If you’re waking up this Sunday morning, January 18, 2026, and looking for what time bowl games today start, I have some news that might be a little annoying. You’ve probably spent the last month conditioned to see a slate of college football games every single time you turned on the TV. But today is different.
Honestly, the bowl season has basically wrapped its arms around itself and finished up. We are currently sitting in that weird, quiet pocket between the high-octane semifinals and the massive National Championship showdown.
Why there are no bowl games on January 18
It feels wrong, right? A Sunday in January without college football feels like a mistake in the matrix. However, the NCAA and the bowl committees generally steer clear of Sundays for a very specific reason: the NFL.
Today is NFL Divisional Round Sunday. The league is currently hogging the spotlight with some massive matchups. For instance, the Chicago Bears are hosting the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field with a 5:30 p.m. CT kickoff on NBC. There is also a battle in Foxborough where the New England Patriots are taking on either the Steelers or the Texans at 3:00 p.m. ET. College football doesn't want that smoke. They know better than to try and compete for ratings against professional playoff games.
What time bowl games today: Looking ahead to the big one
Since there aren't any games kicking off this afternoon, your "what time bowl games today" search is actually a lead-up to the grand finale. We are exactly 24 hours away from the only game that matters now.
The College Football Playoff National Championship is set for tomorrow, Monday, January 19, 2026.
It is going to be a wild one. We have the No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers—yes, you read that right, the Hoosiers—taking on the No. 10 seed Miami Hurricanes. It’s at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
- Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Channel: ESPN
- The Stakes: Total immortality.
How we got here
It’s been a bizarre season. If you missed the semifinals, Indiana basically steamrolled Oregon with a 56-22 victory in the Peach Bowl. It wasn't even close. Meanwhile, Miami pulled off a gritty 31-27 win over Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl.
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Most people didn't have Miami making it this far as a 10-seed. It’s the kind of run that makes college football great, even if it messes with everyone's brackets. The Hurricanes are technically playing a "home" game at Hard Rock Stadium, which adds a layer of drama to the whole thing.
Misconceptions about the post-New Year schedule
A lot of fans get confused because, in the old days, everything ended on January 1st. With the expanded 12-team playoff that we’re living through now, the schedule stretches way deeper into January.
The quarterfinal games happened on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. We saw Miami beat Ohio State and Indiana take down Alabama. Then the semifinals pushed into the second week of January. This created this "dead zone" weekend where the NFL takes over the calendar.
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What about the All-Star games?
You might see some "bowl" names popping up in your feed later this month, but they aren't traditional bowl games. For example, the East-West Shrine Bowl is scheduled for January 27, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET. That's a scout's game. It’s for players trying to get drafted, not for teams trying to win a trophy.
The Senior Bowl follows shortly after. These are great if you're a hardcore fan, but they don't have the same "win or go home" energy as the games we just watched.
Practical steps for your Sunday
Since your search for what time bowl games today resulted in a big zero, here is how you should actually handle your sports schedule for the next 48 hours:
- Pivot to the NFL: Check out the Rams at Bears game at 5:30 p.m. CT or the Patriots game earlier in the afternoon. It’s the best way to scratch that football itch while the college kids are resting.
- Clear your Monday night: The National Championship doesn't start until 7:30 p.m. ET tomorrow. If you're on the West Coast, you're looking at a 4:30 p.m. PT kickoff—make sure you're home from work or have the stream ready.
- Check the weather in Miami: While the game is in a stadium with a canopy, Miami weather can be fickle. If you're one of the lucky ones with a ticket, keep an eye on those humid evening forecasts.
Basically, take today to recharge. Tomorrow night is the end of the road for the 2025-26 college football season, and it's going to be a historic matchup between two programs that nobody expected to be standing at the very end.