For any college football fan, bowl games are a great excuse to travel to new places. Sometimes that just means a quick weekend flight in and out to get to the bowl game itself. But other times it is worth justifying the additional time and expense to make the trip into a whole vacation. Since most bowl games are after Christmas, there is even an opportunity to give a vacation as a gift!
Here I’ll list football bowl games by date. With each bowl game I list the competing teams, the location of the bowl, stadium information, and the airport you should consider using. For the bigger games I’d highly recommend buying tickets ahead of time to make sure you’ll have a seat in the stadium.
Where will you be this bowl season? I know I’ll be flying to Jacksonville, FL to watch my Nittany Lions take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Taxslayer bowl. After the game I’ll be making a short two hour drive over to Orlando to visit Disney World for the rest of the week!
Saturday December 19th
Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Arizona vs. New Mexico
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Stadium Information: University Stadium on the University of New Mexico Campus – Capacity 37,457
Airport: Albuquerque International Sunport, Airport Code “ABQ”
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs Utah
Location: Whitney, Nevada (15 minute drive from Las Vegas)
Stadium Information: Sam Boyd Stadium – Capacity 35,500
Airport: McCarran International Airport, Code “LAS”
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl: Ohio vs. Appalachian State
Location: Montgomery, Alabama
Stadium Information: Cramton Bowl – Capacity 25,000
Airport: Montgomery Regional Airport (closest), Code “MGM” or Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (more flight options, 1 hour 40 minute drive to stadium), Code “BHM”
AutoNation Cure Bowl: San Jose St. University vs Georgia St. University
Location: Orlando, Florida
Stadium Information: Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium – Capacity 70,000
Airport: Orlando, Florida, Code “MCO”
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Arkansas St. vs Louisiana Tech
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Stadium Information: Mercedes-Benz Superdome – Capacity 76,468
Airport: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Code “MSY”
Monday December 21st
Miami Beach Bowl: Western Kentucky vs South Florida
Location: Miami Florida
Stadium Information: Marlins Park – Capacity 37,442
Airport: Miami International Airport, Code “MIA”
Tuesday December 22nd
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Akron vs Utah State
Location: Boise, Idaho
Stadium Information: Albertsons Stadium – Capacity 37,000
Airport: Boise Airport, Code “BOI”
Marmot Boca Raton Bowl: Temple vs Toledo
Location: Boca Raton, Florida
Stadium Information: FAU Stadium – Capacity 29,419
Airport: There are a couple of options for airports. I’d recommend comparing prices for flights from your home city to determine the best airport for you to use. Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport, Code “FLL” is a 30 minute drive south from FAU Stadium. Palm Beach International Airport, Code “PBI”, is a 30 minute drive north from FAU Stadium. Miami International Airport, Code “MIA” is an hour drive south from FAU Stadium.
Wednesday December 23rd
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Boise State vs Northern Illinois
Location: San Diego, California
Stadium Information: Qualcomm Stadium – Capacity 70,561
Airport: San Diego International Airport, Code “SAN”
GoDaddy Bowl: Georgia Southern vs Bowling Green
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Stadium Information: Ladd-Peebles Stadium – Capacity 40,000
Airport: Mobile Regional Airport, Code “MOB” (closest) or Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Code “MSY” (more flight options, 2.5 hour drive to stadium)
Thursday December 24th
Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs Western Michigan
Location: Nassau, Bahamas
Stadium Information: Thomas A Robinson National Stadium – Capacity 15,023
Airport: Lynden Pindling International Airport, Code “NAS”
Hawai’i Bowl: San Diego State vs Cincinnati
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii (Island of Oahu)
Stadium Information: Aloha Stadium – Capacity 50,000
Airport: Honolulu International Airport, Code “HNL”
Saturday December 26th
St. Petersburg Bowl: Connecticut vs Marshall
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Stadium Information: Tropicana Field – Capacity 31,042
Airport: Tampa International Airport, Code “TPA”
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Miami vs Washington State
Location: El Paso, Texas
Stadium Information: Sun Bowl Stadium – Capacity 51,500
Airport: El Paso International Airport, Code “ELP”
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas: Washington vs Southern Miss
Location: Dallas, Texas
Stadium Information: Cotton Bowl – Capacity 92,100
Airport: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Code “DFW”
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Indiana vs Duke
Location: New York City, New York
Stadium Information: Yankee Stadium – Capacity 54,251
Airport: LaGuardia Airport, Code “LGA” or John F. Kennedy International Airport, Code “JFK”
Camping World Independence Bowl: Tulsa vs Virginia Tech
Location: Shreveport, Louisiana
Stadium Information: Independence Stadium – Capacity 50,459
Airport: Shreveport Regional Airport, Code “SHV” (closest) or Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Code “DFW” (more flight options, 3 hour drive to stadium)
Foster Farms Bowl: UCLA vs Nebraska
Location: Santa Clara, California
Stadium Information: Levi’s Stadium – Capacity 68,500
Airport: Mineta San Jose International Airport, Code “SJC” (closest) or San Francisco International Airport, Code “SFO” (more flight options, about an hour drive from stadium)
Monday December 28th
The Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman: Pittsburgh vs Navy
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Stadium Information: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium – Capacity 34,000
Airport: Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Code “BWI”
Quick Lane Bowl: Central Michigan vs Minnesota
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Stadium Information: Ford Field – Capacity 65,000
Airport: Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Code “DTW”
Tuesday December 29th
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl: California vs Air Force
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Stadium Information: Amon G. Carter Stadium – Capacity 45,000
Airport: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Code “DFW”
Russell Athletic Bowl: North Carolina vs Baylor
Location: Orlando, Florida
Stadium Information: Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium – Capacity 70,000
Airport: Orlando, Florida, Code “MCO”
Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl: Nevada vs Colorado State
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Stadium Information: Arizona Stadium – Capacity 56,029
Airport: Tucson International Airport, Code “TUS” (closest) or Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Code “PHX” (more flight options, 2 hour drive from stadium)
Advocare V100 Texas Bowl: LSU vs Texas Tech
Location: Houston, Texas
Stadium Information: NRG Stadium – Capacity 71,500
Airport: George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Code “IAH”
Wednesday December 30th
Birmingham Bowl: Auburn vs Memphis
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Stadium Information: Legion Field – Capacity 71,594
Airport: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Code “BHM”
Belk Bowl: North Carolina State vs Mississippi State
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Stadium Information: Bank of America Stadium – Capacity 75,412
Airport: Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Code “CLT”
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Texas A&M vs Louisville
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Stadium Information: Nissan Stadium – Capacity 67,700
Airport: Nashville International Airport, Code “BNA”
National Funding Holiday Bowl: USC vs Wisconsin
Location: San Diego, California
Stadium Information: Qualcomm Stadium – Capacity 70,561
Airport: San Diego International Airport, Code “SAN”
Thursday December 31st
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl: Houston vs Florida State
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Stadium Information: Georgia Dome – Capacity 74,228
Airport: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Code “ATL”
College Football Playoff Semifinal Capital One Orange Bowl: Oklahoma vs Clemson
Location: Miami Gardens, Florida
Stadium Information: Sun Life Stadium – Capacity 65,000
Airport: Miami International Airport, Code “MIA”
College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl: Michigan State vs Alabama
Location: Arlington, Texas
Stadium Information: AT&T Stadium – Capacity 80,000
Airport: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Code “DFW”
Friday January 1st
Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs Tennessee
Location: Tampa, Florida
Stadium Information: Raymond James Stadium – Capacity 65,890
Airport: Tampa International Airport, Code “TPA”
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs Florida
Location: Orlando, Florida
Stadium Information: Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium – Capacity 70,000
Airport: Orlando, Florida, Code “MCO”
Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame vs Ohio State
Location: Glendale, Arizona
Stadium Information: University of Phoenix Stadium – Capacity 63,400
Airport: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Code “PHX”
Rose Bowl Presented by Northwestern Mutual: Stanford vs Iowa
Location: Pasadena, California
Stadium Information: Rose Bowl Stadium – Capacity 92,542
Airport: Bob Hope Airport, Code “BUR” (30 minute drive to stadium), Long Beach Airport, Code “LGB” (1 hour drive to stadium), or Los Angeles International Airport, Code “LAX” (1 hour 15 minute drive to stadium)
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma State vs Ole Miss
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Stadium Information: Mercedes-Benz Superdome – Capacity 76,468
Airport: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Code “MSY”
Saturday January 2nd
Taxslayer Bowl: Penn State vs Georgia
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Stadium Information: EverBank Field – Capacity 84,000
Airport: Jacksonville International Airport, Code “JAX”
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Kansas State vs Arkansas
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Stadium Information: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium – Capacity 59,308
Airport: Memphis International Airport, Code “MEM”
Valero Alamo Bowl: Oregon vs TCU
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Stadium Information: Alamodome – Capacity 65,000
Airport: San Antonio International Airport, Code “SAT”
Motel 6 Cactus Bowl: West Virginia vs Arizona State
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Stadium Information: Chase Field – Capacity 48,519
Airport:Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Code “PHX”
Monday January 11th
College Football Playoff Championship
Location: Glendale, Arizona
Stadium Information: University of Phoenix Stadium – Capacity 63,400
Airport: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Code “PHX”
