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Bowl Games
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Although college football’s national championship is now decided by a playoff that was expanded to 12 teams in 2024, the bowl system remains an integral part of the sport’s popular postseason.
There were 35 bowls on the 2024-25 schedule, other than the 6 named games that were part of the Playoff, with the same number on the schedule for the coming season. Most of the matchups are set by conference tie-ins.
In order to qualify, teams must finish the regular season with at least 6 wins and a .500 record or better. If there aren’t enough bowl-eligible teams available to fill all the spots, teams with 5 wins are chosen based on their Academic Progress Rates.
Although a number of top players have begun to opt out of non-Playoff bowls in an effort to avoid injury and protect their potential NFL Draft prospects, the games are still popular with fans who enjoy traveling to see their teams play during the holidays and coaches who use the extra practice time to get an early start on preparing for the next season.
The SEC sent 13 of its 16 teams to bowl games in 2025, the most of any conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
