The full ACC bowl schedule features some enticing matchups.
Florida State’s exclusion from the College Football Playoffs, despite finishing 13-0 with a formidable out-of-conference schedule and the ACC championship on their record, dealt a terrible blow to the ACC on Sunday.
The requirement to reduce the field to four during the last version of the present postseason format resulted in a great deal of disruption and unhappiness. A late-season injury to quarterback Jordan Travis caused the committee to choose the one-loss conference champions Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas Longhorns over FSU, despite the fact that FSU should have advanced by almost any measurable standard.
Now, the No. 5 Seminoles lead a crowded field of bowl game participants for the ACC.
How many ACC teams made bowl games?
A total of 12 ACC teams won six games and are bowl eligible. Here is the full list.
- No. 5 Florida State Seminoles (13-0)
- No. 15 Louisville Cardinals (10-3)
- No. 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-3)
- No. 18 NC State Wolfpack (9-3)
- No. 22 Clemson Tigers (8-4)
- North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4)
- Miami Hurricanes (7-5)
- Duke Blue Devils (7-5)
- Boston College Eagles (6-6)
- Georgia Tech Yellowjackets (6-6)
- Virginia Tech Hokies (6-6)
- Syracuse Orange (6-6)
ACC bowl schedule: Dates, times, where to watch
Mid-December through early January will be a busy time for bowl games. It won’t be hard for football fans from the ACC to watch the action throughout the holidays.
Who plays in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl?
- Matchup: Syracuse (6-6) vs. South Florida (6-6)
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 21
- Start Time: 8 PM E.T.
- Location: Boca Raton, FL
- TV Channel: ESPN
Syracuse will look to string together back-to-back seasons above .500 for the first time since 2012 and 2013.
In the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, who competes?
- Matchup: Georgia Tech (6-6) vs. UCF (6-6)
- Date: Friday, Dec. 22
- Start Time: 6:30 PM E.T.
- Location: Tampa, FL
- TV Channel: ESPN
Georgia Tech had a spirited and fierce season that ended in a hard-fought, eight-point defeat to the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in the championship game. As a programme, the Jackets seem to be headed in the right direction.
Who plays in the 76 Birmingham Bowl?
- Matchup: Duke (7-5) vs. Troy (11-2)
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 23
- Start Time: 12:00 PM E.T.
- Location: Birmingham, AL
- TV Channel: ABC
After defeating Clemson to start the season with a bang, Duke faced a number of setbacks in the weeks that followed. Now, a chance to win on a national platform against a fiercely competitive non-Power 5 squad.
Who plays in the Military Bowl?
- Matchup: Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. Tulane (11-2)
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 27
- Start Time: 2:00 PM E.T.
- Location: Annapolis, MD
- TV Channel: ESPN
Virginia Tech is faced with an explosive and dynamic Tulane team. It will be a real test of the Green Wave’s legitimacy one year removed from their Cotton Bowl victory over USC.
Who plays in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl?
- Matchup: North Carolina (8-4) vs. West Virginia (8-4)
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 27
- Start Time: 5:30 PM E.T.
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- TV Channel: ESPN
In a historic shootout, North Carolina defeated Duke 47–45, but they lost their final two games of the regular season to Clemson and NC State. Against a formidable Big 12 opponent, the Tar Heels will try to close on a bit more optimistic note. It’s a plus that UNC is playing in their backyard.
Who plays in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl?
- Matchup: No. 15 Louisville (10-3) vs. USC (7-5)
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 27
- Start Time: 8 PM E.T.
- Location: San Diego, CA
- TV Channel: FOX
Though it’s difficult to criticise a 10-3 season and a top-15 finish, Louisville lost to Florida State in the ACC title game. Their prize? A cross-country trek to play on enemy territory against the wildly overvalued USC Trojans.
Who plays in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl?
- Matchup: Boston College (6-6) vs. No. 24 SMU (11-2)
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 28
- Start Time: 11 AM E.T.
- Location: Boston, MA
- TV Channel: ESPN
After an incredible season that sees SMU finish in the top 25, they get to go all the way to Boston to play Boston College. Despite being the underdogs in this game, football and the Green Monster make for an exciting mix on a single day.
In the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, who competes?
- Matchup: Miami (7-5) vs. Rutgers (6-6)
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 28
- Start Time: 2:15 PM E.T.
- Location: Bronx, NY
- TV Channel: ESPN
Another ACC bowl game at a baseball park. Miami failed to meet expectations in 2023, but Rutgers seems like a softball player who might help close out the season well.
Who plays in the Pop-Tarts Bowl?
- Matchup: No. 18 NC State (9-3) vs. No. 25 Kansas State (8-4)
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 28
- Start Time: 5:45 PM E.T.
- Location: Orlando, FL
- TV Channel: ESPN
After a strong regular season, the Wolfpack will get a proper challenge in their bowl game — a top-25 showdown with the Big 12’s Kansas State.
Who plays in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl?
- Matchup: No. 22 Clemson (8-4) vs. Kentucky (7-5)
- Date: Friday, Dec. 29
- Start Time: 12:00 PM E.T.
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
- TV Channel: ESPN
Although Clemson had a very inconsistent start to the season, they showed glimmers of their usual Dabo Swinney supremacy in their victory against Notre Dame on November 4. Although not a dominant team, Kentucky is a competitive SEC squad. This football match ought to be excellent.
Who competes in the Sun Bowl Tony the Tiger?
- Matchup: No. 16 Notre Dame (9-3) vs. No. 19 Oregon State (8-4)
- Date: Friday, Dec. 29
- Start Time: 2:00 PM E.T.
- Location: El Paso, TX
- TV Channel: CBS
Notre Dame essentially won the games that were expected of them, despite the fact that their three losses came against highly respected opponents. In an effort to regain their position as one of the best football programmes in the nation, the Fighting Irish will put their skills to the test.
In the Capital One Orange Bowl, who competes?
- Matchup: No. 5 Florida State (13-0) vs. No. 6 Georgia (12-1)
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 30
- Start Time: 4:00 PM E.T.
- Location: Miami Gardens, FL
- TV Channel: ESPN
There’s a chance that the most anticipated bowl game isn’t a playoff game because of the playoff committee’s foolishness. Both Florida State and Georiga have a rather convincing argument that they ought to have made it to the final four, so this is a fight of the resentful. If a wave of sit-outs doesn’t break out, this could become a timeless masterpiece. Every squad has something to prove.
