With the 2025-26 college football regular season complete, fans are getting ready to enjoy some postseason games throughout the month of December and to start the new year. The most important of those will come in the form of the 12-team College Football Playoff.
While the first round games on campuses will kick off starting Dec. 19, the rest of the 6+ win teams around the sport will begin participating in their bowl games as early as Saturday. They might not get as much attention as the playoff games, drawing the viewership of current students and alumni mostly, but there's still a core of B-list bowls that are engrained with enough legacy to warrant respect.
5 non-CFP bowl games that still matter to college football fans
Pop-Tarts Bowl
What originally started as the Blockbuster Bowl in 1990 and evolved over the years into its glorious current iteration, the Pop-Tarts Bowl has garnered a cult following in college football. I mean, the winning team gets to literally eat the mascot. Fans look forward to the theatrics and memes every year, and it gives us a comical break from the drama of the national championship race. Does any more really need to be said?
2025 edition: Georgia Tech vs BYU (Dec. 27)
Alamo Bowl
While not the original iteration of the game played in 1947, the Alamo Bowl still has a storied past. It began in 1993 and has essentially acted as a consolation prize for the runners up in the Pac-12 and Big 12 (since 2010). There have been some all-time classics like the 2016 edition where TCU came back to defeat Oregon in triple overtime, and out of 32 editions there have been 15 between ranked foes. Every year has practically been appointment viewing.
2025 edition: TCU vs. USC (Dec. 30)
Sun Bowl
As one of the oldest bowl games not considered a part of the New Year's Six, the Sun Bowl has been played since 1935 in El Paso, Texas. In fact, it's the second-oldest bowl game behind the Rose Bowl. It doesn't get as much attention as its sister competitions but it has featured some high-octane matchups, particularly between the Pac-12 and ACC since it became BCS affiliated in 1992. Not to mention the stadium has a killer view of the Franklin Mountains.
2025 edition: Arizona State vs. Duke (Dec. 31)
Citrus Bowl
The Citrus Bowl is essentially the little brother to the Orange Bowl. It was first played in 1947 under the guise of The Tangerine Bowl and underwent some cosmetic changes throughout the years. Believe it or not, it actually pays out the most of any bowl game not participating in the College Football Playoff ($8.55 million per team). Every edition since 1985 has featured two teams ranked in the Top 25 and this year offers a relatively juicy matchup.
2025 edition: Michigan vs. Texas (Dec. 31)
Holiday Bowl
Played annually since 1978, the Holiday Bowl has been a landing spot for several high-ranking teams from the Pac-12 and ACC. It's essentially acted as the alternative to the Fiesta Bowl for those that don't qualify to play in Phoenix. Interestingly enough, the game actually served as one of two times in history a non-New Year's Six bowl where a team has clinched the national championship (1984 BYU). It's become a staple of San Diego sports lore and has featured a Top 25 team every year since 2017.
2025 edition: Arizona vs. SMU (Dec. 31)