Yahoo Sports projects all 36 matchups for 2026-27 bowl season

The College Football Playoff has captured most of the media spotlight, but from mid‑December until early January 2027 the holiday season will be dominated by a slate of 36 bowl games that reward the nation’s top 68 teams. Yahoo Sports’ 2026 preseason projections map out every matchup, giving fans a preview of the 2026‑27 bowl landscape before the regular season even ends.

Bowl games have long been a revenue engine for universities, conferences and the NCAA, and the 2026‑27 season is no exception. With the CFP’s four‑team format limiting postseason play to just the semifinal and final, the remaining 64 teams will vie for 36 spots that bring TV contracts, travel budgets and recruiting visibility. The projections are built on conference standings, head‑to‑head results, and historical tie‑in agreements that link certain conferences to specific bowls. They also factor in recent shifts—such as the Big Ten’s new “Big Ten/SEC” bowl tie‑ins and the SEC’s expansion of its own bowl partners—which have reshaped the traditional bowl map.

According to the preview, the most anticipated matchups include the Orange Bowl, now featuring the Big Ten’s second‑place team against the Pac‑12’s top finisher, and the Fiesta Bowl, pitting the ACC’s best against a top‑ranked independent. Other high‑profile games are the Rose Bowl, which will again host the Big Ten champion versus the Pac‑12 champion, and the Cotton Bowl, where the SEC’s runner‑up will face the Big 12’s top team. The projections also highlight the New Mexico Bowl, where the Mountain West’s best will clash with a Group‑of‑Five team from the Mid‑Continent, underscoring the growing influence of non‑Power Five conferences.

What comes next is the release of the official bowl schedule by the NCAA in late October, followed by the final selections of teams by each conference’s selection committee. Fans will then track their teams’ performance in the last weeks of the regular season, hoping to secure a desirable bowl berth. For the schools, a bowl appearance can boost recruitment, fan engagement and alumni donations, making these projections more than just entertainment—they’re a blueprint for the next chapter in college football’s storied postseason.