Upcoming AFC Championship Game dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
The last game before the Super Bowl for AFC teams
The AFC Championship Game decides which American Football Conference team plays in the Super Bowl. It is one of the NFL's two conference title games, played by the last two AFC teams standing after the Wild Card and Divisional rounds. For the 2026 season, the NFL has scheduled both conference championships for Sunday, January 31, 2027, two weeks before Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027 at SoFi Stadium.
The game has no fixed site. Since the 1975 season, the higher-seeded of the two remaining teams hosts, so the stadium is decided by the regular-season standings and the results of the first two rounds. A wild card team could host only if both teams were wild cards, which has never happened. The winner receives the Lamar Hunt Trophy, named for the founder of the American Football League and of the Kansas City Chiefs, and awarded since the 1984 season.
How the matchup and the site come together
The playoff calendar for the 2026 season shows how little notice fans get:
- Regular season ends: January 10, 2027. Seeding, and with it every possible host, is set.
- Wild Card round: January 16–18, 2027. The AFC's top seed has a bye and is guaranteed to host any game it plays until the Super Bowl.
- Divisional round: January 23–24, 2027. The two winners become the AFC finalists, and the higher seed hosts.
- AFC Championship: January 31, 2027, one week after the Divisional round.
In practice, the host is known with certainty only about a week ahead, and a top seed that has clinched a bye is the only team whose fans can plan on a home title game earlier. The kickoff time is set by the league and television partners once the matchups are known.
Buying AFC title game seats on short notice
Tickets for a conference championship sell in a compressed window. Each host team sets its own playoff ticket rules, and seats are usually offered first to the team's existing ticket holders, so the public sale is small. For most fans, resale is the realistic route in. The NFL lists its own resale marketplace, the NFL Ticket Exchange, on its playoff pages, and other resale sellers list seats as soon as a home game becomes possible.
What moves demand for this game in particular:
- Home drought. A fan base that has not hosted in years or decades buys with urgency. A team that hosted five straight seasons, as Kansas City did from 2018 through 2022, sees more seats come back to market.
- The visitor's travel. Many AFC rivals sit within driving distance of each other in the Northeast and Midwest, and a short trip puts more visiting fans in the stands.
- Weather forecasts. Most recent AFC title games were played outdoors in cold cities. A forecast of snow or deep cold can soften demand in the last day or two; it rarely changes the overall picture for a home team in the hunt for a Super Bowl.
- Rematches. The same pairings recur: Bills–Chiefs and Broncos–Patriots have each met three times in this game.
By location, lower-level sideline seats between the 20-yard lines draw the most demand, followed by club seats, lower corners and lower end zones. Upper-level end zones are the most accessible way in. Every GoodSeats order is backed by a 100% guarantee.
Choosing seats for a January game in an AFC stadium
The eleven AFC Championship Games from January 2016 through January 2026 were all played in open-air stadiums: six at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, two at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, one at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore and two in Denver, counting the January 2026 game at Empower Field at Mile High. That shapes the seat choice more than the matchup does.
- Cover matters more than closeness. In an outdoor stadium in late January, a seat under an upper-level overhang or in an enclosed club area keeps you out of snow and wind. The January 2026 game in Denver was played at 26 degrees Fahrenheit, with heavy snow in the second half.
- Height helps on the sideline. Middle and upper rows of the lower level show the full field and the formations; the first few rows sit below the players and staff along the bench area and lose the far side of the field.
- Club seats are a cold-weather trade. Club-level tickets cost more, but many include access to indoor lounges, which matters when the game runs past three hours in freezing weather.
- End zones work better high than low. Low rows behind the goal post flatten the field. Higher end zone rows give a view down the length of the field, which suits a game decided in the red zone.
Because the host can be any AFC stadium, check the venue page for the specific building once the site is set. GoodSeats has guides for Arrowhead Stadium, Gillette Stadium, Empower Field at Mile High, M&T Bank Stadium and Acrisure Stadium, among others.
What a conference title game feels like in person
A conference championship carries most of the Super Bowl's stakes but stays a home game. The crowd is overwhelmingly the host team's fans, the noise is at its loudest of the season, and the postgame trophy presentation on the field is part of the experience if the home team wins. Fans of the winning team often stay in the stands long after the final whistle.
Plan for a long, cold day. Arrive early, because gameday traffic and security lines are heavier than for a regular-season game, and expect the host stadium's normal entry rules to apply. As of the 2025 season, NFL stadiums generally limit fans to clear bags (transparent plastic, vinyl or PVC, typically no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches), and the details vary by building; see the stadium bag policy guide and check the host venue's current policy before you go. Dress in layers, bring gloves and a hat, and check whether the stadium allows blankets.
AFC title game records and memorable games
The game began with the 1970 merger of the NFL and AFL, when the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers joined the ten former AFL teams to form the AFC. It is treated as the successor to the AFL Championship.
- Most titles: the New England Patriots, with 12, including eight straight appearances from the 2011 through 2018 seasons and a win in Denver in January 2026.
- Most appearances: the Patriots and Steelers, 16 each. Pittsburgh has hosted the most, 11 times.
- Kansas City's run: the Chiefs hosted five straight title games from the 2018 through 2022 seasons and played in seven straight through the 2024 season.
- Buffalo's streak: the Bills won four straight AFC titles from the 1990 through 1993 seasons, including a 51–3 win over the Raiders, the largest margin in the game's history.
- Overtime: three AFC title games have gone to overtime: Denver over Cleveland (1986 season), New England over Kansas City (2018) and Cincinnati over Kansas City (2021).
- Largest crowd: 91,445 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in January 1984, when the Raiders hosted Seattle.
The Houston Texans are the only current AFC team never to reach the game, and the Jets, Titans and Texans have never hosted one. The Browns, Jaguars, Jets and Texans have never won it.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next AFC Championship Game?
The NFL has scheduled the conference championships for the 2026 season on Sunday, January 31, 2027. The winner plays in Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027.
Where is the AFC Championship Game played?
At the home stadium of the higher-seeded of the two remaining AFC teams. The site is confirmed after the Divisional round, about a week before the game.
Who has won the most AFC Championship Games?
The New England Patriots, with 12 titles. The Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers share the record for most appearances, with 16 each.
What trophy does the AFC champion receive?
The Lamar Hunt Trophy, named for the founder of the AFL and of the Kansas City Chiefs. It has been awarded since the 1984 season and was redesigned by Tiffany and Co. for the 2010 season.
Who won the most recent AFC Championship Game?
The New England Patriots beat the Denver Broncos 10 to 7 on January 25, 2026, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, in a game played in heavy snow.
How do I get AFC Championship tickets?
The host team sells its own playoff tickets, usually to existing ticket holders first, so most fans buy on the resale market once the site is known. Listings can appear before the Divisional round for teams that may host.