Non-Playoff Bowls
December 12
Celebration Bowl
- Matchup: Morgan State vs. Grambling State
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Time: 12 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: MEAC Champion vs. SWAC Champion
This was once Black College Football’s game of the year. These two schools met almost yearly at Yankee Stadium from 1968 to 1983. The pair of HBCU blue bloods have not met since 1994.
December 15
Salute to Veterans Bowl
- Matchup: Georgia State vs. North Texas
- Location: Montgomery, AL
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
Frisco Football Classic
- Matchup: Louisiana vs. Wyoming
- Location: Frisco, TX
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
December 18
Boca Raton Bowl
- Matchup: Ohio vs. FAU
- Location: Boca Raton, FL
- Time: 11 AM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
Gasparilla Bowl
- Matchup: USF vs. Virginia Tech
- Location: Tampa, FL
- Time: 12 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
December 21
Myrtle Beach Bowl
- Matchup: Delaware vs. Toledo
- Location: Conway, SC
- Time: 11 AM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-large vs. At-Large
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
- Matchup: James Madison vs. North Dakota State
- Location: Boise, ID
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-large vs. At-Large
There is a very real possibility that 12-win James Madison and North Dakota State squads get left out of the College Football Playoff. The winner of Western Michigan-Boise State seems poised to make the College Football Playoff early on. If that is the case, then ESPN will work its magic and get these two former FCS titans together in Boise, with NDSU being the de facto home team here.
December 22
Puerto Rico Bowl
- Matchup: Troy vs. Eastern Michigan
- Location: San Juan, PR
- Time: 1:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-large vs. MAC
Cure Bowl
- Matchup: FIU vs. Georgia Southern
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 5 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. Group of Five
Independence Bowl
- Matchup: Oregon State vs. Cincinnati
- Location: Shreveport, LA
- Time: 8:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Legacy PAC-12 #6 vs. Big 12 (Sun Belt backup tie-in)
December 23
New Orleans Bowl
- Matchup: Liberty vs. Louisiana Tech
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Conference USA vs. Sun Belt
Armed Forces Bowl
- Matchup: South Alabama vs. Army
- Location: Fort Worth, TX
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Group of Five vs. At-large
Poinsettia Bowl
- Matchup: Cal vs. Fresno State
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Time: 7:30 PM ET | The CW
- Tie-in: New PAC-12 Member #2 vs. Former PAC-12 school #7
Frisco Bowl
- Matchup: UConn vs. San Jose State
- Location: Frisco, TX
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-Large vs. At-Large
December 24
New Mexico Bowl
- Matchup: Western Michigan vs. New Mexico
- Location: Albuquerque, NM
- Time: 2:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Mountain West vs. At-Large
Barring they make the College Football Playoff, New Mexico seems like a lock for their home town bowl since it will be on Christmas Eve and they haven’t appeared since 2016.
This would also be a rematch of the 1961 Aviation Bowl, New Mexico’s only bowl win until 2007.
Hawai’i Bowl
- Matchup: Jacksonville State vs. Air Force
- Location: Honolulu, HI
- Time: 8 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: New PAC-12 member #2 vs. Mountain West
After appearing in the DFW for their last three bowls from 2021 to 2023, the Falcons get an island reprieve. This would be Air Force’s first appearance on the island for a bowl game since 1998, when they went 12-1 and won the WAC. They capped their dream year with a 45-25 win in the Oahu Bowl over Washington. I have the PAC-12 vacating this one, with Jacksonville State taking their place.
December 26
Pinstripe Bowl
- Matchup: Duke vs. Minnesota
- Location: Bronx, NY
- Time: 12 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Big 10 non-CFP #5
Fenway Bowl
- Matchup: Temple vs. UMass
- Location: Boston, MA
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: AAC vs. At-Large
After a huge win over Rutgers, the possibility of UMass playing its first bowl game since the 1978 Pioneer Bowl at Fenway Park is too much of an opportunity for the Fenway Bowl to pass up. Combine this with a Temple team I project to make its first bowl since 2019, and the Fenway Bowl could have a new attendance record on its hands.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
- Matchup: Penn State vs. Pitt
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Big 10 non-CFP #3
This would be the 101st meeting bweteen these two and first since 2019.
68 Ventures Bowl
- Matchup: Miami (OH) vs. New Mexico State
- Location: Mobile, AL
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-Large vs. At-Large
Cactus Bowl
- Matchup: Baylor vs. Northwestern
- Location: Tempe, AZ
- Time: 7:30 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: Big 12 vs. Big Ten non-CFP #6
December 28
Military Bowl
- Matchup: UTSA vs. North Carolina
- Location: Annapolis, MD
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: American vs. ACC
Holiday Bowl
- Matchup: USC vs. Clemson
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Time: 5 PM ET | The CW
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Legacy PAC-12 member #3
December 29
Birmingham Bowl
- Matchup: Memphis vs. Louisville
- Location: Birmingham, AL
- Time: 2 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-Large vs. At-Large
Pop-Tarts Bowl
- Matchup: Oklahoma State vs. SMU
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 5:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: ACC vs. Big 12
Alamo Bowl
- Matchup: Houston vs. UCLA
- Location: San Antonio, TX
- Time: 9 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Legacy PAC-12 member #1 vs. Big 12
December 30
Gator Bowl
- Matchup: Florida State vs. LSU
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
- Time: 11:30 AM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. ACC
December 31
Music City Bowl
- Matchup: Wisconsin vs. Missouri
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Time: 12 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Big 10 non-CFP #4 vs. SEC
Reliaquest Bowl
- Matchup: Florida vs. Nebraska
- Location: Tampa, FL
- Time: 3 PM ET | ABC
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big Ten non-CFP #2
Sun Bowl
- Matchup: Wake Forest vs. Arizona
- Location: El Paso, TX
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Former PAC-12 member #4 vs. ACC
Las Vegas Bowl
- Matchup: South Carolina vs. Oregon
- Location: Las Vegas, NV
- Time: 3:45 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Legacy PAC-12 member #2 vs. SEC
Texas Bowl
- Matchup: Mississippi State vs. Kansas State
- Location: Houston, TX
- Time: 7.30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big 12
January 2
Citrus Bowl
- Matchup: Iowa vs. Ole Miss
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Time: 12 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: Big Ten non-CFP #1 vs. SEC
First Responder Bowl
- Matchup: Tulsa vs. Virginia
- Location: College Park, TX
- Time: 3:30 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: At-Large vs. At-Large
Liberty Bowl
- Matchup: Kentucky vs. UCF
- Location: Memphis, TN
- Time: 7 PM ET | ESPN
- Tie-in: SEC vs. Big 12 (American Conference Backup)
Arizona Bowl
- Matchup: Buffalo vs. UNLV
- Location: Tucson, AZ
- Time: TBD | The CW
- Tie-in: MAC vs. Mountain West
College Football Playoff
First Round
- #5 Alabama vs. #12 Boise State
- #6 Texas vs. #11 BYU
- #7 Ohio State vs. #10 Tennessee
- #8 Texas Tech vs. #9 Utah
Quarterfinals
Fiesta Bowl
- Matchup: #2 Indiana vs. #7 Ohio State
- Location: Glendale, AZ
- Date: December 30th
Peach Bowl
- Matchup: #3 Georgia vs. #6 Texas
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Date: January 1st | 12 PM ET
Rose Bowl
- Matchup: #1 Notre Dame vs. #9 Utah
- Location: Pasadena, CA
- Date: January 1st | 4 PM ET
Cotton Bowl
- Matchup: #4 Miami vs. #5 Alabama
- Location: Arlington, TX
- Date: January 1st | 8 PM ET
Semifinals
Orange Bowl
- Matchup: #1 Notre Dame vs. #4 Ole Miss
- Location: Miami Gardens, FL
- Date: January 14th | 7:30 PM ET
Sugar Bowl
- Matchup: #3 Georgia vs. #2 Indiana
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Date: January 15th | 7:30 PM ET
National Championship Game
- Matchup: #1 Notre Dame vs. #3 Georgia
- Location: Miami, FL
- Date: January 19th | 7:30 PM ET | ESPN
