What to know about college football conference championship weekend: Matchups, schedule and more

Several conference championship games, including some with College Football Playoff implications, will take place this weekend

Conference championship weekend is upon us.

The 2023 college football postseason kicks off with several conference championship games taking place over Friday and Saturday.

The conference championship slate features four undefeated programs looking to lock down spots in the College Football Playoff: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Washington and No. 4 Florida State. But there’s also a trio of one-loss teams that will be hoping to sneak into the four-team playoff field via conference title triumphs: No. 5 Oregon, No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Alabama.

And for those squads without a path to the CFP, they’ll have a chance to improve their bowl game status with one final victory.

So, how will it all shake out?

From the schedule to how to watch the games, here’s what to know ahead of conference championship weekend.

What college football games are on this weekend?

Conference championship weekend begins with a pair of games on Friday night. No. 3 Washington will battle No. 5 Oregon for a second time this season with the Pac-12 title on the line this time around, while No. 20 Liberty will take on New Mexico State in the Conference USA Championship Game.

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Eight more games follow on Saturday, headlined by four Power 5 showdowns: No. 7 Texas vs. No. 19 Oklahoma State (Big 12), No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama (SEC), No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 15 Louisville (ACC), and No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 18 Iowa (Big Ten).

The other Group of 5 championship matchups are Miami (Ohio) vs. No. 23 Toledo in the MAC, Boise State vs. UNLV in the Mountain West, No. 25 SMU vs. No. 17 Tulane in the AAC, and Appalachian State vs. Troy in the Sun Belt. The Mountain West title game matchup was determined by computer rankings after Boise State, San Jose State and UNLV finished with identical intraconference records.

What is the college football conference championship schedule in 2023?

Here’s a full look at the conference championship slate:

Friday, Dec. 1

• Conference USA Championship Game: New Mexico State vs. No. 20 Liberty, 7 p.m. ET, Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia
• Pac-12 Championship Game: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 3 Washington, 8 p.m. ET, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas

Saturday, Dec. 2

• Big 12 Championship Game: No. 20 Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 Texas, 12 p.m. ET, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
• MAC Championship Game: Miami (Ohio) vs. No. 23 Toledo, 12 p.m. ET, Ford Field, Detroit
• Mountain West Championship Game: Boise State vs. UNLV, 3 p.m. ET, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
• SEC Championship Game: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama, 4 p.m. ET, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
• AAC Championship Game: No. 25 SMU vs. No. 17 Tulane, 4 p.m. ET, Yulman Stadium, New Orleans
• Sun Belt Championship Game: Appalachian State vs. Troy, 4 p.m. ET, Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, Alabama
• Big Ten Championship Game: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 18 Iowa, 8 p.m. ET, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
• ACC Championship Game: No. 15 Louisville vs. No. 4 Florida State, 8 p.m. ET, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

How to watch, stream college football conference championships in 2023

And here’s a look at the TV and streaming info for each conference title game:

Friday, Dec. 1

• New Mexico State vs. No. 20 Liberty: CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
• No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 3 Washington: ABC, ESPN.com, ESPN app

Saturday, Dec. 2

• No. 20 Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 Texas: ABC, ESPN.com, ESPN app
• Miami (Ohio) vs. No. 23 Toledo: ESPN, ESPN.com, ESPN app
• Boise State vs. UNLV: FOX, FOXSports.com, FOX Sports app
• No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama: CBS, Paramount+
• No. 25 SMU vs. No. 17 Tulane: ABC, ESPN.com, ESPN app
• Appalachian State vs. Troy: ESPN, ESPN.com, ESPN app
• No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 18 Iowa: FOX, FOXSports.com, FOX Sports app
• No. 15 Louisville vs. No. 4 Florida State: ABC, ESPN.com, ESPN app

When does the 2023 College Football Playoff start?

The semifinals of the College Football playoff, the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, are set for Monday, Jan. 1. The national championship follows on Monday, Jan. 8.