The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes are officially in the 2026 College Football Playoff and will play the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies in the first round, ESPN announced during the CFP Selection Show on Sunday.
This is the Canes’ first trip to the CFP, leaping over Notre Dame in the rankings despite both teams having the week off. The results are likely due to the Week 1 head-to-head win by Miami, according to the Associated Press.
Miami started its season hot with that win over Notre Dame, along with wins against South Florida and Florida to rise all the way to the No. 2 spot in the AP Top 25; however, midseason losses to Louisville and SMU dampened their playoff chances for a while.
The Canes went on to close their season with four-straight, dominant wins to narrowly slide in as an at-large team thanks to the Alabama Crimson Tides’ 21-point loss to the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, CBS Sports reported.
Miami will play at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, on Dec. 20 at noon on ESPN & ABC. The winner of that game will play the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 7:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve on ESPN.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The Associated Press
contributed to this report.