Non-Playoff Bowls
December 13
Celebration Bowl
- Matchup: Delaware State vs. Jackson State
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Time: 12 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: MEAC Champion vs. SWAC Champion
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. While I expect either Boise State or UNLV to win the Mountain West, I think that if San Diego State is bowl-eligible, the LA Bowl would take them. UNLV appeared last year, and Boise State played in 2023. Seems like an ideal situation to bypass the conference champion and choose geography.
December 16
Salute to Veterans Bowl
- Matchup: Ohio vs. Kennesaw State
- Location: Montgomery, AL
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
December 17
Cure Bowl
- Matchup: Western Michigan vs. Old Dominion
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
Western Michigan has never appeared in a bowl in Florida.
68 Ventures Bowl
- Matchup: Troy vs. Jacksonville State
- Location: Mobile, 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 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl
- Matchup: Toledo vs. Appalachian State
- Location: Conway, SC
- Time: 12 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
Gasparilla Bowl
- Matchup: USF vs. Louisville
- Location: Tampa, FL
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-large vs. At-Large
Former Conference USA, Big East, and American rivals clash at USF’s home. Louisville and USF were conference mates from 2003-2012 with the Cards leading the series 7-5.
December 22
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
- Matchup: James Madison vs. Boise State
- Location: Boise, ID
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-large vs. Mountain West
An ESPN Events-owned bowl has the second choice of bowl-eligible Mountain West teams. With the LA Bowl selecting nearby San Diego State for the first time, ESPN will want to select Boise State for one of its bowls. Why not a return to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl?
Boise State has not appeared in the bowl since 2005. A matchup with James Madison makes this game compelling.
December 23
Boca Raton Bowl
- Matchup: Miami (OH) vs. Marshall
- Location: Boca Raton, FL
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
Former MAC rivals square off for the first time since 2018. Miami leads the series 30-14-1, but Marshall has won the last five and ten of the last 11 meetings.
New Orleans Bowl
- Matchup: New Mexico State vs. Louisiana-Monroe
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
New Mexico State and ULM are both original Sun Belt members who have never played in the New Orleans Bowl.
New Mexico State leads the series 3-2.
Frisco Bowl
- Matchup: Louisiana Tech vs. Fresno State
- Location: Frisco, TX
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
These two schools met every year from 2001 to 2011 as WAC rivals. Fresno State leads the series 9-4.
December 24
Hawaii Bowl
- Matchup: Hawaii vs. UConn
- 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. Iowa
- Location: Detroit, MI
- Time: 1 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: MAC vs. Big Ten
Rate Bowl
- Matchup: Iowa State vs. Maryland
- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Time: 4:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Big 12 vs. Big 10
First Responder Bowl
- Matchup: East Carolina vs. California
- Location: College Park, TX
- Time: 8 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-large vs. At-large
December 27
Military Bowl
- Matchup: Memphis vs. Wake Forest
- Location: Annapolis, MD
- Time: 11 AM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: AAC vs. ACC
These two met in the 2018 Birmingham Bowl, which Wake Forest won 37-34.
Pinstripe Bowl
- Matchup: Florida State vs. Penn State
- Location: Bronx, NY
- Time: 12 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Big 10
Talk about how the mighty have fallen. These three have met three times, all in bowls: the 1967 Gator Bowl, the 1990 Blockbuster Bowl, and the 2006 Orange Bowl. Wasn't this a Playoff-caliber matchup a couple weeks ago?
Fenway Bowl
- Matchup: Temple vs. Pitt
- Location: Boston, MA
- Time: 2:15 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: AAC vs. ACC
Surprisingly, Pitt and Temple have not played since the Big East stopped sponsoring football in 2012. In fact, when the two were in separate conferences from 2006 to 2011, they never played. Pitt leads the all-time series 28-7-1, winning seven straight dating back to 1999.
Pop-Tarts Bowl
- Matchup: Georgia Tech vs. Kansas
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Big 12
Arizona Bowl
- Matchup: UNLV vs. Bowling Green
- Location: Tucson, AZ
- Time: 4:30 PM ET | The CW
- Tie-in: MAC vs. Mountain West
New Mexico Bowl
- Matchup: New Mexico vs. Buffalo
- Location: Albuquerque, NM
- Time: 5:45 PM ET
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
Gator Bowl
- Matchup: Virginia vs. Mississippi State
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
- Time: 7:30 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. SEC
Texas Bowl
- Matchup: Missouri vs. Houston
- Location: Houston, TX
- Time: 9:15 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big 12
Houston has not played in its hometown bowl since 2007 when they played TCU.
December 29
Birmingham Bowl
- Matchup: NC State vs. North Texas
- Location: Birmingham, AL
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-Large vs. At-Large
North Texas would get its first Power Four bowl opponent in this game.
December 30
Independence Bowl
- Matchup: Western Kentucky vs. Texas State
- Location: Shreveport, LA
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Conference USA vs. Big 12 (Sun Belt Backup)
Music City Bowl
- Matchup: Illinois vs. LSU
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big Ten
These two last met in the 2002 Sugar Bowl, where 9-3 SEC champion LSU beat 10-1 Big Ten champion Illinois 47-34.
Alamo Bowl
- Matchup: Baylor 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: Oklahoma vs. Minnesota
- Location: Tampa, FL
- Time: 12 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big Ten
Sun Bowl
- Matchup: SMU vs. Utah
- Location: El Paso, TX
- Time: 2 PM ET | CBS
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Former PAC-12 member
SMU would be the first team from Texas to participate in the Sun Bowl since 1999. They would play their former rival from the 16-team WAC, Utah. The series is tied 1-1 with both schools meeting as members of the WAC's Mountain Division in 1996 and 1997.
Citrus Bowl
- Matchup: Nebraska vs. Texas
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 3 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big Ten
Big 12 foes are reunited for the first time since 2010. While the Longhorns and Cornhuskers have played each other three times in the Big 12 Championship Game, the two have just one bowl meeting, the 1974 Cotton Bowl.
Las Vegas Bowl
- Matchup: Michigan vs. Arizona
- Location: Las Vegas, NV
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Former PAC-12 member vs. Big Ten
January 2
Armed Forces Bowl
- Matchup: Washington State vs. Tulane
- Location: Fort Worth, TX
- Time: 1 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-Large vs. At-Large
Liberty Bowl
- Matchup: Vanderbilt vs. Cincinnati
- Location: Memphis, TN
- Time: 4:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big 12
This is a rematch of the 2011 Liberty Bowl when Cincinnati beat Vanderbilt 31-24. In an odd twist, Conference USA traded their tie to that bowl to the Big East, allowing Big East co-champion Cincinnati to play in the game.
Duke's Mayo Bowl
- Matchup: Duke vs. Auburn
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- Time: 8 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: ACC vs. SEC
It is difficult to believe Duke has not played in the Mayo Bowl since 2012, when it was the Belk Bowl. Duke is due for another visit to this bowl.
Holiday Bowl
- Matchup: Notre Dame vs. Arizona State
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Time: 8 PM ET | Fox
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Former PAC-12 school
Bahamas Bowl Replacement Bowl
- Matchup: Utah State vs. Southern Miss
- Location: TBD
College Football Playoff
First Round
- #5 Oregon vs. #12 Navy
- #6 Ohio State vs. #11 BYU
- #7 Alabama vs. #10 Texas Tech
- #8 Texas A&M vs. #9 Tennessee
Quarterfinals
Cotton Bowl
- Matchup: #3 Miami vs. #6 Ohio State
- Location: Arlington, TX
- Date: December 31st
Orange Bowl
- Matchup: #4 Georgia vs. #5 Oregon
- Location: Miami, FL
- Date: January 1st | 12 PM ET
Rose Bowl
- Matchup: #1 Indiana vs. #10 Texas Tech
- Location: Pasadena, CA
- Date: January 1st | 4 PM ET
Sugar Bowl
- Matchup: #2 Ole Miss vs. #9 Tennessee
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Date: January 1st | 8 PM ET
Semifinals
Fiesta Bowl
- Matchup: #1 Indiana vs. #5 Oregon
- Location: Glendale, AZ
- Date: January 8th | 7:30 PM ET
Peach Bowl
- Matchup: #3 Miami vs. #2 Ole Miss
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Date: January 8th | 7:30 PM ET
National Championship Game
- Matchup: #1 Indiana vs. #2 Ole Miss
- Location: Miami, FL
- Date: January 19th | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN
