2021-22 College Bowl Games for Group of Five Schools

A total of 42 bowl games, including the College Football Playoff semi-finals and championship, are scheduled to take place beginning Dec. 17 with the Bahamas Bowl and ending Jan. 10 with the College Football Playoff National Championship in Indianapolis. Of the 42 bowls, 23 of the bowls will include at least one team from the Group of Five conferences.

The New Year’s Six spot for the Group of Five went to Cincinnati, who not only received that bid but also are in the College Football Playoff as the #4 seed and will play #1 seeded Alabama in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31st.

Seven other bowl games will pit G5 schools against a Power Five school including Mountain West champion Utah State versus the Pac 12’s Oregon State in the new LA Bowl and AAC runner-up Houston taking on the SEC’s Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl.

A couple of other highlighted games below are amongst the Group of Five conference champions.

Sun Belt champion Louisiana plays C-USA member Marshall in the New Orleans Bowl.

MAC champion Northern Illinois plays the Sun Belt’s Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl.

And C-USA champion UTSA plays MWC runner-up San Diego State in the Frisco Bowl.

Below is the full list of bowl games for the 2020-21 bowl season involving Group of Five squads (ranking are the College Football Playoff Rankings and times are EST):

Friday, Dec. 17

Bahamas Bowl
Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo
12 p.m. ET | ESPN
Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas

Cure Bowl
Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina
6 p.m. | ESPN2
Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida

Saturday, Dec. 18

Boca Raton Bowl
Appalachian State vs. Western Kentucky
11 a.m. | ESPN
FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida

New Mexico Bowl
Fresno State vs. UTEP
2:15 p.m. | ESPN
Dreamstyle Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Independence Bowl
No. 13 BYU vs. UAB
3:30 p.m. | ABC
Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana

LendingTree Bowl
Eastern Michigan vs. Liberty
5:45 p.m. | ESPN
Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama

LA Bowl
Oregon State vs. Utah State
7:30 p.m. | ABC
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California

New Orleans Bowl
No. 23 Louisiana vs. Marshall
9:15 p.m. | ESPN
Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana

Monday, Dec. 20

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Tulsa vs. Old Dominion
2:30 p.m. | ESPN
Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina

Tuesday, Dec. 21

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Kent State vs. Wyoming
3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho

Frisco Bowl
No. 24 San Diego State vs. UTSA
7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas

Wednesday, Dec. 22

Armed Forces Bowl
Missouri vs. Army
8 p.m. | ESPN
Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas

Thursday, Dec. 23

Gasparilla Bowl
Florida vs. UCF
7 p.m. | ESPN
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida

Frisco Football Classic
Miami (Ohio) vs. North Texas
TBD | TBD
Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas

Friday, Dec. 24

Hawai’i Bowl
Memphis vs. Hawai’i
8 p.m. | ESPN
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, Hawai’i

Saturday, Dec. 25

Camellia Bowl
Ball State vs. Georgia State
2:30 p.m. | ESPN
Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama

Monday, Dec. 27

Quick Lane Bowl
Western Michigan vs. Nevada
11 a.m. | ESPN
Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

Military Bowl
East Carolina vs. Boston College
2:30 p.m. | ESPN
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland

Tuesday, Dec. 28

Birmingham Bowl
No. 20 Houston vs. Auburn
12 p.m. | ESPN
Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama

First Responder Bowl
Air Force vs. Louisville
3:15 p.m. | ESPN
Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas

Wednesday, Dec. 29

Fenway Bowl
Virginia vs. SMU
11 a.m. | ESPN
Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts

Friday, Dec. 31

Arizona Bowl
Central Michigan vs. Boise State
2 p.m. | Barstool Sports
Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona

Cotton Bowl Classic (College Football Playoff semifinal)
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati
3:30 p.m. | ESPN
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

Monday, Jan. 10

College Football Playoff National Championship Game (if Cincinnati wins the Cotton Bowl)
8 p.m. | ESPN
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana