| Season: | 1984 |
| Number Of Bowls: | 18 |
| Bowl Start: | December 15, 1984 |
| Bowl End: | January 1, 1985 |
| Championship Bowl: | 1984 Holiday Bowl |
| Championship Location: | Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego |
| Champions: | BYU Cougars |
| Conference1: | Independents |
| Conference1 Teams: | 7 |
| Conference1 Wins: | 3 |
| Conference1 Losses: | 3 |
| Conference1 Ties: | 1 |
| Conference1 Ap Poll: | 4 |
| Conference2: | SEC |
| Conference2 Teams: | 6 |
| Conference2 Wins: | 2 |
| Conference2 Losses: | 3 |
| Conference2 Ties: | 1 |
| Conference2 Ap Poll: | 4 |
| Conference3: | Big Ten |
| Conference3 Teams: | 6 |
| Conference3 Wins: | 1 |
| Conference3 Losses: | 5 |
| Conference3 Ap Poll: | 2 |
| Conference4: | SWC |
| Conference4 Teams: | 5 |
| Conference4 Wins: | 1 |
| Conference4 Losses: | 4 |
| Conference4 Ap Poll: | 1 |
| Conference5: | Pac-10 |
| Conference5 Teams: | 3 |
| Conference5 Wins: | 3 |
| Conference5 Losses: | 0 |
| Conference5 Ap Poll: | 3 |
| Conference6: | Big Eight |
| Conference6 Teams: | 3 |
| Conference6 Wins: | 2 |
| Conference6 Losses: | 1 |
| Conference6 Ap Poll: | 3 |
| Conference7: | ACC |
| Conference7 Teams: | 2 |
| Conference7 Wins: | 2 |
| Conference7 Losses: | 0 |
| Conference7 Ap Poll: | 2 |
| Conference8: | WAC |
| Conference8 Teams: | 2 |
| Conference8 Wins: | 2 |
| Conference8 Losses: | 0 |
| Conference8 Ap Poll: | 1 |
| Conference9: | PCAA |
| Conference9 Teams: | 1 |
| Conference9 Wins: | 1 |
| Conference9 Losses: | 0 |
| Conference9 Ap Poll: | 0 |
| Conference10: | MAC |
| Conference10 Teams: | 1 |
| Conference10 Wins: | 0 |
| Conference10 Losses: | 1 |
| Conference10 Ap Poll: | 0 |
The 1984–85 NCAA football bowl games were a series of post-season games played in December 1984 and January 1985 to end the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season. A total of 18 team-competitive games,[1] and two all-star games, were played. The post-season began with the Independence Bowl on December 15, 1984, and concluded on January 12, 1985, with the season-ending Senior Bowl.
| Date | Game | Site | Time (US EST) | TV | Matchup (pre-game record) | AP pre-game rank | UPI (Coaches) pre-game rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 15 | Independence Bowl | Independence Stadium Shreveport, Louisiana | ESPN | Air Force 23 (7–4) (WAC), Virginia Tech 7 (8–3) (Independent) | NR NR | NR NR | |
| California Bowl | Bulldog Stadium Fresno, California | ESPN | UNLV 30 (10–2) (PCAA Champion), Toledo 13 (8–2–1) (MAC Champion) | NR NR | NR NR | ||
| Dec 21 | Holiday Bowl[2] | Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, California | Mizlou / ESPN | BYU 24 (12–0) (WAC Champion), Michigan 17 (6–5) (Big Ten) |
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| Dec 22 | Florida Citrus Bowl | Florida Citrus Bowl Orlando, Florida | NBC | Georgia 17 (7–4) (SEC), Florida State 17 (7–3–1) (Independent) | NR #15 | NR #16 | |
| Sun Bowl | Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, Texas | CBS | Maryland 28 (8–3) (ACC Champion), Tennessee 27 (7–3–1) (SEC) |
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| Cherry Bowl | Pontiac Silverdome Pontiac, Michigan | USA Network | Army 10 (8–3) (Independent), Michigan State 6 (6–5) (Big Ten) | NR NR | NR NR | ||
| Dec 26 | Freedom Bowl[3] | Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, California | Lorimar | Iowa 55 (7–4–1) (Big Ten), Texas 17 (7–3–1) (SWC) | NR #19 | NR #20 | |
| Dec 27 | Liberty Bowl | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee | Katz Sports | Auburn 21 (8–4) (SEC), Arkansas 15 (7–3–1) (SWC) |
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| Dec 28 | Gator Bowl[4] | Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, Florida | ABC | Oklahoma State 21 (9–2) (Big Eight), South Carolina 14 (10–1) (Independent) |
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| Dec 29 | Aloha Bowl | Aloha Stadium Honolulu, Hawaii | 8:00 pm | TCS/Metrosports | SMU 27 (9–2) (SWC co-Champion), Notre Dame 20 (7–4) (Independent) |
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| Hall of Fame Classic | Legion Field Birmingham, Alabama | 8:00 PM | WTBS | Kentucky 20 (8–3) (SEC), Wisconsin 19 (7–3–1) (Big Ten) | NR #20 | NR #17 | |
| Dec 31 | Peach Bowl | Fulton County Stadium Atlanta | 3:00 PM | CBS | Virginia 27 (7–2–2) (ACC), Purdue 24 (7–4) (Big Ten) | NR NR | NR NR |
| Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl | Houston Astrodome Houston, Texas | 8:00 PM | Lorimar | West Virginia 31 (7–4) (Independent), TCU 14 (8–3) (SWC) | NR NR | NR NR | |
| Jan 1 | Cotton Bowl[5] | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | 1:30 PM | CBS | Boston College 45 (9–2) (Independent), Houston 28 (7–4) (SWC co-Champion) |
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| Fiesta Bowl[6] | Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, Arizona | 1:30 PM | NBC | UCLA 39 (8–3) (Pac-10), Miami (FL) 37 (8–4) (Independent) |
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| Rose Bowl[7] | Rose Bowl Pasadena, California | 4:30 PM | NBC | USC 20 (8–3) (Pac-10 Champion), Ohio State 17 (9–2) (Big Ten Champion) |
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| Sugar Bowl[8] | Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana | 7:00 PM | ABC | Nebraska 28 (9–2) (Big Eight co-Champion), LSU 10 (8–2–1) (SEC) |
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| Orange Bowl[9] | Orange Bowl Miami, Florida | 8:00 PM | NBC | Washington 25 (10–1) (Pac-10), Oklahoma 17 (9–1–1) (Big Eight co-Champion) |
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