The Delaware Blue Hens take the field in front of a national TV audience for the start of its first home CUSA football game against Western Kentucky at Delaware Stadium in Newark on Oct. 3, 2025. The game is being nationally televised.
Sep 20, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels tight end Caleb Odom (4) reaches for a pass as Tulane Green Wave defensive back TJ Smith (13) during the fourth quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Nov 22, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Coastal Carolina Chanticleers quarterback Tad Hudson (12) passes against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Nov 27, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) runs with the ball against the Memphis Tigers during the first half at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Bowl season is upon us -- even if it will be missing some familiar faces.

2025 has seen player opt-outs become program ones as teams from Notre Dame, Iowa State and Kansas State declined the opportunity to notch a couple extra weeks of practice and some game-themed gift bags this winter. While those teams will be missed, there's plenty of intrigue surrounding 47 postseason matchups -- including the 11 games that make up the second-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

Who'll be playing where this winter -- and what games can you rely on to provide a distraction after holiday get-togethers with your family? Here's a breakdown of 2025's bowl games as they're announced.

This list will be updated. All broadcast times are Eastern.

Saturday, Dec. 13

Cricket Celebration Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia)

  • South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M
  • Noon, ABC

Bucked Up LA Bowl (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California)

  • Boise State vs. Washington
  • 8 p.m., ABC

Tuesday, Dec. 16

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama)

  • Troy vs. Jacksonville State
  • 9 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday, Dec. 17

StaffDNA Cure Bowl (Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida)

  • Old Dominion vs. South Florida
  • 5 p.m., ESPN

68 Ventures Bowl (Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama)

  • Louisiana vs. Delaware
  • 8:30 p.m., ESPN

Thursday, Dec. 18

Xbox Bowl (Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas)

  • Missouri State vs. Arkansas State
  • 9 p.m., ESPN2

Friday, Dec. 19

Myrtle Beach Bowl Presented by Engine (Brooks Stadium, Conway, South Carolina)

  • Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan
  • 11 a.m., ESPN

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida)

  • Memphis vs. North Carolina State
  • 2:30 p.m., ESPN

College Football Playoff, First Round Game One (Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma)

  • No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama
  • 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN

Saturday, Dec. 20

College Football Playoff, First Round Game Two (Kyle Field, College Station, Texas)

  • No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M
  • Noon, ABC, ESPN

College Football Playoff, First Round Game Three (Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi)

  • No. 11 Tulane vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
  • 3:30 p.m., TNT

College Football Playoff, First Round Game Four (Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon)

  • No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Oregon
  • 7:30 p.m., TNT

Monday, Dec. 22

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho)

  • Washington State vs. Utah State
  • 2 p.m., ESPN

Tuesday, Dec. 23

Bush's Boca Raton Bowl (Flagler Credit Union Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida)

  • Toledo vs. Louisville
  • 2 p.m., ESPN

New Orleans Bowl (Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana)

  • Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss
  • 5:30 p.m., ESPN

Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl (Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas)

  • UNLV vs. Ohio
  • 9 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday, Dec. 24

Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl (Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, Hawai'i)

  • California vs. Hawaii
  • 8 p.m., ESPN

Friday, Dec. 26

GameAbove Sports Bowl (Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan)

  • Central Michigan vs. Northwestern
  • 1 p.m., ESPN

Rate Bowl (Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona)

  • New Mexico vs. Minnesota
  • 4:30 p.m., ESPN

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, Texas)

  • Florida International vs. Texas-San Antonio
  • 8 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, Dec. 27

Go Bowling Military Bowl (Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland)

  • Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina
  • 11 a.m., ESPN

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York)

  • Penn State vs. Clemson
  • Noon, ABC

Wasabi Fenway Bowl (Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts)

  • UConn vs. Army
  • 2:15 p.m., ESPN

Pop-Tarts Bowl (Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida)

  • BYU vs. Georgia Tech
  • 3:30 p.m., ABC

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl (Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Arizona)

  • Miami (OH) vs. Fresno State
  • 4:30 p.m., CW Network

Isleta New Mexico Bowl (University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico)

  • North Texas vs. San Diego State
  • 5:45 p.m., ESPN

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida)

  • Virginia vs. Missouri
  • 7:30 p.m. ABC

Kinder's Texas Bowl (NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas)

  • LSU vs. Houston
  • 9:15 p.m., ESPN

Monday, Dec. 29

JLAB Birmingham Bowl (Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama)

2 p.m., ESPN

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl (Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana)

  • Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech
  • 2 p.m., ESPN

Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl (Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee)

  • Tennessee vs. Illinois
  • 5:30 p.m., ESPN

Valero Alamo Bowl (Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas)

  • USC vs. TCU
  • 9 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday, Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida)

  • Iowa vs. Vanderbilt
  • Noon, ESPN

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas)

  • Arizona State vs. Duke
  • 2 p.m., CBS

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida)

  • Michigan vs. Texas
  • 3 p.m., ABC

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada)

  • Nebraska vs. Utah
  • 3:30 p.m., ESPN

CFP Quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas)

  • Miami-Texas A&M winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State
  • 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Friday, Jan. 2

CFP Quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida)

  • James Madison-Oregon winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
  • Noon, ESPN

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas)

  • Rice vs. Texas State
  • 1 p.m., ESPN

CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California)

  • Alabama-Oklahoma winner vs. No. 1 Indiana
  • 4 p.m., ESPN

AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee)

  • Navy vs. Cincinnati
  • 4:30 p.m., ESPN

Duke's Mayo Bowl (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina)

  • Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State
  • 8 p.m., ESPN

Trust & Will Holiday Bowl (Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA)

  • Arizona vs. SMU
  • 8 p.m., Fox

CFP Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl (Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana)

  • Tulane-Ole Miss winner vs. No. 3 Georgia
  • 8 p.m., ESPN

Thursday, Jan. 8

CFP Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona)

7:30 p.m., ESPN

Friday, Jan. 9

CFP Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia)

7:30 p.m., ESPN

Monday, Jan. 19

CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida)

7:30 p.m., ESPN

This article originally appeared on For The Win: 2025 bowl schedule: College Football Playoff times, channels and more

Reporting by Christian D'Andrea, For The Win / For The Win

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect