# 2026 Peach Bowl
The 2026 [Peach Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/peach-bowl) was the [College Football Playoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-football-playoff) semifinal game played on Friday, January 9, 2026, at [Mercedes-Benz Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/mercedes-benz-stadium) in Atlanta, in which No. 1 seed Indiana defeated No. 5 seed Oregon 56-22 to advance to the national championship game.[1](https://apnews.com/article/f2d1058e94f96a07eae71bcd867fd1af) It was the second CFP semifinal of the 2025-26 playoff, alongside the Fiesta Bowl, under the 12-team format adopted in 2025.[2](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/news/2018/7/13/cfp-extends-agreements-with-cotton-fiesta-peach-bowl-2021-26)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and site | Friday, January 9, 2026, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia[3](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/collegefootballplayoff.sidearmsports.com/documents/2026/1/10/Peach.pdf) |
| Result | No. 1 Indiana 56, No. 5 Oregon 22[1](https://apnews.com/article/f2d1058e94f96a07eae71bcd867fd1af) |
| Attendance | 75,604[4](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2021/9/7/peach-bowl) |
| Players of the game | Fernando Mendoza and D'Angelo Ponds, both Indiana[4](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2021/9/7/peach-bowl) |
| Mendoza's line | Five passing touchdowns in the semifinal[1](https://apnews.com/article/f2d1058e94f96a07eae71bcd867fd1af) |
| Economic impact | $63.2 million, the largest in the bowl's history, with $4.64 million in direct tax revenue[5](https://chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/news/2026/2/25/general-2025-26-marks-record-year-for-peach-bowl-inc.aspx) |
| Stakes | Winner advanced to the national championship on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens[1](https://apnews.com/article/f2d1058e94f96a07eae71bcd867fd1af) |
## The game
Indiana entered as the playoff's overall favorite at 14-0 and the No. 1 seed, having earned a first-round bye. The Hoosiers' win was balanced across all three phases: two rushing touchdowns and five passing touchdowns on offense, three forced turnovers on defense that produced three first-half touchdowns, and a blocked kick.[1](https://apnews.com/article/f2d1058e94f96a07eae71bcd867fd1af) Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who had won the [Heisman Trophy](https://www.edgepedia.org/heisman-trophy) in December as the first in Indiana program history, threw the five scoring passes.[1](https://apnews.com/article/f2d1058e94f96a07eae71bcd867fd1af) • [6](https://apnews.com/article/a40a0c14e1bfb587ca42ea450d37b189) Defensive back [D'Angelo Ponds](https://www.edgepedia.org/dangelo-ponds) shared player-of-the-game honors with Mendoza.[4](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2021/9/7/peach-bowl)
The matchup was a rematch of a regular-season meeting: Oregon and Indiana were paired after a pair of Big Ten blowouts in the January 1 quarterfinals, Indiana 38-3 over Alabama and Oregon 23-0 over Texas Tech.[7](https://apnews.com/article/66bdedaa074f898fcaea24944fe82760) Indiana was the only one of the eight teams with first-round byes in the two-year history of the 12-team playoff to win its quarterfinal.[7](https://apnews.com/article/66bdedaa074f898fcaea24944fe82760) Oregon's path to Atlanta was unusually long; the AP reported the Ducks traveled more than 11,500 miles across the postseason to play in the [Orange Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/orange-bowl) quarterfinal and the Peach Bowl semifinal.[8](https://apnews.com/article/bfb7c8a66f337c76591cbf68536593d6)
## Aftermath
Indiana moved on to face No. 10 Miami in the national championship game on January 19 at [Hard Rock Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/hard-rock-stadium) in Miami Gardens, after Miami beat [Mississippi](https://www.edgepedia.org/mississippi) 31-27 in the [Fiesta Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/fiesta-bowl) semifinal the previous night.[1](https://apnews.com/article/f2d1058e94f96a07eae71bcd867fd1af) Indiana won that game 27-21, finishing 16-0 and claiming the first national title in program history after three straight Playoff wins; it also gave the Big Ten a third consecutive national championship, following Ohio State and Michigan.[1](https://apnews.com/article/f2d1058e94f96a07eae71bcd867fd1af) • [9](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2026/1/27/cfp-recap-2526)
## Place in the Peach Bowl's history
The game was the 58th edition of a bowl created in 1968 by the Lions Club of Atlanta, which received NCAA certification that year to operate a postseason game.[10](https://chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/sports/2020/6/8/history) [Chick-fil-A](https://www.edgepedia.org/chick-fil-a) became the bowl's first and only title sponsor in 1996, and the game was played as the Chick-fil-A Bowl from 2006 to 2013 before the "Peach" name returned in 2014.[10](https://chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/sports/2020/6/8/history) • [11](https://www.sport-reference.com/cfb/bowls/peach-bowl.html) The bowl joined the College Football Playoff rotation with the six-bowl structure that began after the 2014 season, and under the 12-team playoff it rotates between hosting quarterfinals and semifinals; the 2025-26 semifinals were assigned to the Fiesta and Peach Bowls.[10](https://chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/sports/2020/6/8/history) • [2](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/news/2018/7/13/cfp-extends-agreements-with-cotton-fiesta-peach-bowl-2021-26)
The 2025-26 edition set records for the organizing body. Peach Bowl, Inc. reported $63.2 million in economic impact and $4.64 million in direct tax revenue from the game, the largest economic impact in the bowl's history, in a season that also set records for attendance, viewership, and charitable donations.[5](https://chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/news/2026/2/25/general-2025-26-marks-record-year-for-peach-bowl-inc.aspx) The 75,604 attendance figure was the bowl's highest since the 2022 semifinal drew 79,330.[4](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2021/9/7/peach-bowl)
The bowl's next assignment was announced in February 2026: a CFP quarterfinal on January 1, 2027, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.[12](https://chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/news/2026/2/3/general-chick-fil-a-peach-bowl-dates-announced-for-2026-2027.aspx)
## References
1. [No. 1 Indiana adds to CFP dominance with 56-22 Peach Bowl win over No. 5 Oregon, Miami up next, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/f2d1058e94f96a07eae71bcd867fd1af)
2. [College Football Playoff Extends Agreements with Cotton, Fiesta and Peach Bowls for 2021-2026, College Football Playoff](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/news/2018/7/13/cfp-extends-agreements-with-cotton-fiesta-peach-bowl-2021-26)
3. [Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: Oregon vs Indiana game program, College Football Playoff](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/collegefootballplayoff.sidearmsports.com/documents/2026/1/10/Peach.pdf)
4. [CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (all-time results), College Football Playoff](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2021/9/7/peach-bowl)
5. [2025-26 Marks Record Year for Peach Bowl, Inc., Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl](https://chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/news/2026/2/25/general-2025-26-marks-record-year-for-peach-bowl-inc.aspx)
6. [National championship game will be a homecoming for Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/a40a0c14e1bfb587ca42ea450d37b189)
7. [Oregon-Indiana headed for a rematch, Ole Miss to play Miami as college football's final four is set, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/66bdedaa074f898fcaea24944fe82760)
8. [College Football Playoff to remain at 12 teams after SEC and Big Ten fail to agree on expansion, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/bfb7c8a66f337c76591cbf68536593d6)
9. [2025-26 CFP round-by-round recap, College Football Playoff](https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2026/1/27/cfp-recap-2526)
10. [History - Evolution of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl](https://chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/sports/2020/6/8/history)
11. [Peach Bowl, College Football at Sports-Reference.com](https://www.sport-reference.com/cfb/bowls/peach-bowl.html)
12. [Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Dates Announced for 2026-2027, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl](https://chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/news/2026/2/3/general-chick-fil-a-peach-bowl-dates-announced-for-2026-2027.aspx)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › College, minor, and international American football › Bowl games and playoffs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license