Full Bowl Season schedule and commentary teams announced for ESPN’s extensive postseason presentation
- ESPN’s 33 non-CFP bowl games kick off on Dec. 13 and run through Jan. 2
- ABC presents six bowl games, with ESPN airing 26 and ESPN2 televising the debut of the Xbox Bowl
- 14 games set for ESPN Radio, with 31 Spanish-language broadcasts available via either ESPN Deportes or to fans with an ESPN Unlimited plan
- Capital One Bowl Mania returns with up to $1 Million in prizes up for grabs
ESPN’s industry-leading coverage of college football continues throughout the postseason beginning Saturday, Dec. 13 through Friday, Jan. 2, with 33 Bowl Season games on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, including 17 ESPN Events owned-and-operated bowls. Bowl Season combines with ESPN’s coverage of the second year of the expanded College Football Playoff – kicking off Dec. 19-20 with First Round games on campus sites – to make ESPN the undisputed home for college football’s postseason.
Bowl Season on ESPN networks kicks off with the ESPN Events’ Cricket Celebration Bowl (noon ET, ABC) as South Carolina State makes a return appearance against Celebration Bowl debutante Prairie View A&M in the National Championship for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
ABC also features five additional bowl games this winter. Later that evening, the Bucked Up LA Bowl brings Boise State and Washington together at SoFi Stadium in primetime. On Saturday, Dec. 27, ABC features a tripleheader of marquee matchups: the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, where Penn State and Clemson renew their historic ties; the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando featuring Georgia Tech vs. BYU; and the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, a clash between Virginia and Missouri. ABC closes the year with the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve, as Michigan and Texas square off in a battle of blueblood programs.
The first of ESPN’s 26 bowl games, the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., honors service members with Troy vs. Jacksonville State on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Highlights include the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl presented by the United States Air Force on Dec. 19, featuring Memphis vs. NC State, and the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl on Dec. 24, where California meets Hawai’i in a picturesque holiday tradition. Saturday, Dec. 27 is a stacked day for college football on ESPN, kicking off with Pittsburgh and East Carolina in the Go Bowling Military Bowl at 11 a.m., followed by UConn and Army in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, North Texas and San Diego State in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl, and LSU and Houston facing off in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl at 9:15 p.m.
ESPN also showcases the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30, with USC and TCU in a high-powered showdown, plus New Year’s Eve action featuring Iowa and Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl and Nebraska and Utah in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. ESPN closes Bowl Season with the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Jan. 2, as Wake Forest faces Mississippi State in the Queen City.
ESPN2 joins the action on Dec. 18 with the debut of the Xbox Bowl from Frisco, Texas, featuring Missouri State and Arkansas State. In addition, ESPN Radio will broadcast 14 games this Bowl Season, with all 31 Spanish-language broadcasts available to fans with an ESPN Unlimited plan, which can be accessed as part of select MVPD subscriptions or through ESPN direct-to-consumer.
Capital One Bowl Mania is Back!
Fans can once again play Capital One Bowl Mania, ESPN’s classic bowl-season pick’em game in which fans select the winner of every FBS bowl game, plus the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
- Capital One Bowl Mania includes three contest modes:
- Standard, the original pick’em game that awards 10 points for every correct pick;
- Spread, which requires fans to make their picks against the point spread for each game;
- Confidence, where fans rank their picks and earn more points according to their level of confidence in each selection.
- Fans with the most points in any of the three contest modes can win $20,000 in prizes, and any fan who finishes with a perfect entry – picking all 46 bowl games correctly – can win up to $1 million.
- The Capital One Bowl Mania brand surrounds and promotes all 33 non-CFP bowl games across ESPN networks.
The 2024-25 Bowl Season delivered 2.7 million viewers, the most-watched Bowl Season on ESPN networks in five seasons and registering 14 percent growth year-over-year. Fourteen of the 33 bowls achieved at least a five-year high in viewership, with five reaching ten-year highs. Full details.
All of ESPN. All in One Place.
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2025-26 BOWL SEASON TV SCHEDULE
| Date | Time (ET) | Bowl/Commentators | Network |
| Sat, Dec 13 | Noon | Cricket Celebration Bowl: South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M (Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, Ga.) TV: Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker, Harry Lyles Jr., Quint Kessenich Radio: Jason Ross Jr, Max Starks, Jordan Reid |
ABC/ESPN Radio* |
| Sat, Dec 13 | 8 p.m. | Bucked Up LA Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington (SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, Calif.) TV: Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Taylor McGregor Radio: Mike Couzens, Max Browne |
ABC/ESPN Radio* |
| Tue, Dec 16 | 9 p.m. | IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl: Troy vs. Jacksonville State (Cramton Bowl – Montgomery, Ala.) Matt Barrie, Tom Luginbill, Harry Lyles Jr. |
ESPN^ |
| Wed, Dec 17 | 5 p.m. | StaffDNA Cure Bowl: Old Dominion vs. South Florida (Camping World Stadium – Orlando, Fla.) Dave Neal, Fozzy Whittaker, Morgan Uber |
ESPN^ |
| Wed, Dec 17 | 8:30 p.m. | 68 Ventures Bowl: Louisiana vs. Delaware (Hancock Whitney Stadium – Mobile, Ala.) Clay Matvick, Max Browne, Alyssa Lang |
ESPN^ |
| Thu, Dec 18 | 9 p.m. | Xbox Bowl: Missouri State vs. Arkansas State (Ford Center at The Star – Frisco, Texas) Jorge Sedano, Rodney McLeod, Victoria Arlen |
ESPN2^ |
| Fri, Dec 19 | 11 a.m. | Myrtle Beach Bowl Presented by Engine: Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan (Brooks Stadium – Conway, S.C.) Matt Schumacker, Dustin Fox, Marilyn Payne |
ESPN^ |
| Fri, Dec 19 | 2:30 p.m. | Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl presented by the United States Air Force: Memphis vs. NC State (Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Fla.) Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, Paul Carcaterra |
ESPN* |
| Mon, Dec 22 | 2 p.m. | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Washington State vs. Utah State (Albertsons Stadium – Boise, Idaho) Chuckie Kempf, Darius Walker, Tori Petry |
ESPN* |
| Tue, Dec 23 | 2 p.m. | Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans: Toledo vs. Louisville (Flagler Credit Union Stadium – Boca Raton, Fla.) TV: Jay Alter, Rocky Boiman, Ashley Stroehlein Radio: Chris Carlin, Freddie Coleman, Evan Cohen |
ESPN/ESPN Radio^ |
| Tue, Dec 23 | 5:30 p.m. | New Orleans Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss (Caesars Superdome – New Orleans, La.) TV: Courtney Lyle, Rene Ingoglia, Ian Fitzsimmons Radio: Matt Jones, Myron Medcalf |
ESPN/ESPN Radio^ |
| Tue, Dec 23 | 9 p.m. | Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl: UNLV vs. Ohio (Ford Center at The Star – Frisco, Texas) Wes Durham, Steve Addazio, Dana Boyle |
ESPN^ |
| Wed, Dec 24 | 8 p.m. | Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl: California vs. Hawai’i (Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex – Honolulu, Hawaii) Chris Cotter, Max Browne, Harry Lyles Jr. |
ESPN/ESPN Radio^ |
| Fri, Dec 26 | 1 p.m. | GameAbove Sports Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Northwestern (Ford Field – Detroit, Mich.) Matt Schumacker, Dustin Fox, Ashley Stroehlein |
ESPN^ |
| Fri, Dec 26 | 4:30 p.m. | Rate Bowl: New Mexico vs. Minnesota (Chase Field – Phoenix, Ariz.) TV: Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison, Dawn Davenport Radio: Roxy Bernstein, Max Starks |
ESPN/ESPN Radio^ |
| Fri, Dec 26 | 8 p.m. | SERVPRO First Responder Bowl: Florida International vs. UTSA (Gerald J. Ford Stadium – Dallas, Texas) Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, Paul Carcaterra |
ESPN^ |
| Sat, Dec 27 | 11 a.m. | Go Bowling Military Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. East Carolina (Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium – Annapolis, Md.) Jay Alter, Rocky Boiman, Madison Fitzpatrick |
ESPN^ |
| Sat, Dec 27 | Noon | Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Penn State vs. Clemson (Yankee Stadium – Bronx, N.Y.) TV: Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, Taylor McGregor Radio: Jorge Sedano, Trevor Matich, Caroline Hendershot |
ABC/ESPN Radio |
| Sat, Dec 27 | 2:15 p.m. | Wasabi Fenway Bowl: UConn vs. Army (Fenway Park – Boston, Mass.) Wes Durham, Steve Addazio, Dana Boyle |
ESPN^ |
| Sat, Dec 27 | 3:30 p.m. | Pop-Tarts Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. BYU (Camping World Stadium – Orlando, Fla.) TV: Mark Jones, Roddy Jones, Quint Kessenich Radio: Sean Kelley, Rene Ingoglia, Mike Peasley |
ABC/ESPN Radio* |
| Sat, Dec 27 | 5:45 p.m. | Isleta New Mexico Bowl: North Texas vs. San Diego State (Branch Field at University Stadium – Albuquerque, N.M.) Lowell Galindo, Aaron Murray, Lauren Sisler |
ESPN^ |
| Sat, Dec 27 | 7:30 p.m. | TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Virginia vs. Missouri (EverBank Stadium – Jacksonville, Fla.) Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, Kris Budden |
ABC* |
| Sat, Dec 27 | 9:15 p.m. | Kinder’s Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Houston (NRG Stadium – Houston, Texas) Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic |
ESPN^ |
| Mon, Dec 29 | 2 p.m. | JLab Birmingham Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. App State (Protective Stadium – Birmingham, Ala.) Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Alyssa Lang |
ESPN^ |
| Tue, Dec 30 | 2 p.m. | Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech (Independence Stadium – Shreveport, La.) Clay Matvick, Chase Daniel, Harry Lyles Jr. |
ESPN^ |
| Tue, Dec 30 | 5:30 p.m. | Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs. Illinois (Nissan Stadium – Nashville, Tenn.) TV: Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic Radio: Chris Carlin, Rocky Boiman, Stephanie Otey |
ESPN/ESPN Radio^ |
| Tue, Dec 30 | 9 p.m. | Valero Alamo Bowl: USC vs. TCU (Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas) TV: Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, Dana Boyle Radio: Jorge Sedano, Rodney McLeod, Victoria Arlen |
ESPN/ESPN Radio^ |
| Wed, Dec 31 | Noon | ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa vs. Vanderbilt (Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Fla.) TV: Roy Philpott, Sam Acho, Taylor Davis Radio: Troy Clardy, Je’Rod Cherry, Marilyn Payne |
ESPN/ESPN Radio^ |
| Wed, Dec 31 | 3 p.m. | Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Texas (Camping World Stadium – Orlando, Fla.) TV: Mark Jones, Roddy Jones, Alyssa Lang Radio: Sean Kelley, Rene Ingoglia, Mike Peasley |
ABC/ESPN Radio^ |
| Wed, Dec 31 | 3:30 p.m. | SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska vs. Utah (Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas, Nev.) Dave Flemming, Brock Osweiler, Dawn Davenport |
ESPN |
| Fri, Jan 2 | 1 p.m. | Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: Rice vs. Texas State (Amon G. Carter Stadium – Fort Worth, Texas) Lowell Galindo, Aaron Murray, Lauren Sisler |
ESPN* |
| Fri, Jan 2 | 4:30 p.m. | AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Navy vs. Cincinnati (Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium – Memphis, Tenn.) TV: Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison, Dawn Davenport Radio: Chris Carlin, Rocky Boiman, Marion Crowder |
ESPN/ESPN Radio* |
| Fri, Jan 2 | 8 p.m. | Duke’s Mayo Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State (Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, N.C.) TV: Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, Paul Carcaterra Radio: Mike Couzens, Max Starks, Marilyn Payne |
ESPN/ESPN Radio^ |
^Televised on ESPN Deportes
*ESPN Deportes feed available on ESPN Unlimited
