All the 2018-2019 college football bowl ties, tie-ins and affiliations by conference.
2018-2019 College Football Playoff & New Year’s Six Bowl Ties, Affiliations
– The top four teams ranked by the College Football Playoff selection committee will be slotted in the semifinals: Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl, both on December 29th, 2018.
– The two winners to play in the College Football Playoff National Championship in Santa Clara, CA – the Bay Area, according to the College Football Playoff – on January 7th, 2019.
– The highest-ranked conference champion from the American Athletic, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt will automatically get one spot in either the College Football Playoff, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl or PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
– The Rose Bowl will be the Big Ten vs. Pac-12 no matter what. The champion of each league goes here if not in the College Football Playoff.
– The Sugar Bowl will be the SEC vs. Big 12 no matter what. The champion of each league goes here if not in the College Football Playoff.
– There are no set assigned conferences for the PlayStation Fiesta or Chick-fil-A Peach Bowls. There is no direct ACC tie-in to the Orange Bowl, since it’s a College Football Playoff semifinal.
American Athletic Bowl Ties, Affiliations
Highest-ranked champion from the AAC, C-USA, MAC, MW & Sun Belt will play in a New Year’s Six bowl.
The American Athletic Conference doesn’t have a true pecking order. The bowl matchups are based on best possible games and geography.
– Armed Forces Bowl vs. Big 12
– Birmingham Bowl vs. SEC
– Cheribundi Tart Cherry Bowl vs. Conference USA
– Cure Bowl vs. Sun Belt
– Frisco Bowl vs. At-Large
– Gasparillia Bowl vs. Conference USA
– Military Bowl vs. ACC
The American Athletic has secondary partnerships with the AutoZone Liberty and Camping World Independence, to fill if the main affiliations can’t fill their slots.
ACC Bowl Ties, Affiliations
Notre Dame is eligible for any ACC bowl tie-in as long as it’s within one game of the team eligible for the slot.
Again, normally the top available ACC team goes to the Orange Bowl, but there’s no direct tie-in this year since it’s a College Football Playoff semifinal.
1. College Football Playoff Semifinal: If Selected
2. Camping World Bowl vs. Big 12
First Tier
– Citrus Bowl (if top possible team is higher-ranked than SEC or Big Ten team) vs. SEC or Big Ten
– Belk Bowl vs. SEC
– Hyundai Sun Bowl vs. Pac-12
– New Era Pinstripe Bowl vs. Big Ten
– Franklin American Mortgage Music City vs. SEC OR
– TaxSlayer Bowl vs. SEC
– ACC and Big Ten combine in the Music City and TaxSlayer, with each getting three appearances in six years. The ACC played in the Music City in 2015 and the TaxSlayer in 2016 and 2017. It’s almost certainly going to be in the Music City, but can still play in the TaxSlayer.
Second Tier
– Camping World Independence Bowl vs. SEC
– Military Bowl vs. American Athletic
– Quick Lane Bowl vs. Big Ten
– St. Petersburg Bowl
Conditional if American Athletic or Conference USA can’t fill the spot.
– Birmingham Bowl
Conditional if American Athletic or SEC can’t fill the spot.
Big Ten Bowl Ties, Affiliations
A Big Ten team will be in the Rose Bowl – it’ll be the champion if not in the College Football Playoff. There can’t be a Big Ten team this year in the Sugar Bowl.
College Football Playoff Semifinal: If Selected
1. Rose Bowl vs. Pac-12
2. Citrus Bowl vs. ACC or SEC
– Agreement for Citrus is for five different teams in six years, so no Minnesota or Michigan, if possible.
3. Outback Bowl vs. SEC
– Agreement is for five different teams in six years, so no Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan or Northwestern, if possible.
4. San Diego Country Credit Union Holiday Bowl vs. Pac-12
– Agreement is for five different teams in six years, so no Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin or Michigan State, if possible.
5. TaxSlayer Bowl vs. SEC OR
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl vs. SEC
– ACC and Big Ten combine in the Music City and TaxSlayer, with each getting three appearances in six years. The Big Ten played in TaxSlayer in 2015 and the Music City in 2016 and 2017. It’s almost certainly going to be in the TaxSlayer, but no Penn State or Iowa, if possible.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl vs. ACC
– It’s not official, but the bowl would prefer to have eight different teams in eight years, so no Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State or Indiana, if possible.
San Francisco Bowl vs. Pac-12
– Agreement is for five different teams in six years, so no Purdue, Indiana, Maryland or Nebraska, if possible.
Quick Lane Bowl vs. ACC
SERVPRO First Responders Bowl vs. C-USA
– Agreement for three SERVPRO First Responders and three Armed Forces bowls in six years. The Big Ten hasn’t been in the bowl since 2014. The Big 12 is contracted to play in the SERVPRO First Responders in 2019.
Big 12 Bowl Ties, Affiliations
A Big 12 team will be in the Sugar Bowl vs. the SEC – it’ll be the champion if not in the College Football Playoff. There can’t be a Big 12 team this year in the Rose Bowl.
College Football Playoff Semifinal: If Selected
1. Sugar Bowl vs. SEC
2. Valero Alamo Bowl vs. Pac-12
3. Camping World Bowl vs. ACC
4. Texas Bowl vs. SEC
5. AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. SEC
6. Cheez-It Bowl vs. Pac-12
7. Armed Forces Bowl vs. American Athletic
Conference USA Bowl Ties, Affiliations
Highest-ranked champion from the AAC, C-USA, MAC, MW & Sun Belt will play in a New Year’s Six bowl.
No set order for Conference USA bowls. Champion will choose which bowl it wants to attend.
– Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla vs. American Athletic
– Bahamas Bowl vs. MAC
– Cheribundi Tart Cherry Bowl vs. American Athletic
– Gildan New Mexico Bowl vs. Mountain West
– Hawai’i Bowl vs. Mountain West
– R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl vs. Sun Belt
– SERVPRO First Responders Bowl vs. Big Ten
Secondary Agreements
– Walk-On’s Independence Bowl
Conditional if ACC or SEC can’t fill a spot.
– DXL Frisco Bowl
Conditional if American Athletic or MAC can’t fill a spot.
Independent Bowl Ties, Affiliations
– Army, New Mexico State, and UMass don’t have direct bowl ties or affiliations.
– BYU was supposed to be tied into the Poinsettia Bowl this year, but that no longer exists. However, it has a deal with ESPN to be assured a bowl slot somewhere if eligible and not in the College Football Playoff.
– Liberty is a provisional team and isn’t eligible to go to a bowl game.
– Notre Dame can take one of the ACC’s bowl spots – if it’s not in the College Football Playoff – but it must be within one overall win over the available ACC team with the best overall record.
MAC Bowl Ties, Affiliations
Highest-ranked champion from the AAC, C-USA, MAC, MW & Sun Belt will play in a New Year’s Six bowl.
The MAC doesn’t have a true pecking order. The bowls matchups are based on best possible games and geography.
– Bahamas Bowl vs. Conference USA
– Dollar General Bowl vs. Sun Belt
– Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs. Mountain West
– Raycom Media Camellia Bowl vs. Sun Belt
– Quick Lane Bowl
Conditional if ACC or Big Ten can’t fill a spot.
Mountain West Bowl Ties, Affiliations
Highest-ranked champion from the AAC, C-USA, MAC, MW & Sun Belt will play in a New Year’s Six bowl.
The Mountain West doesn’t have a true pecking order after the Las Vegas. The bowl matchups are based on best possible games and geography.
1. Las Vegas vs. Pac-12
– Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs. MAC
– Gildan New Mexico Bowl vs. Conference USA
– Hawai’i Bowl vs. Conference USA
– NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl vs. Sun Belt
– Cheez-It Bowl
Conditional if bowl can’t fill a spot.
Pac-12 Bowl Ties, Affiliations
A Pac-12 team will be in the Rose Bowl – it’ll be the champion if not in the College Football Playoff. There can’t be a Pac-12 team this year in the Sugar Bowl.
College Football Playoff Semifinal: If Selected
1. Rose Bowl vs. Big Ten
Valero Alamo Bowl vs. Big 12
3. San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl vs. Big Ten
4. San Francisco Bowl vs. Big Ten
5. Hyundai Sun Bowl vs. ACC
6. Las Vegas Bowl vs. Mountain West
7. Cheez-It Bowl vs. Big 12
SEC Bowl Ties, Affiliations
An SEC team will be in the Sugar Bowl vs. the Big 12 – it’ll be the champion if not in the College Football Playoff. There can’t be an SEC team this year in the Rose Bowl.
College Football Playoff Semifinal: If Selected
1. Sugar Bowl vs. Big 12
2. Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl vs. Big Ten or ACC
The SEC will assign teams to the respective bowls in this pool.
– AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. Big 12
– Belk Bowl vs. ACC
– Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl vs. ACC or Big Ten (most likely the ACC)
– Outback Bowl vs. Big Ten
– TaxSlayer Bowl vs. ACC or Big Ten (most likely the Big Ten)
– Texas Bowl vs. Big 12
Second Tier
– Birmingham Bowl vs. American Athletic
– Independence Bowl vs. ACC
Sun Belt Bowl Ties, Affiliations
Highest-ranked champion from the AAC, C-USA, MAC, MW & Sun Belt will play in a New Year’s Six bowl.
The Sun Belt doesn’t have a true pecking order. The bowl matchups are based on best possible games and geography. New member, Coastal Carolina, will not be eligible for a bowl game.
– R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl vs. Mountain West
– Dollar General Bowl vs. MAC
– Raycom Media Camellia Bowl vs. MAC
– AutoNation Cure Bowl vs. American Athletic
– NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl vs. Mountain West
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