Believe it or not, college football’s bowl season begins this weekend. Boise State and Washington kick off the final stretch of the season in Los Angeles on Saturday before a few weekday offerings set up next weekend’s College Football Playoff first-round games.
The best of the bowl schedule is centered around the week immediately after Christmas, but there’s plenty of fun to be had before then.
Here’s your primer of all 35 FBS bowl games, ranked in intrigue from 35 down to 1.
35. JLab Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Appalachian State
- Date:Â Monday, Dec. 29, 2025
- Kick Off: 2 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
This is the only bowl matchup between teams that have already faced off this season. Appalachian State (5-7 overall) and first-year head coach Dowell Loggains will simultaneously be trying to reach a sixth win and get back at Georgia Southern for winning on the road in the teams’ matchup last month.
34. Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech vs. Coastal Carolina
- Date:Â Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025
- Kick Off: 2 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
These are two teams headed in different directions. Louisiana Tech has won its past two games, while Coastal has lost three in a row and just hired a new head coach. But that doesn’t mean they won’t both end the season with 7-6 records if Coastal pulls off the upset.
33. Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Texas State vs. Rice
- Date:Â Friday, Jan. 2, 2026
- Kick Off: 1 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
A few teams opting out of bowls set up this in-state matchup between the option-heavy Owls and Texas State’s prolific offense. The Bobcats had to win their final three games to get back to .500Â and will be eager not to be upset and dip back below that mark.
32. 68 Ventures Bowl: Louisiana vs. Delaware
- Date:Â Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025
- Kick Off: 8:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
The Delaware Blue Hens are bowling in their first season at the FBS level, and the key to their first bowl win may come down to which team’s poor run defense holds up better against the threat of an opposing quarterback who has run for at least nine touchdowns this season.
31. SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: UTSA vs. Florida International
- Date:Â Friday, Dec. 26, 2025
- Kick Off: 8 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Florida International has won four games in a row but is a clear underdog against a UTSA team that has multiple 20-plus-point wins against top American Conference teams and is playing this game in its home state.
30. Xbox Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Missouri State
- Date:Â Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025
- Kick Off: 9 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN2
It’s fitting that this game features one team (Missouri State) in its first FBS season playing in the inaugural Xbox Bowl. Perhaps this is the start of a rivalry between two schools from states that border each other.
29. GameAbove Sports Bowl: Northwestern vs. Central Michigan
- Date:Â Friday, Dec. 26, 2025
- Kick Off: 1 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Northwestern is widely expected to win its sixth bowl game in a row in the first post-Christmas bowl game of this season. At the same time, an upset loss would give the Wildcats a losing record for the fifth time in the past 10 years.
28. New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss
- Date:Â Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025
- Kick Off: 5:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Charles Huff’s time in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was one and done, as the head coach left for Memphis after joining Southern Miss by way of Marshall ahead of this season. Both of these teams ended this fall on a skid after each started the season at least 7-2.
27. Wasabi Fenway Bowl: UConn vs. Army
- Date:Â Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025
- Kick Off: 2:15 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Army has a more important game left to play against Navy this Saturday, but the Black Knights already clinched their sixth season in a row with a .500 or better record. It’s no cinch that UConn will be more focused, however, given that head coach Jim Mora left to coach Colorado State after helping the Huskies to a stellar 9-3 regular season.
26. IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl: Jacksonville State vs. Troy
- Date:Â Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025
- Kick Off: 9 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Two conference runner-ups will face off in one of this season’s first bowl games. Not only are both the Gamecocks’ and Trojans’ campuses situated in Alabama, but that’s where they’ll be playing this game.
25. Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl: Fresno State vs. Miami (Ohio)
- Date:Â Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025
- Kick Off: 4:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: The CW Network
The RedHawks have already had a couple of top players reportedly enter the transfer portal following their loss in the MAC Championship Game. That, coupled with Fresno State playing much closer to home (not to mention being the home state of bowl sponsor Snoop Dogg), seemingly gives the Bulldogs an edge.
24. Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl: UNLV vs. Ohio
- Date:Â Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025
- Kick Off: 9 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
This is an opportunity for UNLV to end head coach Dan Mullen’s first season with the Rebels on a high note after they were largely dominated by Boise State, for the second time this season, in the Mountain West Championship Game last weekend. Ohio is in a strange situation with fellow first-year head coach Brian Smith being placed on leave.
23. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Washington State vs. Utah State
- Date:Â Monday, Dec. 22, 2025
- Kick Off: 2 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Apart from an odd loss at Oregon State last month, Washington State has quietly been one of the hotter teams in college football as of late, losing to top-20 teams Ole Miss, Virginia and James Madison by a combined nine points and claiming its past three wins by at least 21 points apiece. In Utah State, the Cougars will fittingly face a future Pac-12 Conference foe to end this season before the new conference starts play next season.
22. Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl: Louisville vs. Toledo
- Date:Â Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025
- Kick Off: 2 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
It’s hard to know what to expect of Louisville after it followed three consecutive losses with a 41-0 win over rival Kentucky. At any rate, the Cardinals should have a lot of edges over Toledo despite both teams holding 8-4 records.
21. StaffDNA Cure Bowl: South Florida vs. Old Dominion
- Date:Â Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025
- Kick Off: 5 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
This midweek offering took a hit when Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph entered the transfer portal and his USF counterpart, Byrum Brown, opted out of this game. Still, it’s a chance for one of two strong 9-3 teams to reach double-digit wins.
20. Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State
- Date:Â Friday, Jan. 2, 2026
- Kick Off: 8 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Despite the fact that Mississippi State (currently 5-7) is destined to finish this season with a losing record, the Bulldogs should be able to put up quite a fight against an overachieving Wake Forest squad that’s playing in its home state.
19. Myrtle Beach Bowl: Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan
- Date:Â Friday, Dec. 19, 2025
- Kick Off: 11 a.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
These two teams have not only gone from having losing records last season to at least nine wins this year; they also just won their respective Group of Five conferences. Will the MAC (Western Michigan) or Conference USA (Kennesaw State) end the season with bragging rights?
18. Isleta New Mexico Bowl: North Texas vs. San Diego State
- Date:Â Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025
- Kick Off: 5:45 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
This is an opportunity for one team to salvage a strong season after North Texas took a bit of a beating in the American Conference Championship Game, and San Diego State lost its final regular-season game and was left out of the Mountain West Championship Game. It pits the nation’s highest-scoring offense (UNT)Â against a top-five scoring defense (SDSU).
17. Rate Bowl: Minnesota vs. New Mexico
- Date:Â Friday, Dec. 26, 2025
- Kick Off: 4:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Winner gets the Michigan job? All speculation aside, New Mexico is aiming for just its second 10-win season in school history and is facing its third Big Ten foe this season after hanging with Michigan and routing UCLA, both on the road.
16. Go Bowling Military Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina
- Date:Â Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025
- Kick Off: 11 a.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
These two 8-4 teams have one common opponent, NC State, whom the Pirates lost close to and the Panthers beat handily. Both have won six of their past eight games but have had a recent blowout loss (UTSA for ECU and Miami for Pitt).
15. Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: NC State vs. Memphis
- Date:Â Friday, Dec. 19, 2025
- Kick Off: 2:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
NC State won its past two games while Memphis lost its last three (albeit all to teams with eight wins or more). Does that mean the Wolfpack will catch the Tigers and end up with an identical 8-5 record?
14. SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs. Nebraska
- Date:Â Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025
- Kick Off: 3:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Nebraska’s kryptonite this season has been its shoddy run defense, and Utah has the best ground game among Power Conference teams. With the Huskers’ own star running back, Emmett Johnson, opting out to enter the NFL Draft, it’s hard to see how they’ll have the firepower to match the Utes. As such, this game has the highest point spread of any bowl (not including College Football Playoff games).
13. Kinder’s Texas Bowl: Houston vs. LSU
- Date:Â Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025
- Kick Off: 9:15 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Lane Kiffin won’t be coaching the Tigers yet, and his team in transition is an unranked underdog against a top-25 foe from a bordering state. This is the first matchup between Houston and LSU in 25 years.
12. AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Navy
- Date:Â Friday, Jan. 2, 2026
- Kick Off: 4:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Cincinnati’s on a four-game slide, while Navy just took down two teams with similar talent and recruiting profiles to the Bearcats (South Florida and Memphis). The Midshipmen could stack back-to-back 10-win seasons if they win either this game or Saturday’s against Army.
11. Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Illinois
- Date:Â Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025
- Kick Off: 5:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
Both of these teams had grander ambitions as preseason top-25 squads (and ranked teams as recently as a month ago), but a trip to Nashville for a Big Ten-on-SEC matchup is a nice consolation prize.
10. Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl: California vs. Hawai’i
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025
- Kick Off: 8 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
What better way to celebrate Christmas Eve than by having the closest continental state to Hawai’i venturing to the islands to play the Rainbow Warriors? Even better, it will be a homecoming for Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele to cap his strong freshman season.
9. TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Virginia vs. Missouri
- Date:Â Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025
- Kick Off: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ABC
Virginia was an overtime win away from reaching the College Football Playoff, but it deserves commendation for tying its highest win total in program history with 10 victories. That kind of season has become the standard at Missouri under Eli Drinkwitz, given that the Tigers have won eight or more games for a third consecutive season.
8. Bucked Up LA Bowl: Washington vs. Boise State
- Date:Â Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025
- Kick Off: 8 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ABC
The first bowl of the season will begin mere hours after Army and Navy finish their regular seasons and the Heisman Trophy winner is announced. The Broncos bounced back from a mid-season skid to win the Mountain West title, while Washington has secured its first winning season since playing in the national championship game two years ago.
7. Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Clemson vs. Penn State
- Date:Â Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025
- Kick Off: 12 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ABC
You could view this game one of two ways: a matchup between two teams that have underwhelmed significantly or a showcase between squads that are still stocked with NFL talent (opt-outs notwithstanding) one season removed from College Football Playoff appearances. Either Dabo Swinney’s team ends this year with a modicum of momentum or Penn State salvages a winning season.
6. Trust & Will Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. SMU
- Date:Â Friday, Jan. 2, 2026
- Kick Off: 8 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: FOX
Assuming Noah Fifita (Arizona) and Kevin Jennings (SMU) both play, the Holiday Bowl could bring a high-end quarterback battle to sunny San Diego, but the Wildcats’ strong defense is unlikely to allow it to devolve into a true shootout. Both programs have had stronger seasons than this one in recent years, but are trending in the right direction under relatively new head coaches.
5. Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. Duke
- Date:Â Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025
- Kick Off: 2 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: CBS
One of the prettiest backdrops of any setting in college football will play host to a battle of quarterbacks who couldn’t be much more different. It will feature Arizona State super senior Jeff Sims, a highly rated recruit who started this season as ASU’s backup, versus Duke’s multi-million dollar man, Darian Mensah. Both squads took a small step back from last season record-wise, but either one could attain a ninth win on New Year’s Eve.
4. Valero Alamo Bowl: USC vs. TCU
- Date:Â Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025
- Kick Off: 9 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
USC engaged in a shootout against a different Lone Star State team (Texas A&M) in Las Vegas last bowl season, and TCU likely hopes to rope the Trojans into a similar style of game with home-field advantage on its side in San Antonio.
3. ReliaQuest Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. Iowa
- Date:Â Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025
- Kick Off: 12 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
One of the steadiest programs in college football will take on the SEC’s upstart on New Year’s Eve. Will Diego Pavia be playing this game as the Heisman Trophy winner? His Iowa quarterback counterpart, Mark Gronowski, won the FCS equivalent of the Heisman at South Dakota State two seasons ago.
2. Pop-Tarts Bowl: BYU vs. Georgia Tech
- Date:Â Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025
- Kick Off: 3:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ABC
Both of these head coaches, Kalani Sitake (BYU) and Brent Key (GT), stuck with their schools, of which they’re alums, after being tied to the Penn State opening. While both teams were in the College Football Playoff mix in recent weeks as they remained in their conference title races, the winner of this game will still be rewarded by getting to devour living desserts.
1. Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Texas vs. Michigan
- Date:Â Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025
- Kick Off: 3 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ABC
It’s unclear whether Sherrone Moore’s dismissal from Michigan makes this game more or less intriguing, but it’s a battle between two of the biggest brands in college football, who were both relatively close to College Football Playoff contention. Bryce Undwerwood and Arch Manning can both build momentum for 2026 after an up-and-down first season as starters under center.
