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. Arizona
- 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: Old Dominion vs. Miami (OH)
- Location: Montgomery, AL
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
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: UConn vs. Jacksonville State
- Location: Mobile, AL
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
December 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl
- Matchup: Western Michigan 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. Virginia
- Location: Tampa, FL
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-large vs. At-Large
December 22
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
- Matchup: Ohio vs. UNLV
- Location: Boise, ID
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: MAC vs. Mountain West
December 23
Boca Raton Bowl
- Matchup: Northern Illinois 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: FIU vs. Louisiana-Monroe
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
Former Sun Belt foes met yearly from 2004 to 2012. ULM leads the series 6-2. Neither has an appearance in the Sun Belt's original bowl tie-in. ULM has been waiting 25 years for this moment.
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. Rutgers
- 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. UTSA
- 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
Pinstripe Bowl
- Matchup: Louisville vs. Iowa
- 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
Pop-Tarts Bowl
- Matchup: Notre Dame vs. UCF
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Big 12
Arizona Bowl
- Matchup: Fresno State 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. 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. Missouri
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
- Time: 7:30 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. SEC
Texas Bowl
- Matchup: Oklahoma vs. TCU
- Location: Houston, TX
- Time: 9:15 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big 12
December 29
Birmingham Bowl
- Matchup: Auburn vs. North Texas
- Location: Birmingham, AL
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-Large vs. At-Large
Auburn would be North Texas' first Power Four/Power Five bowl opponent ever.
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. Mississippi State
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big Ten
Alamo Bowl
- Matchup: Texas Tech vs. USC
- Location: San Antonio, TX
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Former PAC-12 member vs. Big 12
Texas Tech and USC last met in a bowl game on New Year's Day 1995, when 6-5 Texas Tech won a five-way tiebreaker to represent the Southwest Conference as champion in the Cotton Bowl. They lost to 7-3-1 USC 55-14.
December 31
ReliaQuest Bowl
- Matchup: Tennessee 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. Ole Miss
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 3 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big Ten
Las Vegas Bowl
- Matchup: Michigan vs. California
- 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: Clemson vs. Houston
- 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 the Big East switched tie-ins with the Conference USA.
Surprisingly, Vanderbilt has not appeared in the Liberty Bowl since 2011.
Duke's Mayo Bowl
- Matchup: Duke vs. South Carolina
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- Time: 8 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: ACC vs. SEC
To Be Scheduled
Holiday Bowl
- Matchup: Florida State vs. Arizona State
- Location: San Diego, CA
- 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 Penn State vs. #12 Navy
- #6 Alabama vs. #11 BYU
- #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Iowa State
- #8 Oregon vs. #9 LSU
Quarterfinals
Cotton Bowl
- Matchup: #3 Miami vs. #6 LSU
- Location: Arlington, TX
- Date: December 31st
Orange Bowl
- Matchup: #4 Georgia vs. #5 Penn State
- Location: Miami, FL
- Date: January 1st | 12 PM ET
Rose Bowl
- Matchup: #1 Ohio State vs. #10 Iowa State
- Location: Pasadena, CA
- Date: January 1st | 4 PM ET
Sugar Bowl
- Matchup: #2 Texas vs. #9 Oregon
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Date: January 1st | 8 PM ET
Semifinals
Fiesta Bowl
- Matchup: #1 Ohio State vs. #5 Penn State
- Location: Glendale, AZ
- Date: January 8th | 7:30 PM ET
Peach Bowl
- Matchup: #3 Miami vs. #2 Texas
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Date: January 8th | 7:30 PM ET
National Championship Game
- Matchup: #1 Ohio State vs. #2 Texas
- Location: Miami, FL
- Date: January 19th | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN
