College Football's Longest Bowl Droughts: Who Breaks Through in 2026?

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Bowl games come and go. And their names change all the time. But going bowling remains a good barometer of a (somewhat) successful season, depending on program expectations and investment.

For some teams, even a one-year absence from postseason participation is unacceptable. At others, an early December bowl game in a warm weather venue every few years is a proud accomplishment.

Six college football programs have yet to appear in a bowl game this decade. Unsurprisingly, two of them play in the MAC, Athlon's lowest-rated conference heading into 2026. And there is one team that hails from the ACC that hasn't played in the postseason in quite some time.

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What is the likelihood that these programs snap their streaks this season? Athlon analyzed teams with the longest bowl droughts and the possibility that they could turn their fortunes around this fall.

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T-5. Charlotte (Six Seasons)

The 49ers have made just one bowl appearance since they joined the FBS in 2015. Charlotte went to the Bahamas Bowl in 2019 and finished with a losing record every other season. The 49ers matched the worst season in program history in 2025 with a 1-11 record — and that one win was against FCS Monmouth.

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Coach Tim Albin is back after an inauspicious debut at Charlotte. He took Ohio from three wins in his first season to three straight 10-win seasons — but the American is a much more competitive conference than the MAC. And the 49ers' roster looks like it's still a year or two away from making a push toward a bowl.

Charlotte 49ers 2026 Schedule

Charlotte's schedule does not bode well for a step forward in the win column. Beyond the opener against The Citadel, an FCS team, the 49ers' most winnable games on paper (App State, North Texas, UAB and Tulsa) are all on the road. Barring a major shock, Charlotte's bowl drought will likely extend to seven seasons.

T-5. Temple (Six Seasons)

The Owls were quite close to getting back to the postseason in KC Keeler's first season in charge. Temple lost to Navy and Army by a point each and wound up one win short of a bowl bid at 5-7.

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Things have been bleak for the Owls since their 2019 trip to the Military Bowl. But 2025 was their best season since then. And Keeler brought back a good chunk of a talented roster that should trend more toward the middle of the pack — if not higher — in the American.

Temple Owls 2026 Schedule

Temple should be able to take advantage of a manageable schedule. If the Owls can win at Toledo, they can pick up three victories outside of conference play. And with Charlotte, UAB and Rice all coming to Philadelphia, Temple should push toward .500 in American play.

Athlon Sports' bowl projections have the Owls earning a spot in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

4. Stanford (Seven Seasons)

It's been a long time since the Cardinal were rolling. Stanford made 10 consecutive bowl games from 2009-2018 but have not returned to the postseason since that Sun Bowl appearance. Granted, the Cardinal went 4-2 in the shortened 2020 season but opted out of a bowl game.

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Stanford owns the longest active bowl drought of any power conference team. And despite the excitement around the program with two alumni (head coach Tavita Pritchard and general manager Andrew Luck) leading the charge, don't book a bowl game for the Cardinal just yet.

Stanford Cardinal 2026 Schedule

Stanford's ACC schedule is brutal with conference frontrunners Miami, Louisville and SMU all on the docket. And in non-conference play, the Cardinal play Hawaii and Notre Dame again — two teams they lost to in 2025. Even games that Stanford could have a fighting chance in (Duke, Wake Forest and California) are on the road.

The move to the ACC has not been good for the Cardinal. But perhaps after winning four games last season, Pritchard can surprise and build on that total in Year 1.

3. Akron (Eight Seasons)

Even if the Zips had clawed their way to six wins in 2025, they would not have been eligible for a bowl game due to their subpar Academic Progress Rate score. On the heels of a 5-7 season, Akron's postseason eligibility was restored ahead of the 2026 season. Further progress from coach Joe Moorhead in his fifth year on the job could push the Zips back to a bowl game for the first time since the 2017 Boca Raton Bowl.

Akron will have to clean up in MAC play given the difficulty of its non-conference schedule. The Zips play at two Power Four programs (Wake Forest, Minnesota) and host UNLV, arguably one of the toughest teams in the Group of Six this season. Moorhead just guided Akron to its best record in conference play since the 2017 season, but a 5-3 mark against MAC teams is likely needed to reach six wins.

Akron Zips 2026 Schedule

The Zips' roster is not devoid of talent, as last season showed. The odds are against Akron pushing for a bowl, but keep an eye on this group if well-traveled transfer quarterback Reese Poffenbarger pops.

2. ULM (13 Seasons)

It's been more than a decade since the Warhawks played in a bowl game. ULM's 2012 trip to the nearby Independence Bowl was its only postseason appearance in program history.

Head coach Bryant Vincent had the Warhawks within one win of ending that drought in his 2024 debut, but ULM dropped its final six games after a 5-1 start. The 2025 campaign played out similarly, as an eight-game skid followed a 3-1 start.

ULM Warhawks 2026 Schedule

The schedule shakes out about as good as it possibly could. But with just four wins against Sun Belt opponents over the last three years, the Warhawks had better clean up in non-conference play. Even then, ULM's bowl prospects are exceedingly slim.

1. Massachusetts (Never)

The Minutemen have the Warhawks beat — they've never gone bowling in 14 seasons at the FBS level. The ceiling at UMass was back-to-back 4-8 campaigns in 2017-18. Since then, 3-9 is the high water mark. And the Minutemen bottomed out in 2025 when they went winless under first-year coach Joe Harasymiak.

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UMass can only go up from there. For one thing, the talent level on the roster appreciably improved over the offseason. And the Minutemen schedule, which includes two FCS teams and FBS newcomer Sacramento State, is among the easiest in the country. But is this team in a place to take advantage?

UMass Minutemen 2026 Schedule

Harasymiak speaks optimistically about the trajectory of the program. But even being competitive in the MAC would be a step forward for UMass, which only stayed within one score of its opponent twice in 2025. And one of those games was a loss to FCS Bryant.

You have to walk before you can run, and the Minutemen are focused on walking right now as they build out their program with renewed investment. Perhaps a bowl game is in their future but not just yet.

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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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