College Football Bowl Tie-Ins 2026-2027: Conference Affiliations and CFP Spots
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The big news and huge changes to come this bowl season is … nothing.
Well, almost nothing, with the bowl tie-ins and affiliations from last year staying in place while the College Football Playoff powers-that-be continue to figure out the next configuration of expansion.
– These are the suggested bowl tie-ins and affiliations, but many have to be a bit flexible based on availability.
One of the biggest overall changes comes from the transfer portal. Teams that aren’t in the College Football Playoff tend to lose most of their players to the draft, graduation, or they don’t want to play because they want to be healthy for a possible portal payday.
That means some bowl games will likely have to scramble like they did last year to find any team with enough players who want to suit up.
– Sometimes bowls just go away and disappear. Lack of funding, interest, sponsorship, etc. There are fewer bowl games to speculate about than there were last offseason.
– Expansion and realignment. With the arrival of North Dakota State (Mountain West) and Sacramento State (MAC), and the move of Northern Illinois and UTEP to the Mountain West, and Louisiana Tech to the Sun Belt (maybe), and the expanded Pac-12, things have shifted a bit. We’ll explain below.
Scroll down for each conference’s bowl ties and affiliations
How will the 2026-2027 College Football Playoff Work?
– Like last year, the five top-ranked conference champions according to the final CFP rankings are automatically in, but the top four seeds are the CFP No. 1 through No. 4 teams and get first-round byes.
– The first round games will be played on Friday, December 18th, and Saturday, December 19th on the campus sites of the higher-seeded teams.
– This season, the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals will be played in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and Rose Bowl.
– The College Football Playoff Semifinals will be played in the Capital One Orange Bowl and Allstate Sugar Bowl.
2026-2027 College Football Playoff Schedule
First Round
Friday, Dec. 18
On Campus (1 game)
Saturday, Dec. 19
On Campus (3 games)
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2026
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, AZ
Friday, Jan. 1, 2027
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Arlington, TX
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Atlanta, GA
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Big Ten, if possible
Semifinals
Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027
Capital One Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens, FL
Normally, the ACC, if possible
Friday, Jan. 15, 2027
Allstate Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, LA
Normally, the Big 12 or SEC, if possible
College Football Playoff National Championship
Monday, Jan. 25, 2027
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
ACC Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
Normally, the ACC Champion would be a mortal lock to be in the College Football Playoff as one of the top Power Four champs, but that wasn’t the case last year with Duke being left out.
So nothing is a given, but assume that at least one ACC team – it was Miami last year – will be in the CFP.
Notre Dame is eligible for any of the ACC-affiliated bowl games, as long as it’s close in record to the team that would normally be going.
Cal and Stanford still count as former Pac-12 teams with tie-ins to their former conference’s bowl games. They can be in any of the ACC bowls, but they’re also eligible for the Alamo, Holiday, Independence, Las Vegas, and Sun.
– Orange Bowl vs CFP
This might not be the case this season with the Orange a CFP semifinal, but usually, the ACC Champion would be here.
In no particular order
– Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs SEC
– Wasabi Fenway Bowl vs American
– Trust & Will Holiday Bowl vs Current or former Pac-12, (but not current ACC)
– Go Bowling Military Bowl vs American
– Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl vs Big Ten
– Pop-Tarts Bowl vs Big 12
– ReliaQuest Bowl vs SEC (or Big Ten)
– TaxSlayer Gator Bowl vs SEC
– Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl vs Current or former Pac-12, (but not current ACC)
Alternate Affiliations, if available
– JLab Birmingham Bowl vs SEC or AAC
– Gasparilla Bowl vs AAC or SEC
– SERVPRO First Responder Bowl vs SEC or AAC
American Conference Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
The highest-ranked conference champion from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, and Sun Belt gets into the College Football Playoff, like Tulane did last year.
Usually, the bowls will try to take the American teams that make the most geographic sense, but the conference has spots in these four bowl games.
– Wasabi Fenway Bowl vs ACC
– Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs Big 12 or Former Pac-12
– Go Bowling Military Bowl vs ACC
– Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl and the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl are in a rotation, but both bowls are open if teams are needed.
There’s a chance to get at least four more teams into these bowls if there are openings.
– JLab Birmingham Bowl vs SEC
– Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans vs Group of Five
– StaffDNA Cure Bowl vs Group of Five
– Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl vs Group of Five
– Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl vs Group of Five
– Isleta New Mexico Bowl vs Mountain West
– Myrtle Beach Bowl vs Group of Five
– SERVPRO First Responder Bowl vs ACC or Big 12
Big Ten Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
It’ll be next to impossible for the Big Ten Champion to not make the College Football Playoff as a top four seed – too many teams, and too many good ones – which means a trip to the Rose Bowl.
This is where it gets tricky.
The former Pac-12 teams currently in the Big Ten – Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington – are still eligible for Pac-12-affiliated bowl games. But the Big Ten will want as many teams as it can get to fill in its own spots with the top teams.
The Big Ten normally alternates with the SEC between the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and Las Vegas Bowl. The SEC threw Mississippi State at the Duke’s Mayo, and Nebraska was in the Las Vegas – assume the Big Ten will be in the Duke’s Mayo.
Even with all of the agreements and tie-ins, ESPN will do everything humanly possible to get Big Ten teams into prime spots and any open bowls.
– Rose Bowl vs CFP (if the Big Ten champion is ranked in the final top four)
– Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs SEC
– Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs ACC
– Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs Big 12
– Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl vs SEC
– Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl vs ACC
– ReliaQuest Bowl vs SEC
Big 12 Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
Barring something crazy, the Big 12 Champion will almost certainly be in the College Football Playoff.
With former Pac-12 programs Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah all still eligible for current Pac-12-affiliated bowls – the Alamo, Independence, Holiday, Las Vegas, and Sun.
It’s all a tad loose, but this is the likely Big 12 bowl pecking order.
– AllState Sugar Bowl vs CFP
Normally, this would be where the Big 12 Champion would go, but this year it’s a CFP semifinal. If it’s possible, the College Football Playoff would probably like to put a Big 12 team here, but it’s not a lock.
1. Valero Alamo Bowl vs Pac-12 tie-in (but not a current Big 12 team)
2. Pop-Tarts Bowl vs ACC
3. Kinder’s Texas Bowl vs SEC
4. AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs SEC
5. Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs Big Ten
6. Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs AAC (The Big 12 has a deal for two Independence Bowl appearances from 2023 to 2025, but it didn’t go in 2024, and Iowa State and Kansas State declined postseason appearances last year – assume the tie-in will hold.)
Alternate Affiliations, if available
– Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs American Athletic or C-USA
– SERVPRO First Responder Bowl vs ACC or American Athletic
Conference USA Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
The top-ranked champion from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, and Sun Belt will get a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Conference USA lost its affiliation with the Bahamas Bowl – it no longer exists – but it has tie-ins with these three bowls.
– Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl vs Group of Five
– Sheraton Hawaii Bowl vs Mountain West
– R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl vs Sun Belt
All of these bowls are available, with Conference USA potentially getting in four or five of them.
– 68 Ventures Bowl vs MAC or Sun Belt
– Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs AAC
– JLab Birmingham Bowl vs AAC or SEC
– Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans vs Group of Five
– IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl vs MAC or Sun Belt
– StaffDNA Cure Bowl vs Group of Five
– Wasabi Fenway Bowl vs ACC or AAC
– Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl vs ACC, American, SEC
– Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs Army or Big 12
– Myrtle Beach Bowl vs AAC, MAC, or Sun Belt
– Isleta New Mexico Bowl vs Mountain West
– SERVPRO First Responder Bowl vs Group of Five
Independent Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
– UConn doesn’t have direct bowl tie-ins or affiliations.
– Notre Dame is available for any of the ACC bowl slots except the Orange, at least as an ACC team.
MAC Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
Along with the American, Conference USA, Mountain West, Pac-12, and Sun Belt, the MAC is in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot if it has the top-ranked champion among the Group of Six.
The MAC has affiliations with these two bowl games, but it lost its tie-ins with the now-defunct Bahamas and GameAbove bowls.
– Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl vs Mountain West
– Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs Mountain West
The MAC also has tie-ins with these bowls, getting spots in at least two of them.
– 68 Ventures Bowl vs Sun Belt
– Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans vs Group of Five
– StaffDNA Cure Bowl vs Group of Five
– Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl vs Group of Five
– IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl vs AAC or Sun Belt
– Myrtle Beach Bowl vs AAC or Sun Belt
– Isleta New Mexico Bowl vs Conference USA
Mountain West Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
Like Boise State two seasons ago, the Mountain West champion will get into the College Football Playoff if it’s the top-ranked Group of Six champ in the rankings.
Even with the loss of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State to the Pac-12, there will still be openings for five bowl appearances, helped by the addition of North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, and UTEP.
The LA Bowl isn’t around anymore, but these four are still available.
– Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl vs MAC
– Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs MAC
– Sheraton Hawaii Bowl vs CUSA
– Isleta New Mexico Bowl vs CUSA
The Mountain West is the first on deck, if available, for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs the Big Ten or Big 12. It’s also available for any of these four.
– Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans vs Group of Five
– Cure Bowl vs Group of Five
– Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl vs Group of Five
– SERVPRO First Responder Bowl vs Group of Five
Pac-12 Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
The Pac-12 has a real, live conference again, and it’s about to throw a few wrenches into the gears.
Along with Oregon State and Washington State, the conference welcomes Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State, and Utah State.
Here’s the problem. With the bowl tie-ins staying the same, for the most part, from last year, the better matchups will likely come from the former Pac-12 teams that still hold their affiliations.
That means Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, and Washington will all receive consideration, depending on their respective statuses.
– Holiday Bowl vs ACC
– Las Vegas Bowl vs Big Ten (most likely)
– Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs Big 12
– Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl vs ACC
– Valero Alamo Bowl vs Big 12
SEC Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
Like the Big Ten, just assume the SEC Champion will get a spot in the College Football Playoff, and likely in the top four.
Getting several SEC teams in the CFP won’t be a problem. It’s figuring out the bowl slots after that.
The SEC and Big Ten are tied into deals that now change a bit because of the extended bowl affiliations and tie-ins. This year, the SEC will likely be in the Las Vegas Bowl, and the Big Ten will probably be in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl – it was the reverse last year.
– Allstate Sugar Bowl vs CFP, this is usually where the conference champion goes, if possible. But this year, the Sugar Bowl is a College Football Playoff semifinal, so it’s not a given.
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs Big Ten
The Cheez-It Citrus gets to pick any of the top SEC teams available from the teams not in the College Football Playoff.
There’s no pecking order. The SEC and bowls will come up with the best matchups possible.
– AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs Big 12
– Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs ACC
– ReliaQuest Bowl vs Big Ten or ACC
– Kinder’s Texas Bowl vs Big 12
– TaxSlayer Gator Bowl vs ACC
– Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl vs Big Ten
If available, the SEC will put teams in these bowls.
– JLab Birmingham Bowl vs American
– Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl vs AAC or ACC
Sun Belt Bowl Tie-Ins, Affiliations
James Madison won the Sun Belt Championship and got into the College Football Playoff last season. The top-ranked conference champion among the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, and Sun Belt will get into the CFP.
The Sun Belt is directly affiliated with these two bowls.
2. R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl vs CUSA
5. 68 Ventures Bowl vs MAC
The Sun Belt will get spots in at least three of these bowls, with the conference’s No. 1, 3, and 4 teams available to ESPN-owned and operated bowls.
– Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans vs Group of Five
– IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl vs C-USA or MAC
– StaffDNA Cure Bowl vs Group of Five
– Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl vs Group of Five
– Myrtle Beach Bowl vs AAC or MAC
The Sun Belt has an affiliation if needed.
– Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs MAC or Mountain West
– Isleta New Mexico Bowl vs C-USA or Mountain West
Related: SEC Football Win Totals 2026: Spring Predictions for All 16 Teams
This story was originally published by College Football News on Apr 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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