Sure, the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six bowls dominate the headlines, but the rest of bowl season is where you’ll find some of the most underrated fun in college football. These games might not decide a national champion, but they still bring plenty of storylines, whether it’s a sneaky-good Power Four vs. Group of Five showdown, a battle between programs looking to cap off a turnaround season, or a send-off for seniors who’ve poured everything into their team. They’re also a chance to spot the next big star before they break out, enjoy some unpredictable finishes, and soak in a few more weeks of football before the long offseason hits. Every game listed features a unique, intriguing matchup, and while some of the tie-ins were scrambled a bit to avoid sending teams back to the same bowl as last season, the resulting pairings still give fans plenty to look forward to in December and January. With that in mind, here’s how I see the 2025-26 bowl picture shaping up outside of the CFP and New Year’s Six:

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12/13 – Cricket Celebration Bowl

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA

Noon, ABC

Jackson State vs. NC Central

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12/13 – LA Bowl

SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

9 pm, ESPN

Colorado vs. San José State

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12/16 – IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl

Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL

9 pm, ESPN

Bowling Green vs. Texas State

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12/17 – StaffDNA Cure Bowl

Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL

5 pm, ESPN

Toledo vs. James Madison

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12/17 – 68 Ventures Bowl

Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL

8:30 pm, ESPN

South Alabama vs. Northern Illinois

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12/19 – Myrtle Beach Bowl

Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC

Noon, ESPN

USF vs. Georgia Southern

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12/19 – Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

3:30 pm, ESPN

Memphis vs. North Carolina

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12/22 – Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID

2 pm, ESPN

Miami (OH) vs. Air Force

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12/23 – Boca Raton Bowl

Flagler Credit Union Stadium, Boca Raton, FL

2 pm, ESPN

North Texas vs. Appalachian State

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12/23 – New Orleans Bowl

Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA

5:30, ESPN

Louisiana vs. Western Kentucky

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12/23 – Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl

Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX

9 pm, ESPN

UTSA vs. Oregon State

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12/24 – Sheraton Hawaii Bowl

Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI

8 pm, ESPN

UNLV vs. Liberty

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12/26 – GameAbove Sports Bowl

Ford Field, Detroit, MI

1 pm, ESPN

Minnesota vs. Ohio

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12/26 – Rate Bowl

Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ

4:30 pm, ESPN

TCU vs. Michigan State

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12/26 – SERVPRO First Responder Bowl

Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX

8 pm, ESPN

Virginia Tech vs. Houston

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12/27 – Go Bowling Military Bowl

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD

11 am, ESPN

Syracuse vs. UConn

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12/27 – Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Noon, ABC

Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin

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12/27 – Wasabi Fenway Bowl

Fenway Park, Boston, MA

2:15 pm, ESPN

NC State vs. Navy

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12/27 – Pop Tarts Bowl

Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL

3:30 pm, ABC

SMU vs. Texas Tech

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12/27 – Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl

Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ

4:30 pm, CW Network

Buffalo vs. Fresno State

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12/27 – Isleta New Mexico Bowl

University Stadium, Albuquerque, NM

5:45 pm, ESPN

Colorado State vs. East Carolina

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12/27 – TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL

7:30 pm, ABC

Georgia Tech vs. Florida

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12/27 – Kinder’s Texas Bowl

NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

9:15 pm, ESPN

Iowa State vs. Oklahoma

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12/29 – Birmingham Bowl

Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL

2 pm, ESPN

Missouri vs. Tulane

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12/30 – Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA

2 pm, ESPN

Kansas vs. UCLA

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12/30 – Music City Bowl

Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN

5:30 pm, ESPN

Nebraska vs. Auburn

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12/30 – Valero Alamo Bowl

Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

9 pm, ESPN

Arizona State vs. Oregon

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12/31 – ReliaQuest Bowl

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

Noon, ESPN

Indiana vs. South Carolina

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12/31 – Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX

2 pm, CBS

Duke vs. USC

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12/31 – Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL

3 pm, ABC

Michigan vs. Ole Miss

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12/31 – SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl

Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

3:30 pm, ESPN

Iowa vs. Utah

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1/2 – Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX

1 pm, ESPN

BYU vs. Army

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1/2 – AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN

4:30 pm, ESPN

Baylor vs. Texas A&M

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1/2 – Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

8 pm, ESPN

Louisville vs. Tennessee

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TBA – DirecTV Holiday Bowl

Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA

Time TBD, FOX

Florida State vs. Washington

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TBA – TBA Bowl (formerly the Bahamas Bowl)

TBA

Time TBD, TBA

Western Michigan vs. Jacksonville State