The Decision Calendar

Every vote, announcement, deadline and event in the 2026–27 bracket, Hall of Fame and Oscars cycles. Confirmed dates are solid. Dashed dates haven't been announced yet, so they're my estimates.

The three decisions

Hall of Fame Class of 2027 reveal Super Bowl week, before Feb 14, 2027 Estimated Selection Sunday Sun, Mar 14, 2027 99th Academy Awards Sun, Mar 14, 2027

Every date

Official dates come from the organizers. My forecast phases are when my forecasts switch to new evidence, so a few of them move with the data. I checked every source on Oct 26, 2026, and organizers can still move a date.

April 2026

  1. Wed, Apr 1
    Oscars Preseasonforecast phase

    Career pedigree, film profile and announced festival lineups start the new forecast cycle.

May 2026

  1. Fri, May 1
    Bracket Offseasonforecast phase

    The new cycle opens on the prior season's final ratings while records reset.

  2. May 12–23
    Oscars 2026 Cannes Film Festival

    Competition premieres and jury awards provide early evidence for the Oscar race; U.S. release and Academy eligibility still matter.

    Source: Festival de Cannes

August 2026

  1. Sat, Aug 8
    Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Enshrinement

    The 2026 class goes into the Hall in Canton, Ohio.

    Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

September 2026

  1. Sep 2–12
    Oscars 83rd Venice Film Festival

    Fall premieres and jury awards bring international contenders into the Oscar conversation.

    Source: La Biennale

  2. Sep 4–7
    Oscars 53rd Telluride Film Festival

    Premieres and early audience reactions help shape the fall awards race.

    Source: Telluride Film Festival

  3. Sep 10–20
    Oscars TIFF 51

    Premieres and the People's Choice Award add audience evidence to the fall race.

    Source: TIFF

  4. Sun, Sep 20
    Oscars Festival seasonforecast phase

    TIFF closes with the People's Choice Award, completing the fall-festival evidence used by this phase.

October 2026

  1. Mon, Oct 12
    Bracket Preseasonforecast phase

    KenPom's 2026-27 preseason ratings replace last season's final ratings, and every record resets to 0-0.

  2. Tue, Oct 27
    Oscars Gotham Awards nominations

    The Gotham Film & Media Institute announces its nominees. The ceremony is November 30, 2026.

    Source: The Gotham

  3. Thu, Oct 29
    Bracket Early seasonforecast phase

    ESPN's BPI takes over from KenPom for the men's forecast. Records start counting once games tip off in November, until NET arrives.

November 2026

  1. Mon, Nov 2
    Bracket College basketball season opens

    First permitted regular-season contest date for Division I men and women. Each team's schedule varies.

    Source: NCAA

  2. Wed, Nov 4
    Hall of Fame Five contributors advance

    Ralph Hay, Robert Kraft, Virginia McCaskey, Doug Williams and John Wooten, cut from 42 nominees.

    Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

  3. Thu, Nov 5
    Hall of Fame Five coaches advance

    Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan, cut from 14 nominees.

    Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

  4. Thu, Nov 12
    Oscars Oscar general-entry submission deadline

    General Entry, Animated Feature, Best Picture and RAISE submissions are due.

    Source: Academy

  5. Sun, Nov 15
    Oscars Governors Awards

    The Academy presents its honorary awards.

    Source: Academy

  6. Tue, Nov 17
    Hall of Fame Coach and contributor picks

    The coach and contributor subcommittees meet by video. Each picks one of its five for the 15-name slate.

    The meeting date is confirmed. The Hall hasn't said when it names the two picks. Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

  7. Late November 2026 (estimated)
    Hall of Fame Class of 2027 semifinalists announced

    The player pool narrows to 25 semifinalists under the revised Class of 2027 process.

    The Hall hasn't announced a date. The linked page covers the new process. Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

December 2026

  1. Early December 2026 (estimated)
    Oscars NYFCC awards

    The New York Film Critics Circle announces its winners.

    Usually announced in early December. The 2026 date isn't out yet.

  2. Early December 2026 (estimated)
    Oscars National Board of Review awards

    NBR announces its winners and Top 10 films.

    Usually announced in early December. The 2026 date isn't out yet.

  3. Early December 2026 (estimated)
    Oscars AFI Top 10

    AFI names its movies of the year.

    Usually announced in early December. The 2026 date isn't out yet.

  4. Early December 2026 (estimated)
    Oscars LAFCA awards

    The Los Angeles Film Critics Association announces its winners.

    Usually announced in early December. The 2026 date isn't out yet.

  5. Early December 2026 (estimated)
    Bracket NET seasonforecast phase

    The first NET release adds current-season rankings and quadrant context to resume comparisons. Men and women can have different release dates.

    The first NET usually lands in early December. The NCAA hasn't set this year's day.

  6. Wed, Dec 2
    Oscars Independent Spirit nominations

    Film Independent announces its nominees.

    Source: Film Independent

  7. Early December 2026 (estimated)
    Oscars Critics seasonforecast phase

    NYFCC, NBR, LAFCA, AFI, Spirit, Critics Choice and Golden Globe lists complete this phase.

    Starts once NYFCC, NBR, LAFCA and AFI have announced. Their dates aren't out yet.

  8. Fri, Dec 4
    Oscars Critics Choice nominations

    Film and television nominations are announced.

    Source: Critics Choice

  9. Mon, Dec 7
    Oscars Golden Globe nominations

    Motion-picture nominations are announced.

    Source: Golden Globes

  10. Dec 7–11
    Oscars Preliminary voting (shortlisted categories)

    Opens 9am PT Dec 7, closes 5pm PT Dec 11.

    Source: Academy

  11. Tue, Dec 8
    Oscars PGA documentary nominations

    Documentary nominees are announced separately from theatrical and animated features.

    Source: PGA

  12. Tue, Dec 15
    Oscars Oscar shortlists announced

    Source: Academy

  13. Thu, Dec 31
    Oscars Eligibility window closes

    A film needs a qualifying release between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2026.

    Source: Academy

January 2027

  1. Early January 2027 (estimated)
    Hall of Fame Class of 2027 finalists announced

    The final slate has 13 players, one coach and one contributor, considered together.

    The Hall hasn't announced a date. The linked page covers the new 15-name slate. Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

  2. Sun, Jan 3
    Oscars Critics Choice Awards

    Critics announce their winners before Oscar nomination voting opens.

    Source: Critics Choice

  3. Wed, Jan 6
    Oscars Actor Awards nominations

    SAG-AFTRA announces its film and television nominees.

    Source: SAG-AFTRA

  4. Thu, Jan 7
    Oscars BAFTA longlists

    BAFTA publishes its longlists, the first look at which films are in the running there.

    Source: BAFTA

  5. Thu, Jan 7
    Oscars DGA nominations

    The Directors Guild announces theatrical feature nominees.

    Source: DGA

  6. Fri, Jan 8
    Oscars PGA nominations

    The Producers Guild announces theatrical feature nominees.

    Source: PGA

  7. Fri, Jan 8
    Oscars WGA nominations

    The Writers Guild announces original and adapted screenplay nominees.

    Source: WGA

  8. Sun, Jan 10
    Oscars Golden Globe Awards

    Film winners are announced the day before Oscar nomination voting opens.

    Source: Golden Globes

  9. Jan 11–15
    Oscars Oscar nomination voting

    Branch voting. Opens 9am PT Jan 11, closes 5pm PT Jan 15.

    Source: Academy

  10. Tue, Jan 12
    Oscars ASC nominations

    Cinematographers announce their nominees.

    Source: American Society of Cinematographers

  11. Thu, Jan 14
    Oscars ACE Eddie nominations

    American Cinema Editors announces its nominees.

    Source: American Cinema Editors

  12. Tue, Jan 19
    Oscars BAFTA nominations

    BAFTA announces the final nominees.

    Source: BAFTA

  13. Tue, Jan 19
    Oscars Guild seasonforecast phase

    BAFTA's nominations are the last required list, after the Actor Awards, PGA, DGA, WGA, the BAFTA longlists and ACE.

  14. Thu, Jan 21
    Oscars 99th Oscar nominations announced

    Source: Academy

  15. Jan 21–31
    Oscars 2027 Sundance Film Festival

    The first Boulder edition introduces films for the next Oscar cycle, the 100th Academy Awards in 2028. Festival selection alone does not establish Oscar eligibility.

    Source: Sundance Institute

  16. Fri, Jan 22
    Oscars Nominees knownforecast phase

    The Academy's nominated field is set, and the forecast switches to win odds the next day.

  17. Sat, Jan 30
    Oscars Directors Guild Awards

    Directors announce their winners after Oscar nominations.

    Source: DGA

February 2027

  1. February 2027 (estimated)
    Bracket Men's top-16 bracket preview

    The committee releases an in-season snapshot of its top 16 teams. Selection Sunday sets the full field.

    The NCAA hasn't announced the 2027 preview date.

  2. Sat, Feb 6
    Oscars ACE Eddie Awards

    Editors recognize achievement in film and television editing.

    Source: American Cinema Editors

  3. Super Bowl week, before Feb 14, 2027 (estimated)
    Hall of Fame Class of 2027 reveal

    15 finalists cut to 10, then 7. Each of the 25 voting selectors backs up to six, and 80 percent elects. The meeting is in person this year, and the class is announced at NFL Honors during Super Bowl week.

    Neither the meeting nor the NFL Honors date has been announced yet. Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

  4. Feb 10–21
    Oscars 77th Berlinale

    Berlin premieres introduce films for the next Oscar cycle, the 100th Academy Awards in 2028. Festival selection alone does not establish Oscar eligibility.

    Source: FIAPF

  5. Sat, Feb 13
    Oscars Writers Guild Awards

    Guild winners add screenplay evidence; WGA eligibility differs from Academy eligibility.

    Source: WGA

  6. Sun, Feb 14
    Hall of Fame Super Bowl LXI

    SoFi Stadium. Anchors the week the Hall of Fame class gets revealed at NFL Honors.

    Source: Los Angeles Super Bowl Host Committee

  7. Tue, Feb 16
    Oscars Oscar nominees luncheon

    Source: Academy

  8. Sun, Feb 21
    Oscars BAFTA Film Awards

    BAFTA winners arrive before Oscar final voting opens.

    Source: BAFTA

  9. Feb 25 – Mar 4
    Oscars Oscar final voting

    Full membership votes every category. Opens 9am PT Feb 25, closes 5pm PT Mar 4.

    Source: Academy

  10. Sat, Feb 27
    Oscars Producers Guild Awards

    Producers announce their winners during Oscar final voting.

    Source: PGA

  11. Sun, Feb 28
    Oscars Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA

    Acting and ensemble winners arrive during Oscar final voting.

    Source: SAG-AFTRA

March 2027

  1. Sat, Mar 6
    Oscars Film Independent Spirit Awards

    Independent-film winners are announced after Oscar final voting closes.

    Source: Film Independent

  2. Sun, Mar 7
    Oscars ASC Awards

    Cinematography winners are announced after Oscar final voting closes.

    Source: American Society of Cinematographers

  3. Sun, Mar 14
    Bracket Selection Sunday

    The men's and women's 76-team fields are revealed. Broadcast times will be added when verified.

    Source: NCAA

  4. Sun, Mar 14
    Oscars 99th Academy Awards

    7pm ET on ABC, from the Dolby Theatre. Same day as Selection Sunday.

    Source: Academy

  5. Mon, Mar 15
    Bracket Postseasonforecast phase

    The field is set. The final NET and the committee's seeds sit side by side.

  6. Mar 16–17
    Bracket Men's Opening Round

    Twelve games in Dayton and Wichita reduce the 76-team field to 64.

    Source: NCAA

  7. Mar 17–18
    Bracket Women's Opening Round

    Twelve campus-site games reduce the 76-team field to 64.

    Source: NCAA

  8. Mar 18–19
    Bracket Men's First Round

    The main 64-team bracket begins at eight first-weekend sites.

    Source: NCAA

  9. Mar 19–20
    Bracket Women's First Round

    The main bracket begins at campus sites.

    Source: NCAA

  10. Mar 20–21
    Bracket Men's Second Round

    The field narrows from 32 teams to 16.

    Source: NCAA

  11. Mar 21–22
    Bracket Women's Second Round

    Campus-site winners advance to the regionals.

    Source: NCAA

  12. Mar 25–26
    Bracket Men's Sweet 16

    Regional semifinals determine the final eight teams.

    Source: NCAA

  13. Mar 26–27
    Bracket Women's Sweet 16

    Regional semifinals in Philadelphia and Las Vegas.

    Source: NCAA

  14. Mar 27–28
    Bracket Men's Elite Eight

    Regional finals determine the Final Four.

    Source: NCAA

  15. Mar 28–29
    Bracket Women's Elite Eight

    Regional finals determine the Final Four.

    Source: NCAA

April 2027

  1. Fri, Apr 2
    Bracket Women's Final Four

    National semifinals at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

    Source: NCAA

  2. Sat, Apr 3
    Bracket Men's Final Four

    National semifinals at Ford Field in Detroit.

    Source: NCAA

  3. Sun, Apr 4
    Bracket Women's national championship

    The title game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

    Source: NCAA

  4. Mon, Apr 5
    Bracket Men's national championship

    The title game at Ford Field in Detroit.

    Source: NCAA

August 2027

  1. Thu, Aug 5
    Hall of Fame Hall of Fame Game

    Enshrinement Week football in Canton. Teams to be announced.

    Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

  2. Fri, Aug 6
    Hall of Fame Class of 2027 Gold Jacket Dinner

    The incoming class receives its Gold Jackets in Canton.

    Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

  3. Sat, Aug 7
    Hall of Fame Class of 2027 Enshrinement

    Noon at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

    Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame