Non-Playoff Bowls
December 13
Celebration Bowl
- Matchup: South Carolina State* vs. Prairie View A&M
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Time: 12 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: MEAC Champion vs. SWAC Champion
*Spot already clinched
LA Bowl
- Matchup: San Diego State vs. Washington
- Location: Inglewood, CA
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Mountain West vs. Former PAC-12 Member
This is an awkward situation. I think San Diego State is sent to this one regardless of whether they win the Mountain West or not. Boise State appeared in the 2023 edition. Not sure if fans would make a repeat trip so quickly. Meanwhile, San Diego State is nearby and has never appeared.
December 16
Salute to Veterans Bowl
- Matchup: Troy vs. Jacksonville State
- Location: Montgomery, AL
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
The Battle for the Ol’ School Bell has been played 63 times, but not since 2001. Jacksonville State has a 32-29-2 series advantage.
December 17
Cure Bowl
- Matchup: Old Dominion vs. Western Michigan
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
68 Ventures Bowl
- Matchup: Toledo vs. Delaware
- Location: Mobile, AL
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
There is some precedent to this one. The Sun Belt vacate this bowl in 2021, giving then-independent Liberty the spot. In 2022, Rice filled the bowl with a 5-7 record due to having the highest Academic Progress Rating (APR) among 5-7 squads.
December 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl
- Matchup: Arkansas State vs. Western Kentucky
- Location: Conway, SC
- Time: 12 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
These two former Sun Belt foes have not met since Western Kentucky left for Conference USA in 2014. The Hilltoppers lead the series 4-3-1.
Gasparilla Bowl
- Matchup: NC State vs. UTSA
- Location: Tampa, FL
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-large vs. At-Large
December 22
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
- Matchup: California vs. Boise State
- Location: Boise, ID
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-large vs. Mountain West
This is an odd pairing, but one never knows what ESPN Events will do. If ESPN wants optimal viewership for a Monday afternoon lead-in to its Monday Night Football coverage, this may be the route to go. A down year with four or five losses seems ideal for Boise State to return to their hometown bowl for the first time in 20 years. Everyone knows Boise State is one of the sport’s “Power Conference Killers”, so why not place a California squad squeezed out of the PAC-12’s primary tie-ins.
December 23
Boca Raton Bowl
- Matchup: Georgia Southern vs. FIU
- Location: Boca Raton, FL
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
New Orleans Bowl
- Matchup: Louisiana Tech vs. Texas State
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
This is the New Orleans Bowl's last chance to invite Texas State before they depart for the PAC-12.
Frisco Bowl
- Matchup: Southern Miss vs. Fresno State
- Location: Frisco, TX
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
December 24
Hawaii Bowl
- Matchup: Hawaii vs. Missouri State
- Location: Honolulu, HI
- Time: 8 or 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Mountain West vs. Conference USA (Group of Five backup)
December 26
GameAboveSports Bowl
- Matchup: Central Michigan vs. Minnesota
- Location: Detroit, MI
- Time: 1 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: MAC vs. Big Ten
Rate Bowl
- Matchup: Iowa State vs. Nebraska
- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Time: 4:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Big 12 vs. Big 10
This would be the first meeting between the two since 2010 before Nebraska left for the Big 10. The Cornhuskers lead the series 85-18-1.
First Responder Bowl
- Matchup: Utah State vs. Louisiana
- Location: College Park, TX
- Time: 8 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-large vs. At-large
December 27
Military Bowl
- Matchup: Navy vs. Wake Forest
- Location: Annapolis, MD
- Time: 11 AM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: AAC vs. ACC
Pinstripe Bowl
- Matchup: Louisville vs. Northwestern
- Location: Bronx, NY
- Time: 12 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Big 10
Fenway Bowl
- Matchup: Tulane vs. Pitt
- Location: Boston, MA
- Time: 2:15 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: AAC vs. ACC
These two schools were part of the proposed 16-team Metro Conference "super conference" proposal in the early 1990s. This would be their eighth meeting and first since 1984.
Pop-Tarts Bowl
- Matchup: Houston vs. Duke
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Big 12
Arizona Bowl
- Matchup: UNLV vs. Ohio
- Location: Tucson, AZ
- Time: 4:30 PM ET | The CW
- Tie-in: MAC vs. Mountain West
New Mexico Bowl
- Matchup: New Mexico vs. UConn
- Location: Albuquerque, NM
- Time: 5:45 PM ET
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
Gator Bowl
- Matchup: Virginia vs. LSU
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
- Time: 7:30 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. SEC
Texas Bowl
- Matchup: Missouri vs. TCU
- Location: Houston, TX
- Time: 9:15 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big 12
TCU has not played in this bowl since 2007 when they played Houston.
December 29
Birmingham Bowl
- Matchup: Memphis vs. SMU
- Location: Birmingham, AL
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-Large vs. At-Large
December 30
Independence Bowl
- Matchup: Kennesaw State vs. Kansas State
- Location: Shreveport, LA
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Conference USA vs. Big 12 (Sun Belt Backup)
I project Conference USA to reward its champion with its only guaranteeed shot at a Power Four squad in a bowl game.
Music City Bowl
- Matchup: Illinois vs. Tennessee
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big Ten
Alamo Bowl
- Matchup: BYU vs. USC
- Location: San Antonio, TX
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Former PAC-12 member vs. Big 12
December 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
- Matchup: Vanderbilt vs. Iowa
- Location: Tampa, FL
- Time: 12 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big Ten
Sun Bowl
- Matchup: Georgia Tech vs. Arizona State
- Location: El Paso, TX
- Time: 2 PM ET | CBS
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Former PAC-12 member
Citrus Bowl
- Matchup: Michigan vs. Texas
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 3 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big Ten
Remember the 2005 Rose Bowl, anyone?
Las Vegas Bowl
- Matchup: Penn State vs. Utah
- Location: Las Vegas, NV
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Former PAC-12 member vs. Big Ten
The possible leak of Arizona in the Holiday Bowl (see below) could see Utah being the big loser of the PAC-12 legacy bowl lineup. If the Holiday Bowl selects Arizona and Alamo Bowl selects USC as supposed, Utah will be locked into the Las Vegas Bowl as there are no 9-3 or 10-2 schools to take their place. For context, the PAC-12 does not allow teams with more than a one-loss difference to supersede others in the bowl selection order. In short, 8-4 Arizona State or 8-4 Washington cannot leap past Utah for this spot.
January 2
Armed Forces Bowl
- Matchup: Washington State vs. Army
- Location: Fort Worth, TX
- Time: 1 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-Large vs. At-Large
Liberty Bowl
- Matchup: USF vs. Cincinnati
- Location: Memphis, TN
- Time: 4:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big 12 (American Conference Backup)
Former Conference USA, Big East, and American Conference foes reunite in this one.
Duke's Mayo Bowl
- Matchup: Clemson vs. East Carolina
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- Time: 8 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: ACC vs. SEC
The SEC having five teams in the College Football Playoff throws the Duke's Mayo Bowl into chaos. Going off historical precedent, the Duke's Mayo Bowl may be the bowl that the conference vacated the Mayo Bowl in 2023.
Holiday Bowl
- Matchup: Miami vs. Arizona
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Time: 8 PM ET | Fox
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Former PAC-12 school
Just going to leave this here.
Bahamas Bowl Replacement Bowl
- Matchup: Coastal Carolina vs. Miami (OH)
- Location: TBD
College Football Playoff
First Round
- #5 Ole Miss vs. #12 James Madison
- #6 Oregon vs. #11 North Texas
- #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Alabama
- #8 Oklahoma vs. #9 Notre Dame
Quarterfinals
Cotton Bowl
- Matchup: #4 Texas Tech vs. #5 Ole Miss
- Location: Arlington, TX
- Date: December 31st
Orange Bowl
- Matchup: #3 Georgia vs. #6 Oregon
- Location: Miami, FL
- Date: January 1st | 12 PM ET
Rose Bowl
- Matchup: #1 Indiana vs. #8 Oklahoma
- Location: Pasadena, CA
- Date: January 1st | 4 PM ET
Sugar Bowl
- Matchup: #2 Ohio State vs. #7 Texas A&M
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Date: January 1st | 8 PM ET
Semifinals
Fiesta Bowl
- Matchup: #1 Indiana vs. #4 Texas Tech
- Location: Glendale, AZ
- Date: January 8th | 7:30 PM ET
Peach Bowl
- Matchup: #3 Georgia vs. #2 Ohio State
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Date: January 8th | 7:30 PM ET
National Championship Game
- Matchup: #1 Indiana vs. #3 Georgia
- Location: Miami, FL
- Date: January 19th | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN
