None
LSC (4) — None
MIAA (4) — None
RMAC (4) — None
D2 Bowl Games
Bowl games include the Albanese Candy Bowl, Heritage Bowl and First Americans Bowl.
D3 Postseason
All 245 D3 programs are eligible to compete in the postseason with 38 spots to be filled. The final day of the regular season is on Nov. 14, 2026 with the D3 Playoffs expected to be announced on Nov. 15, 2026.
The D3 Playoffs format remains at 40 teams and runs from Nov. 21, 2026 through the national championship on Jan. 9, 2027.
D3 Playoffs
Automatic bids go to the 29 conference champions. The remaining 11 spots are filled by at-large teams selected by the committee.
Automatic bids (0)
Below is a list of D3 programs that earned an automatic bid to the playoffs.
ARC — None
ASC — None
CC — None
CCIW — None
CNE — None
E8 — None
HCAC — None
LAND — None
LL — None
MAC — None
MASCAC — None
MIAA — None
MIAC — None
MWC — None
NACC — None
NCAC — None
NESCAC — None
NEWMAC — None
NJAC — None
NWC — None
OAC — None
ODAC — None
PAC — None
SAA — None
SCAC — None
SCIAC — None
UMAC — None
USAC — None
WIAC — None
D3 Bowl Games
Bowl games include the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series (3), Fusion Bowl, Whitelaw Bowl, Chapman Bowl, Bushnell Bowl, Lynah Bowl, Lakefront Bowl, Cape Henry Bowl, Cape Charles Bowl, Isthmus Bowl, ForeverLawn Bowl and Extra Points Bowl.
NAIA Postseason
All 96 NAIA programs are eligible to compete in the postseason with 20 spots to be filled. The final day of the regular season is on Nov. 14, 2026 with the NAIA Playoffs expected to be announced on Nov. 15, 2026.
The NAIA Playoffs (also referred to as the Football Championship Series) format remains at 20 teams and runs from Nov. 21, 2026 through the national championship on Dec. 19, 2026.
NAIA Playoffs
Automatic bids go to the 13 conference and division champions. The remaining seven spots are filled by at-large teams selected by the committee.
Automatic bids (0)
Below is a list of NAIA programs that earned an automatic bid to the playoffs. The number of teams that get auto bids from each conference is in parentheses.
AAC (1) — None
FC (2) — None
GPAC (1) — None
HAAC (2) — None
KCAC (2) — None
MSC (1) — None
MSFA (2) — None
SAC (1) — None
TSC (1) — None
JUCO Postseason
Coming soon.
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