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.
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.
