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: 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: East Carolina vs. James Madison
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
68 Ventures Bowl
- Matchup: Miami (OH) vs. Old Dominion
- Location: Mobile, AL
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
December 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl
- Matchup: Buffalo 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: Toledo vs. UNLV
- Location: Boise, ID
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: MAC vs. Mountain West
December 23
Boca Raton Bowl
- Matchup: Bowling Green vs. Georgia Southern
- Location: Boca Raton, FL
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
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. Utah State
- Location: Frisco, TX
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
These former WAC rivals met every year from 2005-2012. Louisiana Tech leads the series 6-4.
December 24
Hawaii Bowl
- Matchup: Hawaii vs. Liberty
- Location: Honolulu, HI
- Time: 8 or 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Mountain West vs. Conference USA
December 26
GameAboveSports Bowl
- Matchup: Central Michigan vs. UConn
- Location: Detroit, MI
- Time: 1 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: MAC vs. Big Ten
Rate Bowl
- Matchup: Baylor vs. Maryland
- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Time: 4:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Big 12 vs. Big 10
First Responder Bowl
- Matchup: Boise State 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. Syracuse
- Location: Annapolis, MD
- Time: 11 AM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: AAC vs. ACC
Fascinatingly enough, despite the Military Bowl partnering with the American for the last 13 years, Memphis has never played in the bowl.
Awaiting them would be a school that would have been its conference mate in the 16-team Metro Conference proposal in the 1990s.
Pinstripe Bowl
- Matchup: Clemson vs. Penn State
- Location: Bronx, NY
- Time: 12 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Big 10
Fenway Bowl
- Matchup: North Texas vs. Pitt
- Location: Boston, MA
- Time: 2:15 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: AAC vs. ACC
Pitt would be North Texas’ first Power Four bowl opponent ever.
Pop-Tarts Bowl
- Matchup: Notre Dame vs. Baylor
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Big 12
Arizona Bowl
- Matchup: Fresno State vs. Western Michigan
- Location: Tucson, AZ
- Time: 4:30 PM ET | The CW
- Tie-in: MAC vs. Mountain West
New Mexico Bowl
- Matchup: New Mexico vs. Texas State
- Location: Albuquerque, NM
- Time: 5:45 PM ET
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
Gator Bowl
- Matchup: Georgia Tech 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. Tulane
- Location: Birmingham, AL
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-Large vs. At-Large
December 30
Independence Bowl
- Matchup: Western Kentucky vs. Kansas
- Location: Shreveport, LA
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Conference USA vs. Big 12
This is Conference USA's lone guaranteed tie-in against a Power Four conference (thanks to BYU forfeiting its tie-in after joining the Big 12) so I expect the league to reward its champion with this coveted matchup.
Kansas would be Western Kentucky's first Power Four/Power Five bowl opponent.
Music City Bowl
- Matchup: Illinois vs. LSU
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big Ten
Alamo Bowl
- Matchup: TCU 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.
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: Auburn vs. TCU
- 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
Duke's Mayo Bowl
- Matchup: Duke vs. South Carolina
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- Time: 8 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: ACC vs. SEC
Holiday Bowl
- Matchup: Florida State 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: San Jose State vs. Southern Miss
- Location: TBD
College Football Playoff
First Round
- #5 Oregon vs. #12 Navy
- #6 Indiana vs. #11 BYU
- #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Texas Tech
- #8 Alabama vs. #9 Tennessee
Quarterfinals
Cotton Bowl
- Matchup: #3 Miami vs. #6 Indiana
- 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 Ohio State 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 Ohio State 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 Ohio State vs. #2 Ole Miss
- Location: Miami, FL
- Date: January 19th | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN
