2025–26 NCAA football bowl games

2025–26 NCAA football bowl games
2025–26 NCAA football bowl games
Season	2025
Number of bowls	64 total:; 47 in D-I; 3 in D-II; 14 in D-III;
All-star games	4 FBS, 1 FCS
Bowl games	December 13, 2025 – January 19, 2026
National Championship	2026 College Football Playoff; National Championship
Location of Championship	Hard Rock Stadium ; (Miami Gardens, Florida)
Champions	Indiana Hoosiers
Bowl Challenge Cup winner	Big Ten Conference
Conference
Bowl record by conference
Conference	Bowls
ACC	14
American	9
Big 12	8
Big Ten	16
C–USA	7
MAC	5
Mountain West	7
Pac-12	1
SEC	14
Sun Belt	10
Independent	1
Note:	CFP first-round games are included
	←2024–25; Bowl game; 2026–27→;

The 2025–26 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football bowl games in the United States, most of which were played to complete the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Team-competitive bowl games in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) began on December 13, 2025, and concluded with the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 19, 2026. Several all-star games followed.

Schedule

Division I FBS bowl games

College Football Playoff bowl games

The College Football Playoff system was used to determine a national champion of Division I FBS college football. This was the 12th year of the College Football Playoff era, and the second year using an expanded, 12-team format.

A committee of experts ranked the top 25 FBS teams after each of the final six weeks of the regular season. Upon release of the final rankings, the top five ranked conference champions were selected to compete in the playoff, along with the seven highest ranked remaining teams. The top four ranked teams received a first-round bye.^[1]

The first round of games were played at campus sites on December 19 and 20, 2025. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds were played at the New Year's Six bowl games. The quarterfinal games were played on December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026, at the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. The semifinal games were played on January 8 and 9, 2026, at the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl. The winners advanced to the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, played on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.^[2]^[3]


First round			Quarterfinals			Semifinals			Championship

			Jan 1 – Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium

Dec 20 – Autzen Stadium			4	Texas Tech	0
						Jan 9 – Peach Bowl, Mercedes-Benz Stadium
5	Oregon	51	5	Oregon	23
						5	Oregon	22
12	James Madison	34	Jan 1 – Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl
						1	Indiana	56
Dec 19 – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium			1	Indiana	38
									Jan 19 – Hard Rock Stadium
8	Oklahoma	24	9	Alabama	3
									1	Indiana	27
9	Alabama	34	Jan 1 – Sugar Bowl, Caesars Superdome
									10	Miami (FL)	21
Dec 20 – Vaught–Hemingway Stadium			3	Georgia	34
						Jan 8 – Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium
6	Ole Miss	41	6	Ole Miss	39
						6	Ole Miss	27
11	Tulane	10	Dec 31 – Cotton Bowl Classic, AT&T Stadium
						10	Miami (FL)	31
Dec 20 – Kyle Field			2	Ohio State	14

7	Texas A&M	3	10	Miami (FL)	24

10	Miami (FL)	10

All times are EST (UTC−5).

College Football Playoff games
Date	Time	Game	Site	Teams	Affiliations	Results	Attendance	Television
Date	Time	Game	Site	Teams	Affiliations	Results	Attendance	Network	U.S. viewers (millions)
Dec 19	8:00 pm	On-campus (First round)	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, Oklahoma	No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide (10–3) No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners (10–2)	SEC SEC	Alabama 34 Oklahoma 24	83,550	ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews	14.94
Dec 20	Noon		Kyle Field College Station, Texas	No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (10–2) No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies (11–1)	ACC SEC	Miami (FL) 10 Texas A&M 3	104,122	ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU	14.72
	3:30 pm		Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, Mississippi	No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (11–1) No. 20 Tulane Green Wave (11–2)	SEC American	Ole Miss 41 Tulane 10	68,251	TNT Sports (TNT, TBS, TruTV, HBO Max)	6.20
	7:30 pm		Autzen Stadium Eugene, Oregon	No. 5 Oregon Ducks (11–1) No. 24 James Madison Dukes (12–1)	Big Ten Sun Belt	Oregon 51 James Madison 34	55,124	TNT Sports (TNT, TBS, TruTV, HBO Max)	4.36
Dec 31	7:30 pm	Cotton Bowl (Quarterfinal)	AT&T Stadium Arlington, Texas	No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (11–2) No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (12–1)	ACC Big Ten	Miami (FL) 24 Ohio State 14	71,323	ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews	19.02
Jan 1	Noon	Orange Bowl (Quarterfinal)	Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida	No. 5 Oregon Ducks (12–1) No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders (12–1)	Big Ten Big 12	Oregon 23 Texas Tech 0	65,021		15.90
	4:00 pm	Rose Bowl (Quarterfinal)	Rose Bowl Pasadena, California	No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (13–0) No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide (11–3)	Big Ten SEC	Indiana 38 Alabama 3	90,278		23.90
	8:00 pm	Sugar Bowl (Quarterfinal)	Caesars Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana	No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (12–1) No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (12–1)	SEC SEC	Ole Miss 39 Georgia 34	68,371		18.66
Jan 8	7:30 pm	Fiesta Bowl (Semifinal)	State Farm Stadium Glendale, Arizona	No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (12–2) No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (13–1)	ACC SEC	Miami (FL) 31 Ole Miss 27	67,928		15.8
Jan 9	7:30 pm	Peach Bowl (Semifinal)	Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia	No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (14–0) No. 5 Oregon Ducks (13–1)	Big Ten Big Ten	Indiana 56 Oregon 22	75,604		18.0
Jan 19	7:30 pm	College Football Playoff National Championship	Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida	No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (15–0) No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (13–2)	Big Ten ACC	Indiana 27 Miami (FL) 21	67,227		30.1

Non-CFP bowl games

The 2025–26 bowl game lineup had one change from the previous season: the Bahamas Bowl was replaced with the Xbox Bowl.^[4] The Frisco Bowl was temporarily relocated to the Ford Center at The Star to accommodate renovations at Toyota Stadium.^[5]

Bowl games that were not part of the College Football Playoff are listed below.^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9] Final CFP rankings, issued before these games were played, are listed where applicable.

Non-College Football Playoff games
Date	Time (EST)	Game	Site	Teams	Affiliations	Results	Attendance	Television
Date	Time (EST)	Game	Site	Teams	Affiliations	Results	Attendance	Network	U.S. viewers (millions)
Dec 13	8:00 pm	LA Bowl	SoFi Stadium Inglewood, California	Washington Huskies^[c] (8–4) Boise State Broncos (9–4)	Big Ten MW	Washington 38 Boise State: 10	23,269	ABC	3.79
Dec 16	9:00 pm	Salute to Veterans Bowl	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, Alabama	Jacksonville State Gamecocks (8–5) Troy Trojans (8–5)	CUSA Sun Belt	Jacksonville State 17 Troy: 13	15,721	ESPN	0.96
Dec 17	5:00 pm	Cure Bowl	Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida	Old Dominion Monarchs (9–3) South Florida Bulls (9–3)	Sun Belt American	Old Dominion 24 South Florida: 10	15,036		1.18
Dec 17	8:30 pm	68 Ventures Bowl	Hancock Whitney Stadium Mobile, Alabama	Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens (6–6) Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (6–6)	CUSA Sun Belt	Delaware: 20 Louisiana: 13	17,234		1.19
Dec 18	9:00 pm	Xbox Bowl	Ford Center at The Star Frisco, Texas	Arkansas State Red Wolves (6–6) Missouri State Bears (7–5)	Sun Belt CUSA	Arkansas State 34 Missouri State 28	7,782	ESPN2	0.46
Dec 19	11:00 am	Myrtle Beach Bowl	Brooks Stadium Conway, South Carolina	Western Michigan Broncos (9–4) Kennesaw State Owls (10–3)	MAC CUSA	Western Michigan 41 Kennesaw State 6	9,139	ESPN	0.81
Dec 19	2:30 pm	Gasparilla Bowl	Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida	NC State Wolfpack (7–5) Memphis Tigers (8–4)	ACC American	NC State 31 Memphis 7	13,336		1.51
Dec 22	2:00 pm	Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	Albertsons Stadium Boise, Idaho	Washington State Cougars (6–6) Utah State Aggies (6–6)	Pac-12 MW	Washington State 34 Utah State 21	17,031		1.25
Dec 23	2:00 pm	Boca Raton Bowl	Flagler Credit Union Stadium Boca Raton, Florida	Louisville Cardinals (8–4) Toledo Rockets (8–4)	ACC MAC	Louisville 27 Toledo 22	15,329		1.64
	5:30 pm	New Orleans Bowl	Caesars Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana	Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8–4) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (7–5)	CUSA Sun Belt	Western Kentucky 27 Southern Miss 16	16,693		2.05
	9:00 pm	Frisco Bowl	Ford Center at The Star Frisco, Texas	Ohio Bobcats (8–4) UNLV Rebels (10–3)	MAC MW	Ohio 17 UNLV 10	6,521		1.70
Dec 24	8:00 pm	Hawaii Bowl	Ching Athletics Complex Honolulu, Hawaii	Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (8–4) California Golden Bears (7–5)	MW ACC	Hawaii 35 California 31	15,194		2.70
Dec 26	1:00 pm	GameAbove Sports Bowl	Ford Field Detroit, Michigan	Northwestern Wildcats (6–6) Central Michigan Chippewas (7–5)	Big Ten MAC	Northwestern 34 Central Michigan 7	27,857		2.39
	4:30 pm	Rate Bowl	Chase Field Phoenix, Arizona	Minnesota Golden Gophers (7–5) New Mexico Lobos (9–3)	Big Ten MW	Minnesota 20 New Mexico 17^(OT)	27,439		4.43
	8:00 pm	First Responder Bowl	Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, Texas	UTSA Roadrunners (6–6) FIU Panthers (7–5)	American CUSA	UTSA 57 FIU 20	8,671		3.13
Dec 27	11:00 am	Military Bowl	Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Annapolis, Maryland	East Carolina Pirates (8–4) Pittsburgh Panthers (8–4)	American ACC	East Carolina 23 Pittsburgh 17	17,016		2.51
	Noon	Pinstripe Bowl	Yankee Stadium Bronx, New York	Penn State Nittany Lions (6–6) Clemson Tigers (7–5)	Big Ten ACC	Penn State 22 Clemson 10	41,101	ABC	7.60
	2:15 pm	Fenway Bowl	Fenway Park Boston, Massachusetts	Army Black Knights (6–6) UConn Huskies (9–3)	American Independent	Army 41 UConn 16	22,461	ESPN	1.81
	3:30 pm	Pop-Tarts Bowl	Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida	No. 12 BYU Cougars (11–2) No. 24 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9–3)	Big 12 ACC	BYU 25 Georgia Tech 21	34,126	ABC	8.70
	4:30 pm	Arizona Bowl	Casino Del Sol Stadium Tucson, Arizona	Fresno State Bulldogs (8–4) Miami (OH) RedHawks (7–6)	MW MAC	Fresno State 18 Miami (OH) 3	37,232	The CW	0.64
	5:45 pm	New Mexico Bowl	University Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico	No. 25 North Texas Mean Green (11–2) San Diego State Aztecs (9–3)	American MW	North Texas 49 San Diego State 47	18,867	ESPN	1.39
	7:30 pm	Gator Bowl	EverBank Stadium Jacksonville, Florida	No. 19 Virginia Cavaliers (10–3) Missouri Tigers (8–4)	ACC SEC	Virginia 13 Missouri 7	31,802	ABC	5.97
	9:15 pm	Texas Bowl	NRG Stadium Houston, Texas	No. 21 Houston Cougars (9–3) LSU Tigers (7–5)	Big 12 SEC	Houston 38 LSU 35	63,867	ESPN	2.92
Dec 29	2:00 pm	Birmingham Bowl	Protective Stadium Birmingham, Alabama	Georgia Southern Eagles (6–6) Appalachian State Mountaineers (5–7)	Sun Belt Sun Belt	Georgia Southern 29 Appalachian State 10	12,092		1.20
Dec 30	2:00 pm	Independence Bowl	Independence Stadium Shreveport, Louisiana	Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7–5) Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6–6)	CUSA Sun Belt	Louisiana Tech 23 Coastal Carolina 14	30,298		1.75
	5:30 pm	Music City Bowl	Nissan Stadium Nashville, Tennessee	Illinois Fighting Illini (8–4) Tennessee Volunteers (8–4)	Big Ten SEC	Illinois 30 Tennessee 28	52,815		5.38
	9:00 pm	Alamo Bowl	Alamodome San Antonio, Texas	TCU Horned Frogs (8–4) No. 16 USC Trojans (9–3) ^[c]	Big 12 Big Ten	TCU 30 USC 27^(OT)	54,751		4.92
Dec 31	Noon	ReliaQuest Bowl	Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida	No. 23 Iowa Hawkeyes (8–4) No. 14 Vanderbilt Commodores (10–2)	Big Ten SEC	Iowa 34 Vanderbilt 27	35,382		4.60
	2:00 pm	Sun Bowl	Sun Bowl El Paso, Texas	Duke Blue Devils (8–5) Arizona State Sun Devils (8–4) ^[c]	ACC Big 12	Duke 42 Arizona State 39	44,975	CBS	2.34
	3:00 pm	Citrus Bowl	Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida	No. 13 Texas Longhorns (9–3) No. 18 Michigan Wolverines (9–3)	SEC Big Ten	Texas 41 Michigan 27	47,316	ABC	9.05
	3:30 pm	Las Vegas Bowl	Allegiant Stadium Paradise, Nevada	No. 15 Utah Utes^[c] (10–2) Nebraska Cornhuskers (7–5)	Big 12 Big Ten	Utah 44 Nebraska 22	38,879	ESPN	3.02
Jan 2	1:00 pm	Armed Forces Bowl	Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, Texas	Texas State Bobcats (6–6) Rice Owls (5–7)	Sun Belt American	Texas State 41 Rice 10	28,243		1.80
	4:30 pm	Liberty Bowl	Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium Memphis, Tennessee	Navy Midshipmen (10–2) Cincinnati Bearcats (7–5)	American Big 12	Navy 35 Cincinnati 13	21,908		3.44
	8:00 pm	Duke's Mayo Bowl	Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, North Carolina	Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8–4) Mississippi State Bulldogs (5–7)	ACC SEC	Wake Forest 43 Mississippi State 29	29,328		2.61
	8:00 pm	Holiday Bowl	Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, California	SMU Mustangs (8–4) No. 17 Arizona Wildcats^[c] (9–3)	ACC Big 12	SMU 24 Arizona 19	30,602	FOX	2.17

Division I FCS bowl game

The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) had one bowl game, the Celebration Bowl. Played between HBCUs, it served as a de facto Black college football national championship. The FCS also had a postseason bracket tournament that culminated in the 2026 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, won by Montana State.^[10]

Date	Time (EST)	Game	Site	Television	Teams	Affiliations	Results	Attendance
Dec 13	Noon	Celebration Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia	ABC	South Carolina State Bulldogs (9–3) Prairie View A&M Panthers (10–3)	MEAC SWAC	South Carolina State 40 Prairie View A&M 38^(4OT)	26,703

Division II bowl games

Three bowl games were held which featured teams that did not qualify for the postseason tournament. This was up from only two bowls in past season, with the addition of the First Americans Bowl.

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Ref.
December 6	Arkansas Tech	West Texas A&M	Community National Bank & Trust Stadium • Corsicana, Texas (Heritage Bowl)	27–28	4,685	^[11]
December 6	Upper Iowa	Hillsdale	Brickyard Stadium • Hobart, Indiana (Albanese Candy Bowl)	37–28	382	^[12]
December 6	East Central	Northeastern State	Doc Wadley Stadium • Tahlequah, Oklahoma (First Americans Bowl)	21–56	4,977	^[13]
^#Rankings from AFCA Coaches poll released prior to the game.

Division III bowl games

Division III held 14 bowl games in 2025, featuring teams that did not qualify for the Division III postseason tournament. This total is up one from the 13 held in 2024, with the return of the Lynah Bowl.

Date	Visiting team	Home team	Site	Result	Attendance	Ref.
November 21	Merchant Marine	Curry	Walter M. Katz Field • Milton, Massachusetts (Fusion Bowl)	27–24	1,000	^[14]
November 22	Misericordia	Carnegie Mellon	Gesling Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Centennial–MAC Bowl Series)	17–24	453	^[15]
November 22	Dickinson	Delaware Valley	James Work Memorial Stadium • Doylestown, Pennsylvania (Centennial–MAC Bowl Series)	13–14	721	^[16]
November 22	Lebanon Valley	Ursinus	Patterson Field • Collegeville, Pennsylvania (Centennial–MAC Bowl Series)	13–31	987	^[17]
November 22	Geneva	Brockport	Bob Boozer Field • Brockport, New York (Whitelaw Bowl)	10–46	1,175	^[18]
November 22	RPI	St. John Fisher	Growney Stadium • Pittsford, New York (Chapman Bowl)	35–24	1,181	^[19]
November 22	Rowan	Utica	Charles A. Gaetano Stadium • Utica, New York (Bushnell Bowl)	26–20	2,655	^[20]
November 22	Hobart	Maritime	Reinhart Field • Throggs Neck, New York (Lynah Bowl)	42–14	1,532	^[21]
November 22	Aurora	Illinois College	Raabe Stadium • Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (Lakefront Bowl)	49–14	453	^[22]
November 22	Wilkes	Shenandoah	Shentel Stadium • Winchester, Virginia (Cape Henry Bowl)	37–35	2,890	^[23]
November 22	Washington & Lee	Lycoming	Girardi Stadium • Williamsport, Pennsylvania (Cape Charles Bowl)	14–12	945	^[24]
November 22	Washington University	UW–Stout	Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium • Sun Prairie, Wisconsin (Isthmus Bowl)	23–31	975	^[25]
November 22	Ohio Northern	Wabash	Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium • Canton, Ohio (ForeverLawn Bowl)	31–32	0	^[26]
November 22	Mount St. Joseph	Westminster (PA)	Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium • Canton, Ohio (Extra Points Bowl)	21–40	0	^[27]
^#Rankings from D3football.com poll released prior to the game.

All-star games

The Tropical Bowl was canceled due to "unforeseen circumstances" outside of the control of the organizers.^[28] The FCS Bowl was postponed indefinitely for similar reasons.^[29] The American Bowl was added to the all-star slate.^[30]^[31]

Date	Time (EST)	Game	Site	Television	Participants	Results	Ref.
Jan 10	Noon	Hula Bowl	Spec Martin Stadium DeLand, Florida	CBS Sports Network^[d]	Team Kai Team Aina	Kai 38 Aina 21	^[33]
Jan 22	8:00 pm	The American Bowl	Victory Field Lakeland, Florida	NFL Network	Team Warhawks Team Guardians	Warhawks 7 Guardians 6	^[34]^[35]
Jan 27	7:00 pm	East–West Shrine Bowl	Ford Center at The Star Frisco, Texas		West Team East Team	West 21 East 17	^[36]
Jan 31	2:30 pm	Senior Bowl	Hancock Whitney Stadium Mobile, Alabama		American Team National Team	American 17 National 9	^[37]^[38]
Feb 21	4:00 pm	HBCU Legacy Bowl	Yulman Stadium New Orleans, Louisiana		Team Gaither Team Robinson	Gaither 27 Robinson 23	^[39]^[40]

The HBCU Legacy Bowl features players from historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). Most HBCU football programs compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) or the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), which are part of FCS.

Team selections

CFP top 25 standings and bowl games

The College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee announced its final team rankings for the season on December 7, 2025.

The top five ranked conference champions, along with the seven highest ranked remaining teams, were selected to compete in the College Football Playoff. The top four ranked teams received a first-round bye. This was a change from the 2024–25 season, when the top four ranked conference champions were given a first-round bye.^[1]

This was the first time that two Group of Five teams – Tulane and James Madison – were included in the playoff.^[41]^[42]

Rank	Team	W–L	Conference and standing	Bowl game
1	Indiana Hoosiers	13–0	Big Ten champions	Rose Bowl (CFP quarterfinal)
2	Ohio State Buckeyes	12–1	Big Ten first place (tie)	Cotton Bowl (CFP quarterfinal)
3	Georgia Bulldogs	12–1	SEC champions	Sugar Bowl (CFP quarterfinal)
4	Texas Tech Red Raiders	12–1	Big 12 champions	Orange Bowl (CFP quarterfinal)
5	Oregon Ducks	11–1	Big Ten third place	CFP first-round game
6	Ole Miss Rebels	11–1	SEC first place (tie)	CFP first-round game
7	Texas A&M Aggies	11–1	SEC first place (tie)	CFP first-round game
8	Oklahoma Sooners	10–2	SEC fifth place (tie)	CFP first-round game
9	Alabama Crimson Tide	10–3	SEC first place (tie)	CFP first-round game
10	Miami Hurricanes	10–2	ACC second place (tie)	CFP first-round game
11	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	10–2	Independent	Declined bowl bid ^[43]
12	BYU Cougars	11–2	Big 12 first place (tie)	Pop-Tarts Bowl
13	Texas Longhorns	9–3	SEC fifth place (tie)	Citrus Bowl
14	Vanderbilt Commodores	10–2	SEC fifth place (tie)	ReliaQuest Bowl
15	Utah Utes	10–2	Big 12 third place	Las Vegas Bowl
16	USC Trojans	9–3	Big Ten fourth place (tie)	Alamo Bowl
17	Arizona Wildcats	9–3	Big 12 fourth place (tie)	Holiday Bowl
18	Michigan Wolverines	9–3	Big Ten fourth place (tie)	Citrus Bowl
19	Virginia Cavaliers	10–3	ACC first place	Gator Bowl
20	Tulane Green Wave	11–2	American champions	CFP first-round game
21	Houston Cougars	9–3	Big 12 fourth place (tie)	Texas Bowl
22	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	9–3	ACC second place (tie)	Pop-Tarts Bowl
23	Iowa Hawkeyes	8–4	Big Ten sixth place	ReliaQuest Bowl
24	James Madison Dukes	12–1	Sun Belt champions	CFP first-round game
25	North Texas Mean Green	11–2	American first place (tie)	New Mexico Bowl

Unranked conference champions' bowl games
Rank	Team	W–L	Conference and standing	Bowl game
–	Kennesaw State Owls	10–4	CUSA champions	Myrtle Beach Bowl
–	Western Michigan Broncos	10–4	MAC champions	Myrtle Beach Bowl
–	Boise State Broncos	9–5	Mountain West champions	LA Bowl
–	Duke Blue Devils	8–5	ACC champions	Sun Bowl

Selection of teams

The below lists of teams are based on team records as published by the NCAA and bowl eligibility criteria.

Bowl-eligible teams

ACC (11): California^†, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (FL), NC State, Pittsburgh, SMU, Virginia, Wake Forest
American (8): Army, East Carolina, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, South Florida, Tulane, UTSA
Big Ten (12): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon^†, Penn State, USC^†, Washington^†
Big 12 (10): Arizona^†, Arizona State^†, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State^‡, Kansas State^‡, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah
CUSA (7): Delaware^[e], FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Louisiana Tech, Missouri State^[f], Western Kentucky
MAC (5): Central Michigan, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Mountain West (7): Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah State
Pac-12 (1): Washington State
SEC (10): Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Sun Belt (9): Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, James Madison, Louisiana, Old Dominion, Southern Miss, Texas State, Troy
Independent (2): Notre Dame^‡, UConn

Number of postseason berths available: 82

Number of bowl-eligible teams: 82

^†: Former Pac-12 teams were considered for bowls with Pac-12 tie-ins instead of their current conference for 2025.

^‡ Iowa State, Kansas State, and Notre Dame opted out of their bowl games, but they were still bowl-eligible.

Teams declining a bowl

Several teams declined bowl bids:^[48]

ACC (1): Florida State^†
American (1): Temple^†^[g]
Big Ten (1): Rutgers^†
Big 12 (5): Baylor^†, Kansas^†, UCF^†, Iowa State, Kansas State
SEC (1): Auburn^†
Independent (1): Notre Dame

^† Florida State, Temple, Rutgers, Baylor, Kansas, UCF, and Auburn were not bowl-eligible, but they were asked to participate in a bowl game due to bowl-eligible teams opting out.

Bowl-ineligible teams

ACC (6): Boston College, Florida State, North Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia Tech
American (6): Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice^†, Temple, Tulsa, UAB
Big Ten (6): Maryland, Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, Wisconsin
Big 12 (6): Baylor, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma State, UCF, West Virginia
CUSA (5): Liberty, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, UTEP
MAC (8): Akron^[h], Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois, UMass
Mountain West (5): Air Force, Colorado State, Nevada, San Jose State, Wyoming
Pac-12 (1): Oregon State
SEC (6): Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State^†, South Carolina
Sun Belt (5): Appalachian State^†, Georgia State, Louisiana–Monroe, Marshall, South Alabama

Number of bowl-ineligible teams: 54

^† Appalachian State, Mississippi State, and Rice were not bowl-eligible, but they participated in a bowl game due to bowl-eligible teams opting out.

Conference performance in bowl games

CFP bowl games are denoted in bold type. First-round CFP playoff games are included, and denoted as CFP1.

Conference	Games			Record	Win%	Bowls
Conference	CFP	Other	Total	Record	Win%	Won	Lost
ACC	3	11	14	9–5	.643	CFP1, Cotton, Fiesta, Gasparilla, Boca Raton, Gator, Sun, Holiday, Duke's Mayo	Hawaii, Military, Pinstripe, Pop-Tarts, Championship
American	1	8	9	5–4	.556	First Responder, Military, Fenway, New Mexico, Liberty	CFP1, Cure, Gasparilla, Armed Forces
Big 12	1	7	8	4–4	.500	Pop-Tarts, Texas, Alamo, Las Vegas	Orange, Sun, Liberty, Holiday
Big Ten	7	9	16	11–5	.688	CFP1, Orange, Rose, Peach, Championship, LA, GameAbove Sports, Rate, Pinstripe, Music City, ReliaQuest	Cotton, Peach, Alamo, Las Vegas, Citrus
CUSA	N/a	7	7	4–3	.571	Salute to Veterans, 68 Ventures, New Orleans, Independence	Xbox, Myrtle Beach, First Responder
MAC	N/a	5	5	2–3	.400	Myrtle Beach, Frisco	Boca Raton, GameAbove Sports, Arizona
Mountain West	N/a	7	7	2–5	.286	Hawaii, Arizona	LA, Famous Idaho Potato, Frisco, Rate, New Mexico
Pac-12	N/a	1	1	1–0	1.000	Famous Idaho Potato	N/a
SEC	8	6	14	4–10	.286	CFP1 × 2, Sugar, Citrus	CFP1 × 2, Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Gator, Texas, Music City, ReliaQuest, Duke's Mayo
Sun Belt	1	9	10	4–6	.400	Cure, Xbox, Birmingham, Armed Forces	CFP1, Salute to Veterans, 68 Ventures, New Orleans, Birmingham, Independence
Independent	N/a	1	1	0–1	.000	N/a	Fenway

Notes:

One CFP first-round game featured two SEC teams.
The Birmingham Bowl featured two Sun Belt teams.
The Sugar Bowl featured two SEC teams.
The Peach Bowl featured two Big Ten teams.

Venues

Non-CFP bowls

This bowl season's 35 non-CFP bowl games utilized 31 different venues.^[i] Prestige and capacity of venues usually increases as the schedule progresses through December, in large part due to scheduling the top 25 teams late into the bowl games' time frame, while bowl games before Christmas typically involve schools in Group of Five conferences. The televising of bowl games was largely run by ESPN and its associated networks (ABC and ESPN2), with only three bowl games broadcast by a non-affiliated network:^[51] the Holiday Bowl on Fox, the Sun Bowl on CBS, and the Arizona Bowl on The CW.

CFP bowls

The College Football Playoff, which includes the New Year's Six, was staged at a total of six different venues for the quarterfinals (4 games), semifinals (2 games), and championship (1 game):

AT&T Stadium in Arlington was the venue for the Cotton Bowl, a quarterfinal.
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens was the venue for the Orange Bowl, a quarterfinal, and the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Rose Bowl in Pasadena was the venue for the Rose Bowl, a quarterfinal.
Caesars Superdome in New Orleans was the venue for the Sugar Bowl, a quarterfinal.
State Farm Stadium in Glendale was the venue for the Fiesta Bowl, a semifinal.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was the venue for the Peach Bowl, a semifinal.

The four first-round games, not listed here, were contested at campus sites.

Glendale (Phoenix area)	Atlanta	New Orleans
State Farm Stadium	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Caesars Superdome
Capacity: 78,600	Capacity: 75,000	Capacity: 76,468

Pasadena (Los Angeles area)	Glendale Atlanta Pasadena New Orleans Arlington Miami Gardens Venues of the 2025-26 New Year's Six Bowls Source: College Football Playoff
Rose Bowl
Capacity: 89,702

Arlington (Dallas/Fort Worth area)	Miami Gardens (Miami area)^NC
AT&T Stadium	Hard Rock Stadium
Capacity: 105,000	Capacity: 64,767

Venues hosting multiple bowls

The following venues were selected to host more than one bowl game or all-star game:

Caesars Superdome (New Orleans): New Orleans Bowl, Sugar Bowl
Camping World Stadium (Orlando): Cure Bowl, Pop-Tarts Bowl, Citrus Bowl
Ford Center at The Star (Dallas area): Frisco Bowl, Xbox Bowl, East–West Shrine Bowl†
Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile): 68 Ventures Bowl, Senior Bowl†
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami area): Orange Bowl, National Championship
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta): Peach Bowl, Celebration Bowl‡
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa): Gasparilla Bowl, ReliaQuest Bowl

† Denotes an all-star game
‡ Denotes an FCS bowl game

Notes

↑ 11 College Football Playoff (CFP) games, 35 non-CFP FBS bowl games, and 1 FCS bowl game.
↑ Dates reflect Division I team-competitive bowl games, and they exclude all-star games and bowl games in lower divisions.
1 2 3 4 5 Former Pac-12 team; considered for bowls with tie-ins to that conference for this bowl season.
↑ It was reported that the Hula Bowl did not air on CBS Sports Network as had been planned.^[32]
↑ Delaware was normally bowl-ineligible due to their FCS-to-FBS transition; however, as they posted a bowl-eligible record and there were not enough bowl-eligible teams, they were invited.^[44]^[45]
↑ Missouri State was normally bowl-ineligible due to their FCS-to-FBS transition; however, as they posted a bowl-eligible record and there were not enough bowl-eligible teams, they were invited.^[46]^[47]
↑ Temple later clarified that while they were offered a bid, they did not have enough time to accept the bid before it was offered to another school.^[49]
↑ Akron was ineligible due to low APR scores. The team posted a 5–7 record for the season, and they would not have been bowl-eligible regardless.^[50] They would have been bowl ineligible in any circumstance as they finished 5–7.
↑ During this bowl season, the Cure Bowl, Pop-Tarts Bowl, and Citrus Bowl shared the same venue; the Gasparilla Bowl and ReliaQuest Bowl shared the same venue; and the Frisco Bowl and Xbox Bowl shared the same venue.

References

1 2 Dinich, Heather (May 22, 2025). "College Football Playoff Going to New Straight Seeding Model". ESPN. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
↑ "2025-26 College Football Playoff Schedule, Dates, TV channel, Sites". NCAA. January 24, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
↑ Flounders, Bob (April 23, 2025). "Rose Bowl Moving Its Iconic Starting Time for College Football Playoff". Penn Live. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
↑ Neumann, Sam (December 4, 2025). "Xbox Bowl Permanently Replacing Bahamas Bowl in ESPN Postseason Schedule". Awful Announcing. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
↑ Guzmán Castaños, Marlenys (29 August 2025). "Frisco Bowl Moves To Ford Center At The Star For 2025". Local Profile. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
↑ "College Football Bowl Schedule | 2025". FBSchedules. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
↑ "College Football Bowl Ties, Affiliations for Each Conference 2025-2026". College Football News. January 26, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
↑ Dochterman, Scott (December 26, 2026). "What's Next for the Bowls? How the Non-Playoff Postseason Is Bracing for the Future". The Athletic. Archived from the original on March 26, 2025. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
↑ Jeyarajah, Shehan (June 5, 2025). "2025-26 College Football Bowl Schedule, Games, Dates, Locations, Kickoff Times, TV Channels". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
↑ "Montana State tops Illinois State in wild FCS title game". ESPN.com. January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
↑ "Buffs Win a Wild Heritage Bowl in Corsicana, Martinez Named MVP". gobuffsgo.com. West Texas A&M University. December 6, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ "Peacocks snag sweet victory in Albanese Candy Bowl showdown". uiupeacocks.com. Upper Iowa University. December 6, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ "NSU closes season with records, 7 wins and rout of East Central". goriverhawksgo.com. Northeastern State University. December 6, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ "Football Closes Out The Season With 27-24 Fusion Bowl Victory Over Curry". usmmasports.com. United States Merchant Marine Academy. November 21, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ "Tartans Close Season with 24-17 Centennial-MAC Bowl Series Victory Over Misericordia". athletics.cmu.edu. Carnegie Mellon University. November 22, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ Manns, Max (November 22, 2025). "Football Tops Dickinson in Centennial-MAC Bowl Behind Migliori's MVP Performance". athletics.delval.edu. Delaware Valley University. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ "Football Takes Down Lebanon Valley 31-13 in Centennial-MAC Bowl Series Game". ursinusathletics.com. Ursinus College. November 22, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ "Golden Eagles Fly High at Home in ECAC Bowl Game". gobrockport.com. State University of New York at Brockport. November 22, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ Donnelly, Adrian (November 22, 2025). "RPI Captures Third Straight ECAC Bowl with 35–24 Win at St. John Fisher". rpiathletics.com. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ "Football Fends Off Utica, 26-20, to Capture ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl; Bukula IV Named MVP". rowanathletics.com. Rowan University. November 22, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ DeBolt, Ken (November 22, 2025). "Hobart dominates Lynah Bowl, sinks Privateers 42-14". hwsathletics.com. Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ "Spartans win SmileyCookie.com LakeFront Bowl". athletics.aurora.edu. Aurora University. November 22, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
↑ "Wilkes Football Crowned Cape Henry Bowl Champions on Last Second Field Goal 37-35". gowilkesu.com. Wilkes University. November 22, 2025. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
↑ "Football Staves Off Lycoming Comeback to Hoist Cape Charles Bowl Trophy". generalssports.com. Washington and Lee University. November 22, 2025. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
↑ "Blue Devils Win 5th Annual Culver's Isthmus Bowl 31-23 Over WashU". stoutbluedevils.com. University of Wisconsin–Stout. November 22, 2025. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
↑ "Wabash Stuns Ohio Northern 32–31 With Last-Second Touchdown, Two-Point Conversion to Win 2025 ForeverLawn Bowl". sports.wabash.edu. Wabash College. November 22, 2025. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
↑ "Westminster registers second-straight Extra Points Bowl victory". athletics.westminster.edu. Westminster College. November 22, 2025. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
↑ @Scouting777 (December 17, 2025). "OFFICIAL STATEMENT" (Tweet). Retrieved January 18, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
↑ fcsbowl (December 2025). "FCS Bowl Update". Retrieved January 18, 2026 – via Instagram.
↑ Brice, John (July 8, 2025). "College football has a new all-star game debuting on NFL Network". FootballScoop. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
↑ Lamb, Brian (January 19, 2026). "2026 American Bowl Is Poised For All-Star Game Circuit Spotlight". Draft Countdown. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
↑ Lamb, Brian (January 13, 2026). "Hula Bowl Ownership Continues To Disappoint NFL Draft Prospects". draftcountdown.com. Retrieved January 22, 2026. those looking for the game were left with an airing on Brian Baldinger's YouTube.
↑ Allen, Zach (January 10, 2026). "How Jon and Jay Gruden's head-coaching matchup went at the Hula Bowl". Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
↑ @King_Szn10 (January 22, 2026). "Warhawks beat Guardians 7-6" (Tweet). Retrieved January 23, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
↑ "2026 American Bowl highlights". NFL Network. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
↑ Reuter, Chad (January 27, 2026). "2026 NFL Draft: 8 prospects who stood out in East-West Shrine Bowl". NFL.com. Retrieved January 28, 2026. The West team defeated the East team, 21-17, in the 101st East-West Shrine Bowl on Tuesday night.
↑ Stephenson, Creg (January 16, 2026). "Senior Bowl head coaches for 2026 game announced". al.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
↑ Stephenson, Creg (January 31, 2026). "Garrett Nussmeier leads American team to 17-9 win over National in Panini Senior Bowl". al.com. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
↑ "Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl". hbculegacybowl.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
↑ "Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl 2026, Yulman Stadium, Tulane University, New Orleans". hbcuweeknow.com. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
↑ Fee-Platt, Jordy (December 7, 2025). "How Did Both Tulane and James Madison End Up in the College Football Playoff?". The Athletic. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
↑ Busbee, Jay (December 9, 2025). "JMU, Tulane and Other G5 Schools Belong in CFP, No Matter What ESPN Says". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
↑ Leuzzi, John (December 27, 2025). "Why did Notre Dame decline Pop-Tarts Bowl invite? Explaining opt-out". USA Today. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
↑ @ConferenceUSA (November 29, 2025). "Post See new posts Conversation Conference USA @ConferenceUSA 🐔 BOWL BOUND HENS 🐔 @Delaware_FB will play in a bowl game in its first year in FBS 🙌 #NoLimitsOnUs" (Tweet). Retrieved November 29, 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).
↑ @BowlSeason (November 29, 2025). "GO BLUE HENS! 6️⃣ wins and @Delaware_FB _fb is officially #BowlBound!" (Tweet). Retrieved November 29, 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).
↑ @ConferenceUSA (November 29, 2025). "🐻 BOWL BOUND BEARS 🐻 @MoStateFootball will play in a bowl game in its first year in FBS 🙌 #NoLimitsOnUs" (Tweet). Retrieved November 29, 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).
↑ @BowlSeason (November 29, 2025). "GO BEARS! 6️⃣ wins and @MoStateFootball is officially #BowlBound!" (Tweet). Retrieved November 29, 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).
↑ Meyer, Craig (December 7, 2025). "Which college football teams have declined bowl invitations?". USA Today. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
↑ "A Clarification from Temple". Temple University. December 8, 2025. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
↑ Beaven, Michael (May 7, 2025). "Akron Zips Football Is Not Bowl Eligible Before 2025 NCAA Season Even Begins. Here's Why". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
↑ Schrotenboer, Brent (December 19, 2025). "Are 41 bowls too many for college football? One TV network wants more". USA Today. Retrieved December 30, 2025.