You’ve probably got the snacks ready and the remote in hand, expecting the usual NFL anthem to kick off your week. But honestly, if you’re looking for a professional football game this Monday, January 19, 2026, you’re going to be staring at a very different scoreboard.
The NFL schedule makers did something a bit different this year. While we usually rely on Monday Night Football to wrap up the week’s action, the league has actually cleared the deck for the evening. There is no NFL game tonight. Instead, the biggest stage in sports belongs to the kids—well, the college stars—as the 2026 CFP National Championship takes over the Monday night slot.
The Monday Night Football Void: Why No NFL?
It’s kinda weird, right? We just came off a massive Divisional Round weekend where the Buffalo Bills took on the Broncos and the 49ers battled the Seahawks. Usually, the NFL loves to own every night of the week, but they’ve historically stepped aside for the College Football Playoff title game.
Basically, the NFL wants the undivided attention of every football fan for the Super Bowl run, but they also respect the gravity of the National Championship. Last week, we saw the Houston Texans absolutely dismantle the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 on Monday night to close out the Wild Card round. That was the final "traditional" Monday night NFL broadcast of the season.
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If you’re wondering who's playing for Monday night football in terms of the NFL, the answer is: nobody until next season. The Divisional Round wrapped up yesterday and Sunday, leaving Monday open for the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes to settle who’s best in the college ranks.
Indiana vs. Miami: The Real Monday Night Showdown
The game everyone is actually talking about tonight is happening at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. It’s a matchup that basically nobody predicted back in August.
- No. 1 Indiana (15-0): Curt Cignetti has done the impossible. The Hoosiers are undefeated and coming off a terrifyingly dominant 56-22 win over Oregon in the semifinals.
- No. 10 Miami (12-3): They are the ultimate "home team" tonight. After edging out Ole Miss in a 31-27 thriller, the Hurricanes are looking to win a title in their own backyard.
The storylines here are wild. You’ve got Indiana, a basketball school that has suddenly become a gridiron juggernaut, facing a Miami program that hasn't seen this kind of glory since the early 2000s. Honestly, the atmosphere in Miami is going to be electric, even if it’s not the NFL teams you’re used to seeing.
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What Happens to the NFL Playoffs Now?
Since there’s no Monday night game for the pros, the NFL is pivoting straight toward Championship Sunday.
The winners from this past weekend—including the Texans, who are surprisingly still alive after their Wild Card Monday win last week—are moving on to the AFC and NFC Championship games scheduled for January 25.
- AFC Championship: Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. ET next Sunday.
- NFC Championship: That one follows at 6:30 p.m. ET.
It’s a bit of a breather for the pro players, but a nail-biter for fans who have to wait six days for the next kickoff. If you really need your NFL fix tonight, your best bet is catching the ManningCast reruns or diving into the Super Bowl LX futures. The big game is only three weeks away at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, and the odds are shifting by the hour.
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Finding the Game: TV and Kickoff Info
Even though it’s not the NFL, the production value tonight will be just as high. ESPN is handling the broadcast, and kickoff is slated for 7:50 p.m. ET.
If you usually stream your Monday night games on Peacock or Paramount+, you’ll need to switch over to the ESPN app or find a cable login. Stormy Buonantony is handling the in-stadium emcee duties, and they’ve even got DJ Mal-Ski trying to keep the energy up. It’s a full-blown spectacle.
Actionable Steps for Football Fans Tonight
Don’t let the lack of an NFL game ruin your night. Here is how you should actually handle this Monday night gap:
- Check your local listings: Make sure you have ESPN or a streaming service like FuboTV or YouTube TV ready by 7:30 p.m. ET for the pregame show.
- Update your brackets: If you’re following the NFL playoffs, start looking at the lines for the Patriots vs. Texans or the Rams vs. Bears matchups (depending on who survived the weekend).
- Watch the Indiana Defense: If you’re an NFL draft nerd, keep an eye on Indiana’s secondary. They’ve been elite all year, and several of these guys will be playing on actual Monday Night Football in the NFL by this time next year.
The "Monday Night Football" brand is taking a week off, but the sport itself isn't. Grab your jersey, even if it's a college one, and get ready for the last Monday night kickoff of the winter.