ACC Announces 2026 Bowl Season Schedule

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference is set for another national postseason showcase, as the ACC, ESPN and Bowl Season announced the 2026 bowl schedule today.

The ACC's 2026 postseason lineup is inclusive of 17 possible bowl destinations, highlighted by 15 which will be featured on ABC and ESPN. The confirmed dates, kickoff times and broadcast information are listed below with the Holiday Bowl to be announced at a later date.

The announcement comes as anticipation builds for the 2026-27 postseason and College Football Playoff. The NCAA and CFP announced the schedule for the 12-team playoff format earlier this week, setting the stage for another exciting bowl season across the college football landscape.

"ACC Football finished the 2025 season on an incredibly high note, and we look forward to building upon that success in 2026," said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. "We are proud of the meaningful relationship with our bowl partners as they are instrumental in creating memorable experiences for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans. We are also grateful for the continued support of Disney and ESPN, as well as Nick Carparelli and the entire Bowl Season team, whose commitment helps showcase and celebrate college football at its best."

The ACC continued its tradition of postseason success in 2025, recording nine postseason victories, the second-most among all FBS conferences and the league's highest total since 2016. The conference posted a 9-5 postseason record (.643), the second-best winning percentage among conferences with multiple postseason participants. The league also led all Power 4 conferences with seven postseason wins against fellow Power 4 opponents, including a perfect 4-0 mark against the SEC. Excluding intraconference matchups, the ACC finished 7-3 against Power 4 competition in postseason play, the best record among its peer conferences.

The ACC placed 11 teams in bowl games or the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive season, extending the longest such streak by any FBS conference in history. The league's 11 postseason participants in 2025 ranked second nationally and marked the eighth time since the 2014-15 season that the ACC has produced double-digit bowl-eligible teams. The conference's sustained postseason success remains unmatched nationally, as the ACC and SEC are the only FBS conferences to have multiple teams win a bowl game in every season since 2001, excluding the pandemic-impacted 2020 season.

On May 27, the ACC and ESPN unveiled the kickoff times and broadcast networks for more than 40 games during the first three weeks of the 2025 football season. The announcement also detailed the schedule for Thursday and Friday night games throughout the year. To date, ACC teams are scheduled to participate in a total of 28 nationally televised games on networks including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. In addition, there will be 13 more matchups on the ACC Network and 13 additional games airing on CBS, NBC, Peacock, Fox, FS1 and The CW as part of the announced schedule.

ACC Bowl Game Affiliations – Game Times and TV Designations

Tuesday, December 15
Frisco Football Classic (Frisco, Texas) – 9 p.m. ET | ESPN *

Friday, December 18
Bush's Boca Raton Bowl of Beans (Boca Raton, Florida) – 11 a.m. ET | ESPN *

Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Florida) – 2:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

CFP First Round Game (on campus site) – 8 p.m. ET | ESPN

Saturday, December 19
CFP First Round Game (on campus site) – Noon ET | ABC/ESPN
CFP First Round Game (on campus site) – 3:30 p.m. ET | TNT/TruTV/HBO Max
CFP First Round Game (on campus site) – 7:30 p.m. ET | TNT/TruTV/HBO Max

Tuesday, December 22
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl (Shreveport, Louisiana) - 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN ^

Wednesday, December 23
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, Texas) – 5:30 p.m. ET | ESPN *

Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas) – 9 p.m. ET | ESPN *

Saturday, December 26
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl (The Bronx, New York) – Noon ET | ABC

Wasabi Fenway Bowl (Boston, Massachusetts) – 2 p.m. ET | ESPN

Duke's Mayo Bowl (Charlotte, North Carolina) – 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC

Monday, December 28
Freedom Mortgage Military Bowl (Annapolis, Maryland) – 2 p.m. ET | ESPN

Tuesday, December 29
JLab Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham, Alabama) – 2 p.m. ET | ESPN *

Pop-Tarts Bowl (Orlando, Florida) – 5:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
Valero Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, Texas) - 9 p.m. ET | ESPN ^

Wednesday, December 30
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Florida) – 11:30 a.m. ET | ESPN

CFP Quarterfinals: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona) – 7:30 p.m. ET | TNT/TruTV/HBO Max

Thursday, December 31

Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas) – 2 p.m. ET | CBS ^
Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas, Nevada) - 3:45 p.m. ET | ESPN ^

Friday, January 1, 2027

CFP Quarterfinals: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta, Georgia) – TBD

CFP Quarterfinals: Goodyear Cotton Bowl (Dallas, Texas) – TBD
CFP Quarterfinals: Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential (Pasadena, California) – TBD

Saturday, January 2, 2027

SERVPRO First Responders Bowl (Dallas, Texas) – 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC *

Thursday, January 14, 2027
CFP Semifinals: Capital One Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Florida) – 7:30 p.m. ET | TNT/TruTV/HBO Max

Friday, January 15, 2027
CFP Semifinals: Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana) – 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN

Monday, January 25, 2027
CFP National Championship Game (Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada) – 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN

TBA
Trust & Will Holiday Bowl – TBD ^

* Denotes ESPN Events Game Rotating Package for ACC Teams

^ Denotes matchups featuring teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 or Washington State/Oregon State

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