The 2017-2018 college football bowl schedule, released in full

SB Nation ^ | 12/3/2017

[iowamark]

College football’s bowl season is upon us. Between Dec. 16 and Jan. 8, 39 FBS bowl games and the College Football Playoff will get played. That’s in addition to the FCS playoffs and the Celebration Bowl, and it all happens right as the NFL gets into its stretch drive. All of that combines to make this the best time of the year for this sport.

Below, we’re keeping track of each bowl game, adding in team names as soon as they’re released. Here’s the 2017-2018 bowl schedule in its entirety.

All times are Eastern, and streaming destinations are linked where available. Saturday, December 16

Celebration Bowl, 12 p.m on ABC: Grambling vs. North Carolina A&T New Orleans Bowl, 1 p.m. on ESPN: Troy vs. North Texas Cure Bowl, 2:30 p.m. on CBSSN: Georgia State vs. Western Kentucky Las Vegas Bowl, 3:30 p.m. on ABC: Boise State vs. Oregon New Mexico Bowl, 4:30 p.m. on ESPN: Marshall vs. Colorado State Camellia Bowl, 8 p.m. on ESPN: Arkansas State vs. Middle Tennessee

Tuesday, December 19

Boca Raton Bowl, 7 p.m. on ESPN: FAU vs. Akron

Wednesday, December 20

Frisco Bowl, 8 p.m. on ESPN: SMU vs. Louisiana Tech

Thursday, December 21

Gasparilla Bowl, 8 p.m. on ESPN: FIU vs. Temple

Friday, December 22

Bahamas Bowl, 12:30 p.m. on ESPN: Ohio vs. UAB Potato Bowl, 4 p.m. on ESPN: CMU vs. Wyoming

Saturday, December 23

Birmingham Bowl, 12 p.m. on ESPN: USF vs. Texas Tech Armed Forces Bowl, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN: Army vs. San Diego State Dollar General Bowl, 7 p.m. on ESPN: Appalachian State vs. Toledo

Sunday, December 24

Hawaii Bowl, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN: Fresno State vs. Houston

Tuesday, December 26

Heart of Dallas Bowl, 1:30 p.m on ESPN: Utah vs. West Virginia Quick Lane Bowl, 5:15 p.m. on ESPN: Duke vs. NIU Cactus Bowl, 9 p.m. on ESPN: Kansas State vs. UCLA

Wednesday, December 27

Independence Bowl, 1:30 p.m. on ESPN: Florida State vs. Southern Miss Pinstripe Bowl, 5:15 p.m. on ESPN: Boston College vs. Iowa Foster Farms Bowl, 8:30 p.m. on FOX: Arizona vs. Purdue Texas Bowl, 9 p.m. on ESPN: Texas vs. Missouri

Thursday, December 28

Military Bowl, 1:30 p.m. on ESPN: Virginia vs. Navy Camping World Bowl, 5:15 p.m. on ESPN: Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech Holiday Bowl, 9 p.m. on FS1: Michigan State vs. Washington State Alamo Bowl, 9 p.m. on ESPN: Stanford vs. TCU

Friday, December 29

Belk Bowl, 1 p.m. on ESPN: Wake Forest vs. Texas A&M Sun Bowl, 3 p.m. on CBS: Arizona State vs. NC State Music City Bowl, 4:30 p.m. on ESPN: Kentucky vs. Northwestern Arizona Bowl, 5:30 p.m. on CBSSN: New Mexico State vs. Utah State Cotton Bowl, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN: Ohio State vs. USC

Saturday, December 30

TaxSlayer Bowl, 12 p.m. on ESPN: Mississippi State vs. Louisville Liberty Bowl, 12:30 p.m. on ABC: Memphis vs. Iowa State Fiesta Bowl, 4 p.m. on ESPN: Penn State vs. Washington Orange Bowl, 8 p.m. on ESPN: Miami vs. Wisconsin

Monday, January 1

Outback Bowl, 12 p.m. on ESPN2: Michigan vs. South Carolina Peach Bowl, 12:30 p.m. on ESPN: Auburn vs. UCF Citrus Bowl, 1 p.m. on ABC: Notre Dame vs. LSU Rose Bowl Playoff semifinal, 5 p.m. on ESPN: Oklahoma vs. Georgia Sugar Bowl Playoff semifinal, 8:45 p.m. on ESPN: Clemson vs. Alabama

Monday, January 8

Playoff National Championship, 8 p.m. on ESPN: Rose winner vs. Sugar winner

The bowl schedule sort of works chronologically, with the most significant games coming at the end of it.

That’s not a hard and fast rule, as you’ll see New Year’s Six games like the Cotton, Fiesta, and Orange Bowl happening days before the TaxSlayer Bowl. But you can think of bowl season as a meal where the appetizers come first.

The two semifinals for the Playoff this year are the Rose and Sugar Bowls, as they were during the event’s inaugural season in 2014. The Rose and Sugar are as historic and prestigious as bowls get, and that makes it extra fun when they make up the Playoff. The six New Year’s bowls rotate in and out every year as Playoff hosts.

Even better: This year’s Playoff semifinals aren’t on New Year’s Eve, so you won’t have to make a choice between parties and huge games. They’re slated to return to Dec. 31 during the 2021-22 bowl season, but we can cross that bridge when we get to it.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Notre Dame vs LSU. That will be a good game.

[seawolf101]

You forgot toilet bowl once a day.

[HangnJudge]

Sugar Bowl Playoff semifinal, 8:45 p.m. on ESPN: Clemson vs. Alabama

[Dilbert San Diego]

I’m just a casual fan. But, have never heard of most of those bowl games.

[blam]

Thanks for posting this schedule.

- Roll Tide -

[Getready]

So many bowls...i got some better (i think) ideas...

How about the two worst teams (toilet bowl?)
Best defense vs best offence (max contrast bowl)
Best mascot vs worst mascot. (icon bowl)
Team with highest avg gpa vs team with lowest gpa (brain/nobrain) bowl
Most expensive program vs least expensive program (money bowl)
Im sure there are many more categories..

[dfwgator]

Bunch of duds.

[Dilbert San Diego]

I know this is tongue in cheek, but, it could be a great game, to see the #1 offense vs. the #1 defense.

[dfwgator]

How about the two worst teams (toilet bowl?)

Tennessee vs Kansas

[dfwgator]

Here’s a big problem now with bowl games. You’re starting to see a lot of players who are about to be drafted by NFL teams sitting the games out, and frankly who could blame them?

[dfwgator]

I have an idea....Why not essentially have an NIT for College Football? Instead of all of the garbage bowl games, take the 32 teams and put them in a tournament to determine the “Best of the Rest”?

[TomGuy]

I counted nearly 50 bowl games a couple of years ago. There are so many that they have to find teams with 6-6 records to play in them. There are so many they have lost their pizzazz.

There used to be 4. Then 5. Now, nearly 50.

[Getready]

Agree...call it the snowflake bowl cause one of the teams is so offensive...
Best passing qb vs 2nd best passing qb (of course...el paso bowl)

[dfwgator]

Weird having Ohio State playing USC in Dallas instead of Pasadena.

[Yaelle]

Dumb question. But do any teams NOT make a bowl?

[dfwgator]

But do any teams NOT make a bowl?

Florida.

[Getready]

Not a bad idea....but just think...lots of players would not to risk an injury if they have a chance to be in no felons league...but teams who win football nit...play 5 more games...thats about 17 or 18 games a year...more than the pros..they would be almost all in casts by 5th game..

[dfwgator]

Good point. All I know is that what passes today for Bowl Games is a mockery of the Bowl Games of the past.