Posted on 12/03/2017 2:50:48 PM PST by 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.
You know, we might not be back next year. There’s a lot of rot for Mullen to clean out. Even Saban’s first year at Bama wasn’t that great, even lost to Louisiana-Monroe at home. I just want to see an upgrade in Strength and Conditioning, and have a team that is somewhat entertaining to watch.
There are 39 bowls this year and 10 more projected in the future. 3 in foreign countries. After yesterday’s games with FSU and NM State winning, there are 81 6-6 teams who had to vie for the 78 spots. First time in 3 years that they didn’t have to take any 5-7 teams.
My personal favorite is the “Shoulda Been There Bowl” aka the Orange Bowl — Wisconsin vs. Miami.
Baylor didnt. :(
Missed Armed Services Bowl, Dec 23, 3:30 PM. Army vs. Univ of North Texas, I believe.
Yes, we are definitely starting from a very weak position. However, there’s a lot of buzz about the Gators now and recruiting will benefit. We will be fair to middlin’ which gets most teams in a bowl.
I ft Worth, I will be there.
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