2020–21 NCAA football bowl games explained

Season:	2020
Regular Season:	–
Number Of Bowls:	26
All Star Games:	3
Championship Bowl:	2021 College Football Playoff National Championship
Championship Location:	Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida
Champions:	Alabama Crimson Tide
Bowl Challenge Cup:	Big 12
Conference1:	SEC
Conference1 Teams:	9
Conference1 Wins:	7
Conference1 Losses:	2
Conference1 Ap Poll:	4
Conference2:	AAC
Conference2 Teams:	6
Conference2 Wins:	1
Conference2 Losses:	5
Conference2 Ap Poll:	1
Conference3:	ACC
Conference3 Teams:	6
Conference3 Wins:	0
Conference3 Losses:	6
Conference3 Ap Poll:	4
Conference4:	Conference USA
Conference4 Teams:	6
Conference4 Wins:	0
Conference4 Losses:	6
Conference4 Ap Poll:	0
Conference5:	Big 12
Conference5 Teams:	5
Conference5 Wins:	5
Conference5 Losses:	0
Conference5 Ap Poll:	4
Conference6:	Sun Belt
Conference6 Teams:	5
Conference6 Wins:	4
Conference6 Losses:	1
Conference6 Ap Poll:	2
Conference7:	Big Ten
Conference7 Teams:	5
Conference7 Wins:	3
Conference7 Losses:	2
Conference7 Ap Poll:	4
Conference8:	Mountain West
Conference8 Teams:	3
Conference8 Wins:	2
Conference8 Losses:	1
Conference8 Ap Poll:	1
Conference9:	Independents
Conference9 Teams:	3
Conference9 Wins:	2
Conference9 Losses:	1
Conference9 Ap Poll:	2
Conference10:	MAC
Conference10 Teams:	2
Conference10 Wins:	2
Conference10 Losses:	0
Conference10 Ap Poll:	2
Conference11:	Pac-12
Conference11 Teams:	2
Conference11 Wins:	0
Conference11 Losses:	2
Conference11 Ap Poll:	1

The 2020–21 NCAA football bowl games were a series of post-season games scheduled to complete the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Team-competitive games began on December 21, 2020, and concluded with the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship played on January 11, 2021. Three all-star games followed, concluding with the 2021 Hula Bowl, played on January 31, 2021.

The number of bowl games was lower than in recent seasons (25 team-competitive bowls aside from the National Championship Game, and three all-star games), as both the regular season and postseason were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[1] In mid-October 2020, the NCAA waived bowl eligibility requirements for the 2020–21 bowl season, intended "to allow as many student-athletes as possible the opportunity to participate in bowl games this year."^[2] This led to nine teams with losing records accepting bids to bowl games, surpassing the six teams with losing records who were deemed bowl eligible (rules not waived) in order to fill the 2016–17 NCAA football bowl gamesconsistent with the ongoing proliferation of what used to be a limited number of bowl games intended to reward the best teams in college football.

Schedule

The schedule for the 2020–21 bowl games is below. All times are EST (UTC−5). Note that Division II bowls and Division III bowls are not included here.

On October 23, 2020, the Football Bowl Association announced a rebranding as "Bowl Season"; the organization works "with all existing bowls to promote the benefits of the entire bowl system."^[3] The organization's logo was visible on the field at some bowl games.^[4]

College Football Playoff and Championship Game

The College Football Playoff (CFP) system is used to determine a national championship of Division I FBS college football. A 13-member committee of experts ranked the top 25 teams in the nation after each of the final five weeks of the regular season. On August 5, 2020, CFP organizers announced that they would move the release of final rankings and semifinal matchups from December 6 to 20, in order to accommodate conferences that had delayed their championship games to mid-December.^[5] The top four teams in the final ranking were seeded in a single-elimination semifinal round, with the winners advancing to the National Championship game.

The semifinal games for the 2020–21 season were the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. Both were played on January 1, 2021, as part of a yearly rotation of three pairs of six bowls, commonly referred to as the New Year's Six bowl games. The Rose Bowl game was relocated to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Cotton Bowl Classic, after Governor Gavin Newsom's orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in California would have resulted in the game being played behind closed doors without fans.^[6] The semifinal winners advanced to the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, played on January 11, 2021.

In the event of COVID-19 issues within the playoff teams, CFP organizers had identified contingency dates (which did not need to be used) of January 11 and January 12 for the semifinals and January 18 for the championship game.^[7]

Each of the games in the following table was televised by ESPN.

Date	Time (EST)	Game	Site	Teams	Affiliations	Results
Dec. 30	8:00 p.m.	Cotton Bowl Classic	AT&T Stadium Arlington, Texas	No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners (8–2) No. 7 Florida Gators (8–3)	Big 12 SEC	Oklahoma 55 Florida 20
Jan. 1	12:00 p.m.	Peach Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia	No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs (7–2) No. 8 Cincinnati Bearcats (9–0)	SEC American	Georgia 24 Cincinnati 21
	4:00 p.m.	Rose Bowl (Playoff Semifinal Game)	AT&T Stadium Arlington, Texas	No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (11–0) No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10–1)	SEC ACC	Alabama 31 Notre Dame 14
	8:00 p.m.	Sugar Bowl (Playoff Semifinal Game)	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana	No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (6–0) No. 2 Clemson Tigers (10–1)	Big Ten ACC	Ohio State 49 Clemson 28
Jan. 2	4:00 p.m.	Fiesta Bowl	State Farm Stadium Glendale, Arizona	No. 10 Iowa State Cyclones (8–3) No. 25 Oregon Ducks (4–2)	Big 12 Pac-12	Iowa State 34 Oregon 17
	8:00 p.m.	Orange Bowl	Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida	No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies (8–1) No. 13 North Carolina Tar Heels (8–3)	SEC ACC	Texas A&M 41 North Carolina 27
Jan. 11	8:00 p.m.	College Football Playoff National Championship(Rose Bowl Winner vs. Sugar Bowl Winner)	Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida	No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (12–0) No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (7–0)	SEC Big Ten	Alabama 52 Ohio State 24

Source:^[8]

Non-CFP bowl games

Due to a sponsorship change, what had been the Camping World Bowl played in Florida was renamed the Cheez-It Bowl, and the former Cheez-It Bowl played in Arizona became the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Also due to a sponsorship change, what had been the Belk Bowl was renamed as the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the New Mexico Bowl was moved to Frisco, Texas.^[9]

New bowls

Three new bowls had planned to debut during the 2020–21 bowl season, although only one was actually played.

• The Fenway Bowl (Boston, Massachusetts) was postponed to the 2021–22 bowl season due to the pandemic.
• The LA Bowl (Inglewood, California) was initially scheduled for December 30, then postponed to the 2021–22 bowl season due to the pandemic.^[10]
• The Myrtle Beach Bowl (Conway, South Carolina) was played on December 21.

The Montgomery Bowl was announced as a "substitute of the Fenway Bowl for this season only".^[11]

Cancelled bowls

The following annual bowl games had their 2020 editions canceled (date announced):

• Redbox Bowl (July 31): Although the COVID-19 pandemic was cited as a justification, Levi's Stadium not renewing its agreement to host the game was an additional factor, making the overall future of the bowl unclear.^{[12] [13]}
• Bahamas Bowl and Hawaii Bowl (October 2): Canceled due to travel restrictions related to the pandemic.^[14]
• Holiday Bowl (October 22): Organizers cited complications from the pandemic and the demolition of its former home venue, SDCCU Stadium.^[15]
• Quick Lane Bowl (October 30): No specific reason was given for the cancellation.^[16]
• Pinstripe Bowl (November 27): Canceled due to an increase in COVID-19 cases.^[17]
• Sun Bowl (December 1): Canceled due to an increase in COVID-19 cases.^[18]
• Las Vegas Bowl (December 2): Canceled due to COVID-19 complications.^[19] On December 3, it was announced that the game's new Pac-12 and SEC tie-ins would be transferred to the Armed Forces Bowl (although only an SEC tie-in would be fulfilled, with The American providing an opponent).^{[20] [21]}
• Frisco Bowl (December 15): Canceled due to COVID-19 complications within the SMU program. As a result, UTSA accepted a bid to the First Responder Bowl.^[22]
• Independence Bowl, Birmingham Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl (December 20): Canceled due to a lack of available teams to play.^{[23] [24]}
• Military Bowl (December 21): Canceled due to a lack of available teams to play.^[25]
• Gasparilla Bowl (December 22): Cancelled after South Carolina dropped out due to COVID issues, leaving UAB with no opponent.^[26]
• Music City Bowl (December 27): Cancelled after Missouri dropped out due to COVID issues, leaving Iowa with no opponent.^[27]
• Texas Bowl (December 29): Cancelled after TCU dropped out due to COVID issues, leaving Arkansas with no opponent.^[28]

On December 14, the NCAA's Football Oversight Committee (FOC) announced that FBS teams would be allowed to schedule an additional game in the event of a bowl game cancellation. Such games would need to be requested not later than December 21, and played not later than December 31. A replacement game would need to be scheduled against an opponent from a conference with a tie-in to the canceled bowl game.^[29]

The cancellations, along with the move of the Cure Bowl from CBS Sports Network to ESPN due to its acquisition by ESPN Events, left the Arizona Bowl as the only bowl not televised by the ESPN family of networks.^[30] On December 10, it was announced that the Arizona Bowl would be shifted from CBS Sports Network to the main CBS network as a substitute for the Sun Bowl.^[31]

Bowls played

--Please link "Affiliations" column with conference standings for each known team-->
Date	Time (EST)	Game	Site	Television	Teams	Affiliations	Results
Dec. 21	2:30 p.m.	Myrtle Beach Bowl	Brooks Stadium Conway, South Carolina	ESPN	Appalachian State Mountaineers (8–3) North Texas Mean Green (4–5)	Sun Belt C–USA	Appalachian State 56 North Texas 28
Dec. 22	3:30 p.m.		Albertsons Stadium Boise, Idaho		Nevada Wolf Pack (6–2) Tulane Green Wave (6–5)	MWC American	Nevada 38 Tulane 27
	Dec. 22-->	7:00 p.m.	Boca Raton Bowl		FAU Stadium Boca Raton, Florida	No. 16 BYU Cougars (10–1) UCF Knights (6–3)	Independent American	BYU 49 UCF 23
Dec. 23	3:00 p.m.	New Orleans Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana		Georgia Southern Eagles (7–5) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (5–4)	Sun Belt C–USA	Georgia Southern 38 Louisiana Tech 3
	Dec. 23-->	7:00 p.m.	Montgomery Bowl		Cramton Bowl Montgomery, Alabama	Memphis Tigers (7–3) Florida Atlantic Owls (5–3)	American C–USA	Memphis 25 Florida Atlantic 10
Dec. 24	3:30 p.m.	New Mexico Bowl	Toyota Stadium Frisco, Texas		Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (4–4) Houston Cougars (3–4)	MWC American	Hawaii 28 Houston 14
Dec. 25	2:30 p.m.	Camellia Bowl	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, Alabama		Buffalo Bulls (5–1) Marshall Thundering Herd (7–2)	MAC C–USA	Buffalo 17 Marshall 10
Dec. 26<	--	Dec. 26-->	3:30 p.m.	First Responder Bowl	Gerald J. Ford Stadium Dallas, Texas	ABC	No. 19 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (9–1) UTSA Roadrunners (7–4)	Sun Belt C–USA	Louisiana 31 UTSA 24
	Dec. 26-->	3:30 p.m.	LendingTree Bowl	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, Alabama	ESPN	Georgia State Panthers (5–4) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (5–6)	Sun Belt C–USA	Georgia State 39 Western Kentucky 21
	Dec. 26-->	7:30 p.m.	Cure Bowl	Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida		Liberty Flames (9–1)	Independent Sun Belt	Liberty 37 Coastal Carolina 34 (OT)
Dec. 29	5:30 p.m.	Cheez-It Bowl	Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida	No. 21 Oklahoma State Cowboys (7–3) No. 18 Miami (FL) Hurricanes (8–2)		Big 12 ACC	Oklahoma State 37 Miami (FL) 34
	Dec. 29-->	9:00 p.m.	Alamo Bowl	Alamodome San Antonio, Texas		No. 20 Texas Longhorns (6–3) Colorado Buffaloes (4–1)	Big 12 Pac-12	Texas 55 Colorado 23
Dec. 30	12:00 p.m.	Duke's Mayo Bowl	Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, North Carolina	Wisconsin Badgers (3–3) Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4–4)		Big Ten ACC	Wisconsin 42 Wake Forest 28
Dec. 31	12:00 p.m.	Armed Forces Bowl	Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, Texas	Mississippi State Bulldogs (3–7) No. 24 Tulsa Golden Hurricane (6–2)		SEC American	Mississippi State 28 Tulsa 26
	Dec. 31-->	2:00 p.m.	Arizona Bowl	Arizona Stadium Tucson, Arizona	CBS	Ball State Cardinals (6–1) No. 22 San Jose State Spartans (7–0)	MAC MWC	Ball State 34 San Jose State 13
	Dec. 31-->	4:00 p.m.	Liberty Bowl	Memphis, Tennessee	ESPN	West Virginia Mountaineers (5–4) Army Black Knights (9–2)	Big 12 Independent	West Virginia 24 Army 21
Jan. 1	1:00 p.m.	Citrus Bowl	Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida	ABC	No. 14 Northwestern Wildcats (6–2) Auburn Tigers (6–4)	Big Ten SEC	Northwestern 35 Auburn 19
Jan. 2	12:00 p.m.	Gator Bowl	TIAA Bank Field Jacksonville, Florida	ESPN	Kentucky Wildcats (4–6) No. 23 NC State Wolfpack (8–3)	SEC ACC	Kentucky 23 NC State 21
	Jan. 2-->	12:30 p.m.	Outback Bowl	Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida	ABC	Ole Miss Rebels (4–5) No. 11 Indiana Hoosiers (6–1)	SEC Big Ten	Ole Miss 26 Indiana 20

Source:^{[8] [32] [33] [34]}

FCS bowl game

The Celebration Bowl, held between the champions of the FCS Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) was canceled, due to both conferences having postponed football to spring 2021 due to COVID-19.^[35]

The NCAA has likewise delayed the Division I FCS tournament to April 2021, with the 2021 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game scheduled to occur in May 2021.^[36]

All-star games

The East–West Shrine Bowl and NFLPA Collegiate Bowl were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.^{[37] [38]}

Date	Time (EST)	Game	Site	Television	Participants	Results
Jan. 17		Tropical Bowl	Celebration High School Celebration, Florida		National Team American Team	National 20 American 17
Jan. 30	2:30 p.m.	Senior Bowl	Hancock Whitney Stadium Mobile, Alabama	NFL Network	National Team American Team	National 27 American 24
Jan. 31	9:30 p.m.	Hula Bowl	Aloha Stadium Honolulu, Hawaii	CBS Sports Network	Team Kai Team Aina	Kai 15 Aina 13

Team selections

In mid-October, the NCAA waived its usual bowl eligibility requirements.^[39] In early November, the Pac-12 Conference announced that its teams would need to have at least a .500 record to be considered for a bowl game.^[40] Additionally, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) only allowed their top two teams to go to bowl games.^[41]

Programs removed from bowl consideration

Multiple programs opted out of, or were otherwise removed from, bowl consideration in advance of final CFP standings and bowl announcements on December 20. Each program is listed with its win–loss record and the date its removal was announced.

• Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (3–6), December 5 — ended season.^[42]
• LSU Tigers (5–5), December 9 — opted out of bowl consideration as part of a self-imposed one-year postseason ban over Level III sanctions involving former LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.^[43]
• Boston College Eagles (6–5), December 10 — opted out.^[44]
• Pittsburgh Panthers (6–5), December 11 — opted out.^[45]
• Virginia Cavaliers (5–5), December 13 — opted out.^[46]
• Stanford Cardinal (4–2), December 13 — opted out.^[47]
• Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3–7), December 14 — opted out.^[48]
• SMU Mustangs (7–3), December 15 — originally selected to play in the Frisco Bowl,^[49] but withdrew due to pandemic concerns within the team,^[50] leading to the bowl's cancellation.^[51]
• Kansas State Wildcats (4–6), December 16 — opted out.^[52]
• Virginia Tech Hokies (5–6), December 16 — opted out. The program had appeared in 27 consecutive bowl games, dating back to the 1993 Independence Bowl. At the time of opting out, this was the longest active bowl appearance streak,^[53] and the fourth-longest in college football history.^[54]
• Louisville Cardinals (4–7), December 16 — advised by the ACC that "we're not in line for a bowl".^[55]
• San Diego State Aztecs (4–4), December 16 — opted out.^[56]
• UCLA Bruins (3–4), December 17 — opted out.^[57]
• Utah Utes (3–2), December 18 — opted out.^[58]
• Washington Huskies (3–1), December 18 — opted out.^[59] The Huskies also had to give up their spot in the 2020 Pac-12 Football Championship Game, due to having an insufficient number of players available.^[60]
• USC Trojans (5–1), December 19 — opted out.^[61]
• Penn State Nittany Lions (4–5), December 19 — opted out.^[62]
• Minnesota Golden Gophers (3–4), December 20 — opted out.^[63]
• Nebraska Cornhuskers (3–5), December 20 — opted out.^[64]
• Michigan State Spartans (2–5), December 20 — opted out.^[65]
• Arizona State Sun Devils (2–2), December 20 — opted out.^[66]
• Maryland Terrapins (2–3), December 20 — opted out.^[67]
• Boise State Broncos (5–2), December 20 — opted out.^[68] The program had appeared in 18 consecutive bowl games, dating back to the 2002 Humanitarian Bowl.^[69]

The following programs dropped out of their respective bowl games after the pairings were set:

• Tennessee Volunteers (3–7), December 21 — accepted a bid to the Liberty Bowl,^[70] but dropped out the next day due to a rise in positive COVID cases within the program.^[71] Tennessee was replaced by Army (9–2) in the Liberty Bowl.^[72]
• South Carolina Gamecocks (2–8), December 22 — accepted a bid to the Gasparilla Bowl,^[73] but dropped out two days later due to a rise in COVID cases.^[74]
• Missouri Tigers (5–5), December 27 — accepted a bid to the Music City Bowl but dropped out due to a rise in COVID cases.^[75]
• TCU Horned Frogs (6–4), December 29 — accepted a bid to the Texas Bowl but dropped out due to a rise in COVID cases.

Bowl teams with losing records

Nine teams with losing records received bowl invitations, the first such occurrences since the 2016 season:

• Arkansas Razorbacks (3–7) to the Texas Bowl — cancelled due to a rise of COVID cases within the TCU program.^{[28] [76]}
• Houston Cougars (3–4) to the New Mexico Bowl^[77]
• Kentucky Wildcats (4–6) to the Gator Bowl^[78]
• Mississippi State Bulldogs (3–7) to the Armed Forces Bowl^[79]
• North Texas Mean Green (4–5) to the Myrtle Beach Bowl^[80]
• Ole Miss Rebels (4–5) to the Outback Bowl^[81]
• South Carolina Gamecocks (2–8) to the Gasparilla Bowl — subsequently withdrew^[74]
• Tennessee Volunteers (3–7) to the Liberty Bowl — subsequently withdrew^[71]
• Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (5–6) to the LendingTree Bowl^[82]

Six of the nine teams played their bowls, recording three wins (Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss) and three losses (Houston, North Texas, and Western Kentucky).

CFP top 25 standings and bowl games

See also: 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings. On December 20, 2020, the College Football Playoff selection committee announced its final team rankings for the year.^[83]

This was the seventh year of the College Football Playoff era. Of the 28 playoff spots awarded during that time, 22 went to Alabama (6), Clemson (6), Ohio State (4), Oklahoma (4), and Notre Dame (2).

Rank	Team	W–L	Conference and standing	Bowl game
1				Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal)
2				Sugar Bowl (CFP semifinal)
3				Sugar Bowl (CFP semifinal)
4				Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal)
5				Orange Bowl (NY6)
6				Cotton Bowl (NY6)
7				Cotton Bowl (NY6)
8				Peach Bowl (NY6)
9				Peach Bowl (NY6)
10				Fiesta Bowl (NY6)
11				Outback Bowl
12				Cure Bowl
13				Orange Bowl (NY6)
14				Citrus Bowl
15				Music City Bowl (canceled)
16			Independent	Boca Raton Bowl
17
18				Cheez-It Bowl
19				First Responder Bowl
20				Alamo Bowl
21				Cheez-It Bowl
22				Arizona Bowl
23				Gator Bowl
24				Armed Forces Bowl
25				Fiesta Bowl (NY6)

Conference champions' bowl games

Ranks are per the final CFP rankings, released on December 20, with win–loss records at that time. Two bowls featured a matchup of conference champions—the Arizona Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. Champions of the Power Five conferences were assured of a spot in a New Year's Six bowl game.

Conference	Champion	W–L	Rank	Bowl game
			2	Sugar Bowl (semifinal)
			8	Peach Bowl (NY6)
			3	Sugar Bowl (semifinal)
			6	Cotton Bowl (NY6)
				Gasparilla Bowl (canceled)
				Arizona Bowl
			22	Arizona Bowl
			25	Fiesta Bowl (NY6)
			1	Rose Bowl (semifinal)
			12	Cure Bowl
			19	First Responder Bowl

The Sun Belt Championship Game was canceled due to COVID-19 issues, resulting in co-champions being declared.^[84]

Television ratings

All times Eastern.CFP Rankings.

Non-CFP bowl games

Rank	Date !	Matchup				Network	Viewers (millions)	TV Rating^[85]	Game	Location
1	January 1, 2021, 12:00 p.m.	No. 9 Georgia	24	No. 8 Cincinnati	21	ESPN	8.7	4.9	Peach Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
2	January 1, 2021, 8:00 p.m.	No. 13 North Carolina	27	No. 5 Texas A&M	41		7.6	4.3	Orange Bowl	Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
3	January 2, 2021, 4:00 p.m.	No. 25 Oregon	17	No. 10 Iowa State	34		6.7	3.8	Fiesta Bowl	State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
4	December 30, 2020, 8:00 p.m.	No. 7 Florida	20	No. 6 Oklahoma	55		5.8	3.2	Cotton Bowl Classic	AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
5	January 1, 2021, 1:00 p.m.	Auburn	19	No. 14 Northwestern	35	ABC	4.8	2.8	Citrus Bowl	Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
6	January 2, 2021, 12:30 p.m.	Ole Miss	26	No. 11 Indiana	20		4.1	2.5	Outback Bowl	Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
7	December 31, 2020, 4:00 p.m.	West Virginia	24	Army	21	ESPN	3.7	2.2	Liberty Bowl	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, TN
8	December 29, 2020, 5:30 p.m.	No. 21 Oklahoma State	37	No. 18 Miami (FL)	34		3.2	1.8	Cheez-It Bowl	Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
9	December 29, 2020, 9:00 p.m.	No. 20 Texas	55	Colorado	23		3.0	1.7	Alamo Bowl	Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
10	January 2, 2021, 12:00 p.m.	No. 23 NC State	21	Kentucky	23		2.7	1.7	Gator Bowl	TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL

College Football Playoff

Game	Date	Matchup				Network	Viewers (millions)	TV Rating	Location
Rose Bowl (semifinal)	January 1, 2021, 4:30 p.m.	No. 4 Notre Dame	14	No. 1 Alabama	31	ESPN	18.9	9.6	AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Sugar Bowl (semifinal)	January 1, 2021, 8:00 p.m.	No. 3 Ohio State	49	No. 2 Clemson	28		19.1	9.8	Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
National Championship	January 11, 2021, 8:00 p.m.	No. 3 Ohio State	24	No. 1 Alabama	52		18.6

Further reading

• Web site: Playoff Projection . Jerry . Palm . . CBS Sports bowl expert Jerry Palm picks the teams he feels will comprise the national semifinals at the end of the season along with bowl projections for every single game..

Notes and References

1. News: College football's bowl lineup released with fewer games and an altered schedule . Brent . Schrotenboer . . October 30, 2020 . November 3, 2020.
2. DI Council approves football bowl eligibility requirements waiver . NCAA.org . October 14, 2020 . October 22, 2020.
3. 'Bowl Season' Announced as New Name of College Football's Postseason . bowlseason.com . October 23, 2020 . October 24, 2020.
4. jsmayer181 . 1344864158844473346 . This logo was on the field in Orlando for the Cheez It Bowl. . December 31, 2020 . January 3, 2021.
5. Web site: Heather . Dinich . August 5, 2020 . College Football Playoff selection committee moves final ranking release to Dec. 20 from Dec. 6 . September 15, 2020 . ESPN.com . en.
6. Web site: 2020-12-20. Rose Bowl CFP semifinal moved to AT&T Stadium. 2020-12-20. ESPN.com. en.
7. College Football Playoff Chooses Makeup Dates in COVID-19 Contingency Plan . Michael . Shapiro . . December 30, 2020 . December 30, 2020.
8. Web site: College Football Bowl Schedule 2020 . fbschedules.com . October 30, 2020.
9. News: 2020 New Mexico Bowl to be played in Frisco, Texas . Kevin . Kelley . fbschedules.com . November 24, 2020 . November 24, 2020.
10. Web site: December 7, 2020. Inaugural LA Bowl canceled for 2020 over virus. December 7, 2020. ESPN.com. en.
11. Web site: 2020–21 Bowl Season Schedule Announced . bowlseason.com . October 30, 2020 . October 30, 2020.
12. Web site: Timanus. Eddie. RedBox Bowl becomes first college football bowl game to be canceled in 2020. August 8, 2020. USA Today. en-US.
13. Web site: July 31, 2020. The Bay Area's bowl game is no more, at least for this year (Next year? Who knows). August 8, 2020. The Mercury News. en-US.
14. Web site: Hawaii, Bahamas bowls nixed due to pandemic . ESPN.com . October 3, 2020 . en . October 2, 2020.
15. News: 2020 Holiday Bowl, Parade Cancelled . nbcsandiego.com . October 22, 2020 . October 23, 2020.
16. News: Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit canceled this season; hope is to return in 2021 . Kirkland . Crawford . . October 30, 2020 . October 30, 2020.
17. News: Statement from the New Era Pinstripe Bowl . New Era Pinstripe Bowl . . November 27, 2020 . November 27, 2020.
18. Sun Bowl Association Cancels Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl . Sun Bowl Association . sunbowl.org . December 1, 2020 . December 1, 2020.
19. News: Las Vegas Bowl won't be played in 2020. Las Vegas Sun. December 2, 2020 . December 2, 2020.
20. Web site: Armed Forces Bowl announces Pac-12, SEC partnership. December 8, 2020. 247Sports. en-US.
21. Web site: 2020-12-20. TU Football Accepts Bowl Invite To Armed Forces Bowl. December 21, 2020. NewsOn6.com. Griffin Communications. en.
22. News: Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl Canceled; UTSA to Play in SERVPRO First Responder Bowl . Anna . Negron . espnpressroom.com . December 15, 2020 . December 15, 2020.
23. News: 'A long grind': Bowl Day marred by cancellations, opt outs . Pat . Graham . arklatexhomepage.com . December 20, 2020 . December 20, 2020.
24. News: 2021 Birmingham Bowl canceled . wsfa.com . . December 20, 2020 . December 20, 2020.
25. News: Military Bowl in Annapolis canceled due to lack of available teams . Tim . Schwartz . . . December 21, 2020 . December 21, 2020.
26. Web site: Tampa's Gasparilla Bowl canceled after South Carolina bails . Tampa Bay Times . December 22, 2020 . en.
27. News: 2020 TransPerfect Music City Bowl Cancelled . December 27, 2020.
28. News: Texas Bowl between TCU Horned Frogs, Arkansas Razorbacks canceled . December 29, 2020.
29. NCAA FOC Announces Contingency Plan for Canceled Bowls . Christopher . Hall . . December 15, 2020 . December 15, 2020.
30. Web site: December 8, 2020. Bowl season is going to be an even more ESPN-centric affair this year. December 8, 2020. Awful Announcing. en-US.
31. News: The Arizona Bowl Set for Broadcast on CBS . themw.com . December 10, 2020 . December 11, 2020.
32. ESPN Events Reveals 13-Game College Football Bowl Schedule for 2020–21: Inaugural Launch of the Fenway Bowl Postponed . espnpressroom.com . October 30, 2020 . October 30, 2020.
33. News: 37-game college football bowl schedule announced for 2020–21 . Creg . Stephenson . AL.com . October 30, 2020.
34. Web site: 2020–21 Bowl Schedule . bowlseason.com . December 9, 2020.
35. News: MEAC-SWAC 2020 football matchups in Atlanta canceled. July 18, 2020. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. en.
36. Web site: NCAA Council approves plan for FCS football championship in spring, playoff field trimmed to 16 teams. December 8, 2020. CBSSports.com. September 16, 2020 . en.
37. 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl cancelled due to coronavirus concerns . shrinegame.com . October 27, 2020 . October 30, 2020.
38. Statement On 2021 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Game . nflpa.com . November 13, 2020 . November 21, 2020 . After careful consideration, the NFLPA has decided to cancel the 2021 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl..
39. News: NCAA waives bowl eligibility requirements for 2020 season . Matt . Wenze . mlive.com . October 15, 2020 . December 12, 2020.
40. News: Pac-12 teams still need to be at least .500 to be bowl eligible in 2020 . oregonlive.com . November 4, 2020 . December 12, 2020.
41. News: College football bowl projections: Ohio State, Notre Dame earn final two playoff spots over Texas A&M . Jerry . Palm . . December 20, 2020 . December 22, 2020 . the MAC is only allowing its top two teams to go to bowls.
42. Web site: Middle Tennessee State decides to end its 2020 season early after back-to-back COVID-19 cancellations . Yahoo.com . December 5, 2020 . December 20, 2020.
43. Web site: LSU football self-imposes one-year bowl ban for 2020 season. Scarborough. Alex. ESPN. December 9, 2020.
44. Web site: BC Concludes 2020 Football Season. bceagles.com. December 10, 2020 . December 10, 2020.
45. News: Pittsburgh football team elects to not play in bowl game this season . Jace . Evans . . December 11, 2020 . December 12, 2020.
46. Web site: Barber . Mike . UVA announces it will not play in a bowl game this year; Virginia Tech has yet to decide . Richmond Times-Dispatch . December 13, 2020 . December 13, 2020 . en.
47. Web site: Teams opting out of bowls in 2020: Stanford becomes the latest school to decline a bowl invite . news.yahoo.com . December 13, 2020.
48. Web site: Sugiura . Ken . Georgia Tech ends season, will not consider bowl bid . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . December 14, 2020 . en . December 14, 2020.
49. Web site: SMU football will finish season with Frisco Bowl appearance on Dec. 19 . Dallas News . December 17, 2020 . en . 9 December 2020.
50. Web site: Escobedo. Jozelyn. 'Our team deserved to play another game': SMU withdraws from Frisco Bowl due to COVID-19. WFAA. December 17, 2020 . en . 15 December 2020.
51. Web site: Frisco Bowl Canceled Over SMU COVID-19 Protocols, Organizers Say . NBC DFW. December 17, 2020 . en . 14 December 2020.
52. Web site: Robinett . Kellis . Kansas State pauses all football activities because of COVID, won't pursue bowl game. The Wichita Eagle. December 16, 2020 . en . December 16, 2020.
53. Web site: Niziolek . Mike . Virginia Tech players vote to end season, skip potential bowl game. The Roanoke Times. December 16, 2020 . en . December 16, 2020.
54. Web site: Shiers . Mike . Virginia Tech bowl streak ends at 27; Players vote to decline potential invitation . nbc29.com . December 16, 2020.
55. Web site: Louisville will not play in a bowl game Kentucky Sports Radio . Kentucky Sports Radio . 16 December 2020 . 16 December 2020.
56. Web site: San Diego State Withdraws from Bowl Consideration . SDSU Athletics . December 16, 2020 . en . December 16, 2020.
57. Web site: Bolch . Ben . UCLA will decline invitation to bowl game even if eligible . Los Angeles Times . December 17, 2020 . December 17, 2020.
58. Web site: Call . Jeff . Utah Utes won't play in bowl game, season finale will be Saturday vs. Washington State . Deseret News . December 18, 2020 . en . December 18, 2020 . December 18, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201218174334/https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/12/18/22188862/utah-football-kyle-whittingham-pac-12 . dead .
59. News: UW Huskies won't pursue a bowl game, end 2020 season at 3–1 . Brandon . Gustafson . mynorthwest.com . December 18, 2020 . December 18, 2020.
60. Web site: Pac-12 statement on Washington at USC Pac-12 Football Championship Game . https://web.archive.org/web/20201214192038/https://pac-12.com/article/2020/12/14/pac-12-statement-washington-usc-pac-12-football-championship-game . dead . December 14, 2020 . pac-12.com . December 14, 2020 . December 18, 2020.
61. News: USC Football Opts Out Of Playing In A Bowl . usctrojans.com . December 19, 2020 . December 19, 2020.
62. Web site: Penn State announces that it won't go to a bowl game in 2020 . pennlive . December 19, 2020 . en . 20 December 2020.
63. News: Gophers opt out of bowl game in 2020 . Andy . Greder . twincities.com . December 20, 2020 . December 20, 2020.
64. Web site: Gabriel . Parker . After 'long grind,' Huskers decide not to play in a bowl game . JournalStar.com . December 20, 2020 . December 20, 2020 . en.
65. Web site: Solari . Chris . Michigan State football will not accept bowl invitation . Detroit Free Press . December 20, 2020.
66. Web site: ASU ends season at Oregon State, says it won't participate in a bowl game . Arizona Sports . December 20, 2020 . 20 December 2020.
67. Web site: Maryland football won't accept a bowl invitation, ending 2020 season . baltimoresun.com . December 20, 2020 . December 20, 2020.
68. News: Boise State football team announces decision to forego bowl game this season . . December 20, 2020 . December 20, 2020.
69. News: Boise State won't play in a bowl game, ending streak at 18 straight appearances . Ron . Counts . . December 20, 2020 . December 20, 2020.
70. Web site: Miller . Michael . West Virginia to take on Tennessee in 2020 AutoZone Liberty Bowl . The Smoking Musket . December 20, 2020 . en . 20 December 2020.
71. Tennessee Football Pauses Team Activities, Completes 2020 Season . utsports.com . December 21, 2020 . December 21, 2020.
72. News: Army earns much-desired postseason berth to Liberty Bowl after Tennessee opts out due to COVID-19 outbreak . Ben . Kercheval . . December 21, 2020 . December 31, 2020.
73. Web site: Gamecocks are headed to Gasparilla Bowl . TheBigSpur . December 22, 2020.
74. Web site: Bezjak . Lou . Briener . Ben . No bowl for Gamecocks after COVID-19 issues arise . thestate.com . December 22, 2020.
75. News: College football COVID-19 updates: Missouri withdrawal leads to cancellation of Music City Bowl against Iowa . December 27, 2020.
76. Web site: Deckelbaum . Kyle . Arkansas Razorbacks to face TCU in Texas Bowl . KATV . December 20, 2020 . 20 December 2020.
77. News: Houston will play Hawaii in the 2020 New Mexico Bowl in Frisco, TX . Steve . Helwick . underdogdynasty.com . December 13, 2020 . December 13, 2020.
78. Web site: Kentucky Set to Play in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl Kentucky Sports Radio . December 20, 2020 . 20 December 2020.
79. Web site: Horka . Tyler . Mike Leach, Mississippi State football to play Tulsa in Armed Forces Bowl . The Clarion-Ledger . December 20, 2020.
80. News: App State bound for the Myrtle Beach Bowl, will play North Texas . greensboro.com . December 13, 2020 . December 13, 2020.
81. Web site: Suss . Nick . Lane Kiffin gets Ole Miss football to first bowl game in five years vs Indiana in Outback . The Clarion-Ledger . December 20, 2020.
82. News: LendingTree Bowl to feature Georgia State, Western Kentucky . Creg . Stephenson . AL.com . December 13, 2020 . December 13, 2020.
83. Web site: December 20, 2020 . College Football Playoff – Rankings . College Football Playoff . December 20, 2020.
84. Web site: Sun Belt championship game canceled due to COVID issues. December 18, 2020. AL.com.
85. Web site: College football TV ratings, 2020 edition . sportsmediawatch.com . 7 January 2021.