(Updated, 12/31/20, 11:39 a.m.)
Following the most unusual college football season ever, we now have the all-time most unusual bowl game lineup for this holiday season. You’ll see teams that played only a handful of games and teams that ended up on the losing side of the record. You’ll also see bowl games being played in new locations because the original locations were nixed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Desperate times call for desperate measures. But hopefully we’ll continue to see some exciting and entertaining matchups, starting in a brand-new game in Conway, S.C. on Monday, December 21. Each of the games is linked to the official bowl game site, as well as the site for each program.
* – Replacement picks for unfilled bowl slots
** – Ineligible teams selected for bowls based on Academic Progress Rate (APR)
Payout are the total for both teams and reflect last year’s bowl totals
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
Dec. 19, 7 p.m., Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Payout: $650,000
TV: ESPN
American vs. C-USA/MAC/MWC
SMU (7-3) vs. UTSA (7-4)
Cancelled
Last year: Kent State 51, Utah State 41
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Dec. 21, 2:30 p.m., Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.
Payout: TBA
TV: ESPN
C-USA, MAC, Sun Belt
Appalachian State (8-3) vs. North Texas (4-5)
Result: Appalachian State 56, North Texas 28
Last year: None (2020 is the inaugural game)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Dec. 22, 3:30 p.m., Albertson’s Stadium, Boise, Idaho
Payout: $800,000
TV: ESPN
MAC vs. MWC
Tulane (6-5)* vs. Nevada (6-2)
Result: Nevada 38, Tulane 27
Last year: Ohio 30, Nevada 21
Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
Dec. 22, 7 p.m., FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Fla.
Payout: $900,000
TV: ESPN
Group of Five, Liberty
UCF (6-3) vs. BYU (10-1)
Result: BYU 49, UCF 23
Last year: FAU 52, SMU 28
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 23, 3:30 p.m., Mercedez-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
Payout: $825,000
TV: ESPN
C-USA vs. Sun Belt
Louisiana Tech (5-4) vs. Georgia Southern (7-5)
Result: Georgia Southern 38, Louisiana Tech 3
Last year: Appalachian State 31, UAB 17
Montgomery Bowl
Dec. 23, 7:30 p.m., Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
Payout: TBA
TV: ESPN
At-large vs. At-large
Memphis (7-3) vs. FAU (5-3)
Result: Memphis 25, FAU 10
Last year: None (one-year replacement for Fenway Bowl)
New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 24, 7 p.m., Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Payout: $1.05 million
TV: ESPN
MWC vs. C-USA
Hawaii (4-4) vs. Houston (3-4)
Result: Hawaii 28, Houston 14
Last year: San Diego State 48, Central Michigan 11
Camellia Bowl
Dec. 25, 2:30 p.m., Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.
Payout: $300,000
TV: ESPN
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Buffalo (5-1) vs. Marshall* (7-2)
Result: Buffalo 17, Marshall 10
Last year: Arkansas State 34, FIU 26
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Dec. 26, noon, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
Payout: $1.025 million
TV: ABC
ACC, American, Big 12, CUSA, MAC, MWC, PAC-12, SEC
UAB (6-3) vs. South Carolina (2-8)
Cancelled
Last year: UCF 48, Marshall 25
FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl
Dec. 26, noon, Camping World Stadium, Orlando
Payout: $573,125
TV: ESPN
American vs. Sun Belt
Liberty* (9-1) vs. Coastal Carolina (11-0)
Result: Liberty 37, Coastal Carolina 34 OT
Last year: Liberty 23, Georgia Southern 16
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m., Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas
Payout: $824,525
TV: ABC
Big Ten vs. Big 12
UTSA*(7-4) vs. Louisiana* (9-1)
Result: Louisiana 31, UTSA 24
Last year: Western Kentucky 23, Western Michigan 20
Lending Tree Bowl
Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m., Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
Payout: $1.5 million
TV: ESPN
MAC vs. Sun Belt
Georgia State (5-4) vs. Western Kentucky (5-6)
Result: Georgia State 39, Western Kentucky 21
Last year: Louisana 27, Miami (Ohio) 17
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Dec. 26, 7 p.m., Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.
Payout: $2.2 million
TV: ESPN2
Army/at-large vs. Pac-12
Cancelled
Last year: Louisiana Tech 14, Miami (Fla.) 0
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Dec. 26, 10:15 p.m., Chase Field, Phoenix, Ariz.
Payout: $350,000
TV: ESPN
Big Ten vs. Big 12
Cancelled
Last year: Air Force 31, Washington State 21
Military Bowl
Dec. 28, 3:30 p.m., Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, Annapolis, Md.
Payout: $2.0699 million
TV: ESPN
ACC vs. American
Cancelled
Last year: North Carolina 55, Temple 13
New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Dec. 29, 2 p.m., Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
Payout: $4.3 million
TV: ESPN
ACC vs. Big Ten
Cancelled
Last year: Michigan State 27, Wake Forest 21
Cheez-It Bowl
Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m., Camping World Stadium, Orlando
Payout: $6.07176 million
TV: ESPN
ACC vs. Big 12
Miami (Fla.) (8-2) vs. Oklahoma State (7-3)
Result: Oklahoma State 37, Miami 34
Last year: Notre Dame 33, Iowa State 9
Valero Alamo Bowl
Dec. 29, 9 p.m., Alamodome, San Antonio
Payout: $8.25274 million
TV: ESPN
Big 12 vs. Pac-12
Texas (6-3) vs. Colorado (4-1)
Result: Texas 55, Colorado 23
Last year: Texas 38, Utah 10
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Dec. 30, noon, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
Payout: $4.780461 million
TV: ESPN
ACC vs. Big Ten
Wake Forest (4-4) vs. Wisconsin (3-3)
Result: Wisconsin 42, Wake Forest 28
Last year: Kentucky 37, Virginia Tech 30
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m., Nissan Stadium, Nashville
Payout: $5.7 million
TV: ESPN
SEC vs. Big Ten
Iowa (6-2) vs. Missouri (5-5)Cancelled
Goodyear Cotton Bowl
Dec. 30, 7:15 p.m., AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Payout: Playoff Revenue Pool
TV: ESPN
Group of 5/At-large vs. At-large
Florida (8-3) vs. Oklahoma (8-2)
Result: Oklahoma 55, Florida 20
Last year: Penn State 53, Memphis 39
LA Bowl
Dec. 30, 10:45 p.m., SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.
Payout: TBA
TV: ESPN
MWC vs. Pac-12
Cancelled
Last year: None (2021 will now be the inaugural game)
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Dec. 31, noon, Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
Payout: $1.35 million
TV: ESPN
Pac-12 vs. SEC
Mississippi State (3-7) vs. Tulsa* (6-2)
Last year: Tulane 30, Southern Miss 13
Arizona Bowl
Dec. 31, 2 p.m., Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Ariz.
Payout: $350,000
TV: CBS
MAC vs. MWC
Ball State (6-1) vs. San Jose State (7-0)
Last year: Wyoming 38, Georgia State 17
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Dec. 31, 2 p.m., Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas
Payout: $4.55 million
TV: CBS
ACC vs. Pac-12
Cancelled
Last year: Arizona State 20, Florida State 14
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Dec. 31, 4 p.m., Liberty Bowl, Memphis
Payout: $4.7 million
TV: ESPN
Big 12 vs. SEC
West Virginia (5-4) vs. Army (9-2)
(Army replaced Tennessee due to COVID-19 issues)
Last year: Navy 20, Kansas State 17
Mercari Texas Bowl
Dec. 31, 8 p.m., NRG Stadium, Houston
Payout: $6.4 million
TV: ESPN
Big 12 vs. SEC
TCU (6-4) vs. Arkansas (3-7)
Cancelled
Last year: Texas A&M 24, Oklahoma State 21
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Jan. 1, noon, Legion Field, Birmingham, Ala.
Payout: $1.374545 million
TV: ESPN2
AAC/American vs. SEC
Cancelled
Last year: Cincinnati 38, Boston College 6
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Jan 1., 12:30 p.m., Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Payout: Playoff Revenue Pool
TV: ESPN
Group of 5/At-large vs. At-large
Georgia (7-2) vs. Cincinnati (9-0)
Last year: LSU 63, Oklahoma 28
Vrbo Citrus Bowl
Jan. 1, 1 p.m., Camping World Stadium, Orlando
Payout: $8.224578 million
TV: ABC
SEC vs. Big Ten/ACC/ND
Northwestern (6-2) vs. Auburn (6-4)
Last year: Alabama 35, Michigan 16
Rose Bowl Game
Jan. 1, 5 p.m., AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Payout: Playoff Revenue Pool
ESPN
CFP Playoff Semifinal
Alabama (11-0) vs. Notre Dame (10-1)
Last year: Oregon 28, Wisconsin 27
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m., Mercedez-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
Payout: Playoff Revenue Pool
ESPN
CFP Playoff Semifinal
Clemson (10-1) vs. Ohio State (6-0)
Last year: Georgia 26, Baylor 14
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Jan. 2, noon, TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
Payout: $5.35 million
TV: ESPN
SEC vs. ACC
Kentucky (4-6) vs. N.C. State (8-3)
Last year: Tennessee 23, Indiana 22
Outback Bowl
Jan. 2, 12:30 p.m., Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Payout: $6.4 million
TV: ABC
Big Ten vs. SEC
Indiana (6-1) vs. Ole Miss (4-5)
Last year: Minnesota 31, Auburn 24
Playstation Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 2, 4 p.m., University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Payout: Playoff Revenue Pool
TV: ESPN
Group of 5/At-large vs. At-large
Oregon (4-2) vs. Iowa State (8-3)
Last year: Clemson 29, Ohio State 23
Capital One Orange Bowl
Jan. 2, 8 p.m., Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
Payout: Playoff Revenue Pool
TV: ESPN
ACC vs. Group of 5/Big Ten/SEC
Texas A&M (8-1) vs. North Carolina (8-3)
Last year: Florida 36, Virginia 28
Bowl games never scheduled this year: Bahamas, Fenway, Hawai’i, Holiday, Las Vegas, Quick Lane and Redbox.
Teams with winning or even records opting out of bowls: Boise State, Boston College, LSU (self-imposed one-year ban) Pittsburgh, San Diego State, SMU (COVID-19 issues), Stanford, USC, Utah, Virginia, Washington (COVID-19 issues).
Army received a bid to the Independence Bowl. However, the game was cancelled, and due to other bowls’ obligations, the Black Knights did not receive a replacement bid. The Black Knights have since replaced Tennessee in the Liberty Bowl.
