Complete Guide to College Football Bowl Season on Sling TV

Sling TV has 45 Bowl Games in 2024, including the College Football Playoff and National Championship. Here’s a preview.

spacer

We’re going to get right to it: If you need a home for College Football’s Bowl season, Sling TV is it. Sling carries 45 of the 47 Bowl games, including all of the College Football Playoff and National Championship. With games airing almost every day through the New Year (including many during work hours), there is plenty to watch.

With almost 90 teams playing in a bowl game, casual fans might roll their eyes and crack a joke relating to participation trophies. Yet the fact is, this tradition matters, especially with all the changes in college football. Has bowl season taken a hit with more and more players sitting out? Of course, but at its core it's a celebration and opportunity for a lot of teams (and players) to end the season on a high note. So we’re humbled and honored by the opportunity to help get you excited for each and every bowl game. Read on to learn more about why you should watch every single one of them with Sling TV.

With the exception of the Holiday Bowl on FOX, you can watch all of the games with Sling Orange or Orange + Blue, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC games via ESPN3. For a limited time, save big by using the link below to prepay for 3-months of Sling Orange + Blue with Sports Extras!

spacer

https://main--sling--aemsites.aem.page/aemedge/fragments/try-sling-orange

spacer

All times Eastern

College Football Playoff: First Round - December 20 and 21

CFP Playoff First Round

No. 10 Indiana at. No. 7 Notre Dame

Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Indiana)
8 p.m., ESPN/ESPN3/ABC - Friday

The first ever College Football Playoff game to be played on campus will take place in South Bend, Indiana. It’ll be a short trip for Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers as they will go up against a stiff defense in what figures to be frigid temperatures.

CFP Playoff First Round

No. 11 SMU vs. No. 6 Penn State

Beaver Stadium (State College, Pennsylvania)
Noon, TNT

The 12-team playoff means we have plenty of first timers joining the party. This will undoubtedly be the coldest and most intense environment the Mustangs have played in all season. But SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings is a true star, and Penn State shows some defensive vulnerabilities against Oregon in the Big 10 Championship. Nittany Lions QB Drew Aller and TE Tyler Warren will be tough to stop, but the winner earns a trip to Arizona to take on Boise State in the quarterfinals.

CFP Playoff First Round

No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 5 Texas

Darrel K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)

4 p.m., TNT

With Miami losing its final game of the season to Syracuse, the door opened for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers. The ACC Champs will now head to Texas to take on the Longhorns lost in overtime of the SEC Championship. Clemson will enter the game with a nothing to lose attitude, so Texas needs to be sharp to avoid a massive disappointment. The winner goes on to play Big 12 Champions Arizona State.

CFP Playoff First Round

No. 9 Tennessee vs. No. 8 Ohio State

Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)

8 p.m., ESPN

After suffering a brutal loss at home to hated rival Michigan, the Buckeyes still have everything to play for. Head coach Ryan Day’s job could be in jeopardy without a run in the Playoff, and his first test is a Tennessee team that possesses the same characteristics as the Michigan team Ohio State just lost to. The Vols play great defense and run the ball, and will look to capitalize on what will be an impatient Ohio State crowd. Day has to get his team back on the saddle, as talent wise, they should be able to beat anyone in the country.

College Football Playoff: Quarterfinals - December 31 and January 1

TBD vs. No. 4 Arizona State

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)

1 p.m., ESPN

TBD vs. No. 1 Oregon

Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)

5 p.m., ESPN

TBD vs. No. 2 Georgia

Caesars Superdomel (New Orleans, Louisiana)

8:45 p.m., ESPN

College Football Playoff: Semifinals - January 9 and 10

TBD vs. TBD

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)

7:30 p.m., ESPN

TBD vs. TBD

AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)

7:30 p.m., ESPN

College Football National Championship - January 20

TBD vs. TBD

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)

7:30 p.m., ESPN

Complete Bowl Game Schedule

Sat., Dec. 14

Cricket Celebration Bowl

Jackson State vs. South Carolina State

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
Noon p.m., ABC/ESPN3

Two years after Coach Prime moved from Jackson State for Colorado, coach T.C. Taylor has the Tigers right where they left off. South Carolina won the celebration bowl in 2021 and 2022 against Coach Prime, so coach Taylor will look to get over the hump and finish the season with a win in Atlanta.

IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl

South Alabama vs. Western Michigan

Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN

South Alabama doesn't have to travel far for its bowl game. The Jaguars have an electric offense behind the trio of quarterback Gio Lopez, running back Fluff Bothwell and wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett.

Tues., Dec. 17

Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl

No. 25 Memphis vs. West Virginia

Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
9 p.m., ABC/ESPN3

It’s hard to know what to expect from West Virginia as they fired head coach Neal Brown when the regular season came to an end. On the flip side, Memphis are coming off a 10-win season where they finished in the top 25 of the College Football Playoff rankings. A win against a power four team will go a long way for coach Ryan Silverfield, and it’s a big game for Quarterback Seth Henigan, who will hope he can improve his draft stock in this game.

Weds., Dec. 18

Boca Raton Bowl

Western Kentucky vs. James Madison

FAU Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida)
95:30 p.m., ESPN

People forget that JMU are only in its third year of FBS football. The Dukes made the jump and made huge strides under now Indiana coach Curt Cignetti. The team faltered toward the end of the year, and it seems starting quarterback Alona Barnett III will miss the game due to injury.

Art of Sport LA Bowl

Cal vs UNLV

SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
9 p.m., ESPN

Cal’s started the season 3-0 with impressive wins over Auburn and SDSU. But the Golden Bears first season in the ACC opened conference play with four straight heartbreaking losses by a total of only 8 points. Justin Wilcox’s 6-6 team is solid, and they’ll play a UNLV team whose head coach, Barry Odom, accepted the Purdue job on December 8th.

Thurs., Dec. 19

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston

Caesars Superdome (New Orleans, Louisiana)
7 p.m., ESPN2

The strength of the Bearkats (yes, with a ‘k’) is its defense. Well, the strength of Georgia Southern is its offense. We’ll see whose strength wins out.

Fri., Dec. 20

StaffDNA Cure Bowl

Ohio vs. Jacksonville State

Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
Noon p.m., ESPN

Ohio not only upset, but crushed Miami (Ohio) in the MAC Championship. The team and quarterback Parker Navarro got a little love after actor Timothee Chalamet excluded his ball knowledge and was the only person on College GameDay to pick the Bobcats. On the other side, Jacksonville State won the Conference USA, but head coach Rich Rodriguez’s name has been mentioned in a return to West Virginia. This is a fun one to throw on at work on a Friday as you await for the first round playoff game between Indiana and Notre Dame.

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl

Tulane vs. Florida

Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay, Florida)
3:30 p.m., ESPN Florida will return to Tampa where Billy Napier’s team had Georgia on the ropes before quarterback DJ Lagway went down with a hamstring injury. To many prognosticators' surprise, the Gators found some momentum toward the end of the season and will enter the offseason with some hope. First they must take care of a Tulane team whose coach and players may be on the move.

Mon., Dec. 23

Myrtle Beach Bowl

Coastal Carolina vs. UTSA

Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina)
11 a.m., ESPN

Before you balk at the matchups this week, just remember that you’ll have the opportunity to have College Football on your second screen at work.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State

Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho)
2:30 p.m., ESPN

Northern Illinois QB Ethan Hampton has entered the portal and plenty of Fresno State players have done the same. Like we said, just enjoy some football on the blue turf during the work day.

Tue., Dec. 24

Hawai’i Bowl

South Florida vs. San Jose State

Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex (Honolulu, Hawaii)
8 p.m., ESPN

We got an AAC vs Mountain West battle on the big island. Your reason to tune in? San Jose State wide receiver Nick Nash, who is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.

Thurs., Dec. 26

GameAbove Sports Bowl

Pittsburgh vs Toledo

Ford Field (Detroit, Michigan)
2 p.m., ESPN

Bowl games between P4 and G5 schools are always a must watch. In this case, Toledo will look to upset Pittsburgh who lost five straight games to end the season after starting 7-0.

Rate Bowl

Rutgers vs Kansas State

Chase Field (Phoenix, Arizona)
5:30 p.m., ESPN

Another tradition in Bowl Season is playing football games in baseball stadiums. We don’t know why, but we like it. These two teams have a similar ethos of being physical, running the football, and playing defense. Both will look to roll into the offseason with positive momentum.

68 Ventures Bowl

Arkansas State vs Bowling Green

Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama)
9 p.m., ESPN

If Bowling Green is in a bowl game, you have to watch them. We don’t make the rules.

Fri., Dec. 27

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces

Oklahoma vs Navy

Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas)
Noon p.m., ESPN

It was a rough season for Oklahoma by their standards, but the win at home against Alabama kept fans from jumping ship. Brent Venables team should not take this game lightly.

Birmingham Bowl

Georgia Tech vs Vanderbilt

Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama)
3:30 p.m., ESPN

Two teams who exceed expectations this season will look to finish the campaign out on a high. Quarterbacks Haynes Kings and Diego Pavia have similar characteristics as they both like to get out and run.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Texas Tech vs Arkansas

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee)
7 p.m., ESPN

There has been plenty of talk amongst coaches and the college football community about the depth and strength of conferences outside the Big10 and SEC. This game will be a good measuring stick.

DirecTV Holiday Bowl

No. 21 Syracuse vs Washington State

Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, California)
8 p.m., FOX* Available in Select Markets

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl

Texas A&M vs USC

Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, Nevada)
10:30 p.m., ESPN

We could categorize year one under Mike Elko as a success for Texas A&M. With two weeks left in the regular season, the Aggies were right in the thick of the CFP until its two losses to Auburn and Texas. USC on the other hand had a tough transition into life in the Big10. The always shaky Trojan defense finally improved under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, but the offense took a step back without an elite quarterback. This is a fun one between two big brands.

Sat., Dec. 28

Wasabi Fenway Bowl

Uconn vs North Carolina

Fenway Park (Boston, Massachusetts)
11 a.m., ESPN

Another game in a baseball stadium! And it’s between two blue blood basketball schools. We’ll go out and say that the winner gets to claim the title of ‘best basketball school who won the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.’

Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl

Boston College vs Nebraska

Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York)
Noon, ESPN

It’s only fitting that when the Red Sox stadium is hosting a Bowl Game that the Yankees host one at roughly the same time. This is the first bowl game for Nebraska since 2016, and head coach Matt Ruhle could really use this as a launch pad into year three of his tenure. The first year under head coach Bill O’Brien was a success and quarterback Tommy Castellanos is fun to watch.

Isleta New Mexico Bowl

Louisiana vs TCU

University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
12:15 p.m., ESPN

The Ragin’ Cajuns got blown out in the Sun Belt Championship which soured a great season for head coach Micahel Desormeaux. TCU quietly had a solid season going 8-4, and will look to avoid a let down for the conference against a G5 opponent.

Pop-Tarts Bowl

No. 18 Iowa State vs No. 13 Miami

Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)

3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN3

One thing we love about Bowl Season is the wackiness that comes with it. Enter in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which took college football by storm last year as the winners have the honor of eating the edible mascot. Miami will look to show that they most certainly should have been in the Playoff after faltering in the last game of the season vs Syracuse. Iowa State got routed in the Big 12 Championship, and now face an even more high powered offense. Early reports show that quarterback Cam Ward and other players are not opting out.

Go Bowling Military Bowl

East Carolina vs NC State

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland)

5:45 p.m., ESPN

It’s not often bowl games are between two rivals, but the Go Bowling Military Bowl is just that. In-state rivals, NC State and Eastern Carolina will meet for the 33rd time and the first time not in the state of North Carolina. That should give this one at a little extra pop.

Valero Alamo Bowl

No.17 BYU vs No.23 Colorado

Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas)

7:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN3

Two Big 12 teams will battle it out at the Alamo as the Colorado Buffaloes are technically still under a Pac-12 designation. These were the other two teams who were in a four way tie for the top of the conference but were left out for ASU and Iowa State. You could call it a Bronze Medal game for Coach Prime and Kalani Sitake. Deion Sanders has said Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and all of his seniors will be playing in the game. This could be one of the more fun games of the bowl season.

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowls

Marshall vs No.22 Army

Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana)

9:15 p.m., ESPN

The conference champions of the Sun Belt and AAC got a date in Shreveport! Tune into this one for the quarterbacks. Marshall’s Braylon Braxton is a true dual threat talent while Army’s Bryson Daily’s 29 rushing touchdowns is tied for the top of the country with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.

Mon., Dec. 30

TransPerfect Music City Bowl

Iowa vs No.19 Missouri

Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
2:30 p.m., ESPN

It’s always an experience when you watch Iowa. They will try to muck this game up as much as possible as they faceoff against a Mizzou offense that won’t have star wide receiver Luther Burden III as he opted out of the game for the NFL Draft.

Tuesday., Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl

No. 11 Alabama vs Michigan

Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
Noon, ESPN

Life comes at you fast. Almost exactly one year ago to the date of this bowl game Alabama and Michigan faced off in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff in the Rose Bowl. Michigan's win over Ohio State covered up a disappointing year for the Wolverines, and Alabama was the first team left out of this year's playoff due to its three losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Michigan will surely be motivated, but we’ll see who opts on both sides in this one.

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

No.15 South Carolina vs No. 20 Illinois

Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida)
3 p.m., ESPN

South Carolina was another team that felt it had a legitimate gripe of not getting into the playoff. Shane Beamer’s team had a great year, and quarterback LaNorris Sellers is one of the most talented players at the position. Illinois is going for it’s first 10 win season since 2001.

Kinder’s Texas Bowl

Baylor vs LSU

NRG Stadium (Houston, Texas)
7:30 p.m., ESPN

In a previous life, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda was the defensive coordinator of the 2019 LSU team that won the National Championship. It’s the role that landed him the job in Waco. Now he’ll have to rub salt in the wound on what’s been a tough season in Baton Rouge.

Thursday., Jan. 2

Tax Slayer Gator Bowl

Duke vs No. 14 Ole Miss

EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
7:30 p.m., ESPN

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was very vocal about his feelings on the College Football Playoff selection process. The 4th year Rebs coach actually threw some shade at the ACC and Big 12 conference for its lack of quality compared to the SEC. Well now, he’ll get a chance to play one of those teams from the ACC in Duke.

Friday, Jan. 3

SERVPRO First Responders Bowl

North Texas vs Texas State

Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas, Texas)
4 p.m., ESPN

An all-texas bowl game being played in Texas. Seems fitting. We should get plenty of points and fireworks in this one as North Texas will look to air it out in this one behind quarterback Chandler Morris.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Minnesota vs Virginia Tech

Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina)
7:30 p.m., ESPN

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl has grown year after year with the ridiculous bit of the winning coach getting drenched in Mayo. So that’s what these kids are playing for is to see either Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry or Minnesota coach PJ Fleck drenched in Mayo. Sign us up.

Saturday, Jan. 4

Bahamas Bowl

Buffalo vs Liberty

Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (Nassau, Bahamas)
4 p.m., ESPN

Liberty QB Kaidon Salter has entered the portal, and head coach Jamey Chadwell has been mentioned for multiple jobs. If anything, this will be the 4th to last college football game until August, so now is the time to soak up as much CFB as you can get.

FAQs