What is the schedule for this year's college football bowl games?

The specific schedule for college football bowl games varies each year. It typically takes place in December and January, with games scheduled throughout that period.

College Football Bowls

2024 - 2025 NCAAF Bowls Schedule

Dec 14, 2024

Dec 17-19, 2024

Dec 20-26, 2024

Dec 27, 2024

Dec 28, 2024

Dec 30-31, 2024

Jan 1, 2025

Jan 2-4, 2025

Jan 9-10, 2025 CFP Semifinals

Jan 20, 2025 CFP Championship

Dec 14, 2024

Dec 17-19, 2024

Dec 20-26, 2024

Dec 27, 2024

Dec 28, 2024

Dec 30-31, 2024

Jan 1, 2025

Jan 2-4, 2025

Jan 9-10, 2025 CFP Semifinals

Jan 20, 2025 CFP Championship

Understanding College Bowls Schedule

The release of college football bowl schedules is always an anticipated event for fans and bettors who bet on college football bowl games alike. The calendar comprises 44 games spread out over a period of three weeks in the months of December and January.

Bowl Selection Process:

The bowl selection process begins after the regular college football season ends. Bowl committees, conferences, and other stakeholders collaborate to determine which teams will participate in each bowl game.

Several factors come into play, including NCAAF team records, rankings, conference tie-ins, and contractual agreements between bowls and conferences.

Bowl Invitations:

Once the bowl matchups are set, teams receive formal invitations to participate in specific bowl games. Invitations are typically extended to eligible teams based on their performance during the season.

Bowl committees consider various factors, such as team popularity, geographic location, and potential ticket sales, in making their selections.

Bowl Game Schedule:

The college bowl schedule spans several weeks in December and January. The schedule includes various bowl games of different prestige levels. Higher-tier bowls, often referred to as New Year’s Six bowls, feature more prominent teams and have affiliations with specific conferences.

The schedule culminates in the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship game, which determines the national champion.

Bowl Game Locations and TV Broadcasts:

Bowl games are held in stadiums across the country, and each game has a designated television broadcast partner.

The locations and kickoff times of the college bowl games are determined based on logistical considerations and television network agreements. Fans can follow the schedule and watch the NCAAF matchups on the respective networks broadcasting the bowls.

Bowl Game Matchups:

Bowl game matchups are determined by the selection committees, considering factors such as team rankings, conference affiliations, and competitive balance.

The goal is to create intriguing matchups that will attract viewership and generate excitement. The selection committees strive to ensure competitive and compelling games between teams of similar caliber.

The college bowl season concludes with the College Football Playoff National Championship game. This game features the top two teams in the CFP rankings, who compete for the national title. The championship game is the culmination of the bowl season and is highly anticipated by fans and the college football community.

College Football Bowl Odds & Betting Trends

By observing college football betting trends and patterns, you may understand how teams have fared historically in certain circumstances.

Some interesting College Football Bowl Betting Trends:

From 2005 through the 2020-21 season, interim coaches held a record of 32-34 straight-up and 30-35-1 against the spread (ATS)
Since 2005, Nick Saban, the Alabama Crimson Tide head coach, is 15-5-1 to the over
The SEC, to which Alabama belongs, is the best conference in terms of winning ATS since 2005
Underdogs are better ATS and straight up
A parlay bet of $100 on all Pac-12 teams -with the exception of Utah- losing their bowl games paid over $13,000 in the 2020-21 season

CFB History & Records

College Football Bowl games are a number of postseason college football games that are played by teams from the NCAA division I football bowl subdivision. The term “bowl game” is generally used in the U.S. to refer to any one of these events.

The very first bowl game, the Rose Bowl, took place on January 1, 1902, as a way to fund the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. Initially, bowl games were the purview of only the very best teams. However, over the decades, the number of bowl games has steadily increased, requiring the inclusion of more teams. As a result, the NCAA has incrementally relaxed the criteria for bowl eligibility.

Bowls Names & Sponsors

The list of bowl games is diverse, with some having deep-rooted histories and others being relatively recent additions to the football landscape. For instance, the Citrus Bowl, previously known as the Tangerine Bowl, started on January 1, 1947, while the College Football Championship only started on January 12, 2015.

Over time, several of these bowl games have seen name changes, often due to changes in sponsorship. For example, the Cheez-It Bowl has had several previous names, including the Camping World Bowl, the Russell Athletic Bowl, and the Blockbuster Bowl, among others.

Selection of NCAA Teams

Since the early 2010s, bowl eligibility has been expanded to include teams with non-winning and even outright losing records. This decision was influenced by the rapid proliferation of new bowl games.

College football teams with a non-winning record (6–6) were allowed starting in 2010, and those with outright losing records (5–7) were invited from 2012, with the team with the best Academic Progress Rate score among the 5-7 record teams being chosen first. This expansion allowed a greater variety of teams to participate in the post-season spectacle, increasing the drama and unpredictability of the games.

College Football Bowl Scores & Past Results

College football, especially NCAA, has always been popular in the U.S., both in terms of betting and of fandom. It is the best platform in the country for athletes and coaches to showcase their skills and talent to the top tier of football and get in the eyes of NFL personnel.

**2023-2024 Bowl Game Scores**
DATE/TIME	Bowl	Matchup	Scores
Sat, Dec 16, 2023	Bahamas Bowl	Old Dominion Monarchs vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers	38-35 Winner: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Sat, Dec 16, 2023	Cricket Celebration Bowl	Howard vs Florida A&M	30-26 Winner: Florida A&M
Sat, Dec 16, 2023	R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl	Jacksonville State vs Louisiana	34-31 Winner: Jacksonville State
Sat, Dec 16, 2023	Cure Bowl	Appalachian State vs Miami (Ohio)	13-9 Winner: Appalachian State
Sat, Dec 16, 2023	New Mexico Bowl	New Mexico State vs Fresno State	37-10 Winner: Fresno State
Sat, Dec 16, 2023	Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl	UCLA vs Boise State	35-22 Winner: UCLA
Sat, Dec 16, 2023	Independence Bowl	Texas Tech Red Riders vs California Golden Bears	34-14 Winner: Texas Tech Red Riders
Mon, Dec 18, 2023	Myrtle Beach Bowl	Georgia Southern vs Ohio	41-21 Winner: Ohio
Tue, Dec 19, 2023	Frisco Bowl	Marshall vs UTSA	35-17 Winner: UTSA
Thu, Dec 21, 2023	Boca Raton Bowl	USF vs Syracuse	45-0 Winner: USF
Fri, Dec 22, 2023	Gasparilla Bowl	Georgia Tech vs UCF	30-17 Winner: Georgia Tech
Sat, Dec 23, 2023	Birmingham Bowl	Troy vs Duke	17-10 Winner: Duke
Sat, Dec 23, 2023	Camellia Bowl	Arkansas State vs Northern Illinois	21-19 Winner: Northern Illinois
Sat, Dec 23, 2023	Armed Forces Bowl	Air Force vs James Madison	31-21 Winner: Air Force
Sat, Dec 23, 2023	Idaho Potato Bowl	Georgia State vs Utah State	45-22 Winner: Georgia State
Sat, Dec 23, 2023	68 Ventures Bowl	Eastern Michigan vs South Alabama	59-10 Winner: South Alabama
Sat, Dec 23, 2023	Las Vegas Bowl	Northwestern vs Utah	14-7 Winner: Northwestern
Sat, Dec 23, 2023	Hawaii Bowl	San Jose State vs Coastal Carolina	24-14 Winner: Coastal Carolina
Tue, Dec 26, 2023	Quick Lane Bowl	Bowling Green vs Minnesota	30-24 Winner: Minnesota
Tue, Dec 26, 2023	First Responder Bowl	Texas State vs Rice	45-21 Winner: Texas State
Tue, Dec 26, 2023	Guaranteed Rate Bowl	Kansas vs UNLV	49-36 Winner: Kansas
Wed, Dec 27, 2023	Military Bowl	Virginia Tech vs Tulane	41-20 Winner: Virginia Tech
Wed, Dec 27, 2023	Duke’s Mayo Bowl	North Carolina vs. West Virginia	30-10 Winner: West Virginia
Wed, Dec 27, 2023	Holiday Bowl	Louisville vs USC Trojans	42-28 Winner: USC Trojans
Wed, Dec 27, 2023	TaxAct Texas Bowl	Oklahoma State vs Texas A&M	31-23 Winner: Oklahoma State
Thu, Dec 28, 2023	Wasabi Fenway Bowl	SMU vs Boston College	23-14 Winner: Boston College
Thu, Dec 28, 2023	Pinstripe Bowl	Rutgers vs Miami (Fla.)	31-24 Winner: Rutgers
Thu, Dec 28, 2023	Pop-Tarts Bowl	NC State vs Kansas State	28-19 Winner: Kansas State
Thu, Dec 28, 2023	Valero Alamo Bowl	Oklahoma vs Arizona	38-24 Winner: Arizona
Fri, Dec 29, 2023	TaxSlayer Gator Bowl	Clemson vs Kentucky	38-35 Winner: Clemson
Fri, Dec 29, 2023	Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl	Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Oregon State Beavers	40-8 Winner: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Fri, Dec 29, 2023	AutoZone Liberty Bowl	Memphis Tigers vs Iowa Cyclones	36-26 Winner: Memphis Tigers
Fri, Dec 29, 2023	Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Bowl	Ohio State vs Missouri	14-3 Winner: Missouri
Sat, Dec 30, 2023	Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl	Ole Miss vs Penn State	38-25 Winner: Ole Miss
Sat, Dec 30, 2023	Music City Bowl	Auburn Tigers vs Maryland Terrapins	31-13 Winner: Maryland Terrapins
Sat, Dec 30, 2023	Capital One Orange Bowl	Georgia vs Florida State	63-3 Winner: Georgia
Sat, Dec 30, 2023	Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl	Wyoming vs Toledo	16-15 Winner: Wyoming
Mon, Jan 1, 2024	ReliaQuest Bowl	LSU vs Wisconsin	35-31 Winner: LSU
Mon, Jan 1, 2024	Cheez-It Citrus Bowl	Tennessee Volunteers vs Iowa Hawkeyes	35-0 Winner: Tennessee
Mon, Jan 1, 2024	Vrbo Fiesta Bowl	Oregon vs Liberty	45-6 Winner: Oregon
Mon, Jan 1, 2024	Rose Bowl	Michigan vs Alabama	27-20 Winner: Michigan
Mon, Jan 1, 2024	AllState Sugar Bowl	Washington vs Texas	37-31 Winner: Washington
Mon, Jan 9, 2023	CFP National Championship Game	Michigan vs Washington	34-13 Winner: Michigan

**College Football Bowl Scores**
Date	Bowl
2014 season	Rose Bowl: No. 2 Oregon 59, No. 3 Florida State 20. Sugar Bowl: No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 1 Alabama 35. CFP National Championship Game: No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Oregon 20
2015 season	Orange Bowl: No. 1 Clemson 37, No. 4 Oklahoma 17 Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Alabama 38, No. 3 Michigan State 0 CFP National Championship Game: No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40
2016 season	Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Clemson 31, No. 3 Ohio State 0 Peach Bowl: No. 1 Alabama 24, No. 4 Washington 7 CFP National Championship Game: No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31
2017 season	Rose Bowl: No. 3 Georgia 54, No. 2 Oklahoma 48 (2OT) Sugar Bowl: No. 4 Alabama 24, No. 1 Clemson 6 CFP National Championship Game: No. 4 Alabama 26, No. 3 Georgia 23 (OT)
2018 season	Orange Bowl: No. 1 Alabama 45, No. 4 Oklahoma 34 Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Clemson 30, No. 3 Notre Dame 3 CFP National Championship Game: No. 2 Clemson 44, No. 1 Alabama 16
2019 season	Peach Bowl: No. 1 LSU 63, No. 4 Oklahoma 28 Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Clemson 29, No. 2 Ohio State 23 CFP National Championship Game: No. 1 LSU 42, No. 3 Clemson 25
2020 season	Rose Bowl: No. 1 Alabama 31, No. 4 Notre Dame 14 Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State 49, No. 2 Clemson 28 CFP National Championship Game: No. 1 Alabama 52, No. 3 Ohio State 24

College Football Bowl FAQs

How many college bowl games are there?

There will be 40 licensed NCAA Division I FBS college football bowl games played in stadiums around the U.S. this season.

What was the first college football bowl game?

The first bowl game was played in 1902, known as the Tournament East-West game, where Michigan and Stanford faced off at Tournament Park in Pasadena, California. It eventually became the Rose Bowl Game

Why are college football games called bowls?

College bowls get their name from the iconic Rose Bowl, which has been hosting the Rose Bowl Game annually since 1922. The term “bowl” was derived from the stadium’s design, which resembled the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut.

How does a team become bowl eligible?

To be bowl eligible, a team must have won a certain number of games against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents that is equal to or greater than the number of its overall losses. Typically, teams need to win at least six games to become bowl eligible. However, in the event of insufficient eligible teams, a team with a record of 5-7 may still become bowl eligible based on Academic Progress Rate (APR) rankings.