Bowl games are postseason college football games played at the end of the regular season, featuring teams from the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). These games bring together top-performing teams from various conferences. The tradition began with the Rose Bowl in 1902, named after its bowl-shaped stadium in Pasadena, California.
There are six prestigious bowl games, which include the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl, that rotate hosting the CFP semifinals. The semifinals determine which teams advance to the national championship game, making these games crucial for teams competing for the national title.
List of college bowl games
In the 2024-25 college football season, there are 47 bowl games. This includes the four first-round games, four quarterfinals, two semifinals, and the national championship game as part of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) format.
These games take place after the regular season and include both exhibition matchups and playoff games. The most prominent of these are the "New Year's Six" bowl games, which include the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. These six games rotate as hosts for the College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinals, with two of them serving as playoff matchups each year. The winners of the semifinal games advance to the CFP National Championship to compete for the national title.
In addition to the New Year's Six, there are dozens of other bowl games featuring FBS teams that meet specific eligibility criteria, usually requiring at least six wins during the regular season.
List of New Year Six’s college football bowl games
| Name | First Game | Venue (Permanent Seating) | City |
| Rose Bowl Game | 1902 (annual since 1916) | Rose Bowl (92,542) | Pasadena, California |
| Orange Bowl | 1935 | Hard Rock Stadium (64,767) | Miami Gardens, Florida |
| Sugar Bowl | 1935 | Caesars Superdome (73,208) | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Cotton Bowl Classic | 1937 | AT&T Stadium (80,000) | Arlington, Texas |
| Peach Bowl | 1968 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (71,000) | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Fiesta Bowl | 1971 | State Farm Stadium (63,400) | Glendale, Arizona |
List of Division I FBS bowl games
| Name | Season Started | Venue (Permanent Seating) | City |
| Sun Bowl | 1934 | Sun Bowl Stadium (51,500) | El Paso, Texas |
| Gator Bowl | 1945 | EverBank Stadium (76,867) | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Citrus Bowl | 1946 | Camping World Stadium (60,219) | Orlando, Florida |
| Liberty Bowl | 1959 | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (58,325) | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Independence Bowl | 1976 | Independence Stadium (53,000) | Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Holiday Bowl | 1978 | Snapdragon Stadium (35,000) | San Diego, California |
| ReliaQuest Bowl | 1986 | Raymond James Stadium (65,908) | Tampa, Florida |
| Rate Bowl | 1989 | Chase Field (48,519) | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Pop-Tarts Bowl | 1990 | Camping World Stadium (60,219) | Orlando, Florida |
| Las Vegas Bowl | 1992 | Allegiant Stadium (65,000) | Paradise, Nevada |
| Alamo Bowl | 1993 | Alamodome (65,000) | San Antonio, Texas |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | 1997 | Albertsons Stadium (37,000) | Boise, Idaho |
| Music City Bowl | 1998 | Nissan Stadium (69,143) | Nashville, Tennessee |
| 68 Ventures Bowl | 1999 | Hancock Whitney Stadium (25,450) | Mobile, Alabama |
| New Orleans Bowl | 2001 | Caesars Superdome (73,208) | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Hawaiʻi Bowl | 2002 | Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex (15,194) | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Duke's Mayo Bowl | 2002 | Bank of America Stadium (73,778) | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Armed Forces Bowl | 2003 | Amon G. Carter Stadium (45,000) | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Texas Bowl | 2006 | NRG Stadium (71,054) | Houston, Texas |
| Birmingham Bowl | 2006 | Protective Stadium (47,100) | Birmingham, Alabama |
| New Mexico Bowl | 2006 | University Stadium (39,224) | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Military Bowl | 2008 | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000) | Annapolis, Maryland |
| Gasparilla Bowl | 2008 | Raymond James Stadium (65,890) | Tampa, Florida |
| Pinstripe Bowl | 2010 | Yankee Stadium (54,251) | Bronx, New York |
| First Responder Bowl | 2010 | Gerald J. Ford Stadium (32,000) | Dallas, Texas |
| Bahamas Bowl | 2014 | Thomas Robinson Stadium (15,023) | Nassau, Bahamas |
| Boca Raton Bowl | 2014 | FAU Stadium (29,419) | Boca Raton, Florida |
| Salute to Veterans Bowl | 2014 | Cramton Bowl (25,000) | Montgomery, Alabama |
| GameAbove Sports Bowl | 2014 | Ford Field (65,000) | Detroit, Michigan |
| Cure Bowl | 2015 | FBC Mortgage Stadium (44,206) | Orlando, Florida |
| Arizona Bowl | 2015 | Arizona Stadium (56,029) | Tucson, Arizona |
| Frisco Bowl | 2017 | Toyota Stadium (20,500) | Frisco, Texas |
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | 2020 | Brooks Stadium (20,000) | Conway, South Carolina |
| Fenway Bowl | 2021 | Fenway Park (37,755) | Boston, Massachusetts |
| LA Bowl | 2021 | SoFi Stadium (70,240) | Inglewood, California |
Number of FBS bowl games by state
As of 2024, Florida has the maximum number of bowl games, with a total of 8. This includes notable games such as the Orange Bowl. Following Florida, Texas has 7 bowl games, including the Cotton Bowl Classic and more.
| State | Number | Bowls |
| Florida | 8 | Orange, Boca Raton, Citrus, Cure, Gasparilla, Gator, Outback, Pop-Tarts |
| Texas | 7 | Cotton, Alamo, Armed Forces, First Responder, Frisco, Sun, Texas |
| Alabama | 3 | Birmingham, Salute to Veterans, LendingTree |
| Arizona | Fiesta, Arizona, Rate | |
| California | Rose, Holiday, LA | |
| Louisiana | Sugar, Independence, New Orleans | |
| Tennessee | 2 | Liberty, Music City |
| Georgia | 1 | Peach |
| Hawaii | Hawaii | |
| Idaho | Famous Idaho Potato | |
| Maryland | Military | |
| Massachusetts | Fenway | |
| Michigan | GameAbove Sports | |
| Nevada | Las Vegas | |
| New Mexico | New Mexico | |
| New York | Pinstripe | |
| North Carolina | Duke's Mayo | |
| South Carolina | Myrtle Beach |
FAQs on Bowl Games
A. Bowl games usually occur in December and January, with major games around New Year's Day.
A. There are 47 bowl games in the 2024-25 season.
A. The New Year's Six bowl games include the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl.
A. Florida has the most bowl games, with a total of 8, including the Orange Bowl. Texas follows with 7 bowl games, including the Cotton Bowl Classic.
