Bowl season is an exciting time of year for college football fans. When the regular season is complete, the postseason bowl games give teams a chance to win trophies and gain new fans in the process. So how are teams chosen for bowl games, and when are the 2023 college football bowl selections announced?
- The Bowl Selection Process
- Mark Your Calendars for the College Football Bowl Selection Date - Schedule
- Excitement Builds: College Football Bowl Selection Show Details
- Unveiling the College Bowl Matchups: What to Expect
- FAQs
The Bowl Selection Process
Teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) become “bowl eligible” for the season when they meet the following criteria:
- Win at least 6 games (only 1 game against an FCS team can count towards this total)
- Maintain a minimum win percentage of 50%
In the 2023/24 postseason, 43 bowl games are scheduled, meaning 86 teams must be selected. If there are not enough teams that meet the above criteria, exceptions can be made to fill the gaps. For example, a team with 6 wins including more than 1 FCS opponent may be selected.
Each bowl game outside the College Football Playoff has its own conference tie-ins, meaning teams must be selected for the bowl from specific conferences.
Mark Your Calendars for the College Football Bowl Selection Date - Schedule
Beginning on 31 October 2023, the College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee will release a weekly ranking of the top 25 college football teams for the season. The 6th and final ranking is scheduled for 3 December 2023, otherwise known as selection day. The bowl season lineup is confirmed after this, with all NCAA bowl choices announced in early December.
Excitement Builds: College Football Bowl Selection Show Details
On selection day, the CFP Selection Committee announces the 4 teams who have been chosen to compete in the College Football Playoff semifinal bowl games. In 2023, the semifinal games are hosted by the Rose Bowl and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
On the same day, the committee will also announce the teams selected for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, and the Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl. Once these matchups are finalised, other bowl games can submit their selections from the remaining bowl-eligible teams.
Unveiling the College Bowl Matchups: What to Expect
Exploring the Significance of College Football Bowl Games
Bowl games are hugely important to FBS teams, as they represent the chance to win a prestigious trophy against difficult opposition. For most of the history of college football, there was no way to determine a national champion, as teams around the US mostly played against local opponents in their regional conferences. Bowl games gave the top teams an opportunity to showcase their abilities on the national stage, with the top New Year’s Six bowls drawing particularly large audiences both in person and on TV.
Behind the Scenes: How Are College Bowl Selections Made?
The CFP semifinal games are hosted on a rotating schedule by 2 of the New Year’s Six bowl games: the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Peach Bowl. In 2023, the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl will be the CFP semifinal games. The college football playoff picks for these games will be the 4 teams ranked highest by the CFP Selection Committee.
The other, non-semifinal games generally have specific conference tie-ins that guide the NCAA football bowl selections. For example, the Citrus Bowl will feature a team from the Big Ten conference and a team from the SEC.
Key Factors Influencing College Football Bowl Game Selections
Some of the factors that affect bowl game selections include:
- Bowl eligibility – only those teams that meet the bowl eligibility criteria outlined above can be selected (unless there are not enough bowl eligible teams to fill all 86 spots)
- Conference affiliation – most bowl games have contractual tie-ins with certain conferences or groups of conferences, limiting the teams they can select to members of those conferences
- Conference ranking – more prestigious bowl games can typically select the best-performing teams that are not chosen for the CFP. For example, the Pop-Tarts Bowl features the top non-CFP semifinalist team from the ACC against the second-ranked non-semifinalist from the Big 12
FAQs
When is the College Football Playoff expanding?
From 2014 to 2023, the College Football Playoff (CFP) featured 4 teams each season. Starting in the 2024 season, however, the CFP will expand to feature 12 teams. The new format sees a first round of 4 games, with 4 teams receiving a bye. This round is followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, and then the decisive College Football Playoff Championship Game.
How can I watch the College Football Bowl Selection Show?
The CFP Selection Committee will announce their final top 25 ranking on Sunday 3 December 2023. This will confirm the 4 teams selected for the CFP semifinals. The selection day news will be broadcast in the US on ESPN from 12:00 to 16:00 ET. All 2023 college football bowl selections will be confirmed soon after the CFP semifinalists.
Are there any criteria for College Bowl Game selections?
Each bowl game has its own criteria, which are typically based around conference affiliation and conference ranking. For example, the Sun Bowl generally features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Pac-12 Conference, while the Arizona Bowl has tie-ins with the Mountain West Conference and the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
Which teams are eligible for College Football Bowl Games?
To be eligible for bowl season, teams must:
- Compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
- Record at least 6 wins in the season, with at least 5 of these against FBS opponents
- Maintain a win percentage of at least 50% over the season
If there are not enough bowl-eligible teams to fill every bowl game spot, exceptions to these criteria may be made.
How many College Bowl Games are typically played?
The number of bowl games held each season has increased significantly in recent decades. In the 2023 season, there will be 43 postseason bowl games. This means that 86 teams must be selected to fill the spots.
What happens if a team declines a Bowl Game invitation?
Any team can decline a bowl game invitation. This happens very rarely, because bowl games are a big attraction for fans, and it is unusual for colleges to turn down the opportunity for a high-profile postseason game and a potential trophy. In 2012, Louisiana Tech was invited to compete in the Independence Bowl, but was still considering other possible options and did not accept the invitation.