Complete list of every 2018-2019 bowl-eligible team by conference
By John Buhler
Who doesn’t love college football bowl season? Here is a list of every team in Division I that has achieved bowl eligibility in the 2018 NCAA season.
It’s that time of the year. Some college football teams will be getting ready for their conference championships, while others get ready for one last game. That’s right. We are talking about the bowl season!
To be considered bowl eligible, a Division I team must not be on probation and go at least 6-6 during the regular season. Occasionally, some teams that are 5-7 with great academics can become eligible for a holiday season bowl if there are not enough teams that qualify with a .500 record.
So why is becoming bowl eligible so important? Well, it’s a great opportunity for the student-athletes to travel to a new, cool city, play an opponent they otherwise would not, get some great gear, as well as help out in the bowl location’s community.
As for the football programs themselves, there are two huge benefits for having achieved bowl eligibility. One, it allows for an extra month’s worth of practices, meaning the players and the coaches have more opportunities to grow and get better at their craft heading into spring practice.
And two, all of these bowl games will be nationally televised, meaning increased exposure to prospective recruits, as well as further pushing the brand of the university. Basically, becoming bowl eligible is only a good thing.
Here are all the Division I programs that have achieved bowl eligibility. There are a few other teams that can achieve bowl eligibility next week, needing to get that crucial sixth win to qualify.
American Athletic Conference (7): Cincinnati Bearcats, Houston Cougars, Memphis Tigers, South Florida Bulls, Temple Owls, Tulane Green Wave, UCF Knights
Atlantic Coast Conference (10): Boston College Eagles, Clemson Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Miami Hurricanes, NC State Wolfpack, Pittsburgh Panthers, Syracuse Orange, Virginia Cavaliers, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
*Virginia Tech Hokies (5-6) can become bowl eligible with a win at home versus Marshall Thundering Herd on Dec. 1.
Big 12 Conference (7): Baylor Bears, Iowa State Cyclones, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Texas Longhorns, TCU Horned Frogs, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten Conference (9): Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Purdue Boilermakers, Wisconsin Badgers
Conference USA (7): Florida International Golden Panthers, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Marshall Thundering Herd, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, North Texas Mean Green, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, UAB Blazers
FBS Independents (3): Army Black Knights, BYU Cougars, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
*Liberty Flames (5-6) can become bowl eligible with a win at home versus Norfolk State Spartans on Dec. 1.
Mid-American Conference (7): Buffalo Bulls, Eastern Michigan Eagles, Miami (OH) RedHawks, Northern Illinois Huskies, Ohio Bobcats, Toledo Rockets, Western Michigan Broncos
Mountain West Conference (7): Boise State Broncos, Fresno State Bulldogs, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Nevada Wolf Pack, San Diego State Aztecs, Utah State Aggies, Wyoming Cowboys
Pac-12 Conference (7): Arizona State Sun Devils, California Golden Bears, Oregon Ducks, Stanford Cardinal, Utah Utes, Washington Huskies, Washington State Cougars
Southeastern Conference (11): Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, LSU Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Missouri Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, Texas A&M Aggies, Vanderbilt Commodores
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Sun Belt Conference (6): Appalachian State Mountaineers, Arkansas State Red Wolves, Georgia Southern Eagles, Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, Troy Trojans, UL Monroe Warhawks