Football

Miami Leads the Way as Eleven ACC Programs Qualify for Bowl Games

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) - Highlighted by College Football Playoff-bound Miami, 11 Atlantic Coast Conference teams will compete in postseason bowl games this year.
 
Miami (10-2, 6-2 ACC) earned its first berth in the College Football Playoff, securing the No. 10 seed. The Hurricanes will travel to College Station, Texas, to face No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1 SEC) in the CFP First Round on Saturday, December 20, at Noon ET on ABC and ESPN.
 
In addition to Miami’s CFP selection, two other ACC programs appeared in the final CFP Top 25 rankings: No. 19 Virginia and No. 22 Georgia Tech.
 
The 2025 ACC postseason schedule is listed below in chronological order:

Friday, December 19 – Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl; Tampa, Florida
NC State (7-5, 4-4 ACC) vs. Memphis (8-4, 4-4 American)
  • NC State will face Memphis in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, December 19, in Tampa, Florida.
  • The Wolfpack is making its 37th bowl appearance in program history, holding a 17-18-1 all-time record.
  • NC State is playing in a bowl for the fourth time in five years and the ninth time under head coach Dave Doeren.
  • Offensively, the Wolfpack have been led by quarterback CJ Bailey (2,884 passing yards, 23 touchdowns) and running back Hollywood Smothers (939 rushing yards, seven total touchdowns). Defensively, linebacker Caden Fordham leads the ACC with 10.8 tackles per game.
  • This marks NC State’s first appearance in the Gasparilla Bowl.
  • This will be the first-ever meeting between NC State and Memphis. NC State is 7-2 all-time against teams from the American Athletic Conference.
 
Saturday, December 20 – College Football Playoff First Round; College Station, Texas
#10 Miami (10-2, 6-2 ACC) vs. #7 Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1 SEC)
  • Miami is making its first-ever trip to the College Football Playoff, finishing No. 10 in the final CFP rankings.
  • The Hurricanes spent the entire season ranked in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA USA Today Coaches Poll, rising as high as No. 2.
  • Miami recorded four wins over Top-25 opponents and posted eight victories by 14 points or more.
  • The Hurricanes rank in the FBS top 30 in multiple categories, including scoring offense, total offense, passing offense, red-zone offense, time of possession, completion percentage, tackles-for-loss allowed, sacks allowed, and third-down conversion rate. Defensively, Miami also ranks in the top 30 in scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense, tackles-for-loss, and sacks.
  • Miami holds a 20–26 all-time record in bowl games.
  • The Hurricanes lead the all-time series against Texas A&M, 3–2, with the most recent meeting a 48–33 home win in 2023.
 
Tuesday, December 23 – Bush’s Best Boca Raton Bowl of Beans; Boca Raton, Florida
Louisville (8-4, 4-4 ACC) vs. Toledo (8-4, 6-2 MAC)
  • Louisville will face Toledo in the Bush’s Best Boca Raton Bowl of Beans on Tuesday, December 23, in Boca Raton, Florida.
  • The Cardinals are making their fifth consecutive bowl appearance and will be making their first-ever trip to the Boca Raton Bowl.
  • Louisville is 13-13-1 in 27 previous bowl games and will face Toledo for the first time in a bowl setting.
  • The Cardinals closed the regular season with a 41-0 win over Kentucky in the Governor’s Cup.
  • Defensively, Louisville ranks 13th in interceptions, 15th in total defense and 21st in third-down conversion percentage.
  • Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm previously coached in the Boca Raton Bowl in 2016, leading Western Kentucky to a 51-31 victory over Memphis.
  • Toledo is making its third Boca Raton Bowl appearance and is unbeaten at 2-0 in the event.
  • Louisville holds a 5-3 all-time series lead over Toledo, with the teams’ last meeting in 1981.
 
Previously announced
Wednesday, December 24 – Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl, Honolulu, Hawai’i
California (7-5, 4-4 ACC) vs. Hawai’i (8-4, 5-3 Mountain West)
  • California makes its first-ever appearance in the Hawai’i Bowl, marking the program’s 27th bowl game.
  • The Golden Bears are 12-13-1 all-time in bowl contests.
  • Cal has now reached a bowl game in both seasons since joining the ACC.
  • This year marks Cal’s third consecutive bowl berth, reinforcing the program’s consistency and positive trajectory.
  • The matchup is the sixth all-time meeting between Cal and Hawai’i; the Golden Bears hold a 3-2 series lead.
  • Cal starting quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, from Ewa Beach, Hawai’i, returns home as the state’s all-time passing yards leader.
  • Cal interim head coach Nick Rolovich previously served as Hawai’i’s head coach (2016–19), leading the Rainbow Warriors to three bowl appearances.
 
Saturday, December 27 – Go Bowling Military Bowl; Annapolis, Maryland
Pitt (8-4, 6-2 ACC vs. East Carolina (8-4, 6-2 American)
  • Pitt will face East Carolina in the Go Bowling Military Bowl on Saturday, December 27, in Annapolis, Maryland.
  • The bowl marks the Panthers’ 39th all-time postseason appearance and their second Military Bowl, having previously faced Navy in 2015.
  • Since switching quarterbacks in Week 6, Pitt has gone 6-2 and averaged 33.0 points per game under freshman Mason Heintschel.
  • The Panthers lead the ACC and rank 17th nationally in scoring offense, while their defense ranks seventh in FBS in tackles-for-loss, ninth in rushing defense, and 12th in interceptions.
  • This will be the fifth meeting between Pitt and East Carolina, with the series tied 2-2; the teams last met in 1992, a 37-31 Pitt victory in Pittsburgh.
  • East Carolina is making its second consecutive Military Bowl trip and fourth appearance overall.
 
Saturday, December 27 – Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl; Bronx, New York
Clemson (7-5, 4-4 ACC) vs. Penn State (6-6, 3-6 Big Ten)
  • The Tigers will head to The Bronx, New York, to take on Penn State in the Bad Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, December 27.
  • Clemson will make a postseason or bowl appearance for the 21st consecutive year, adding to its current school record that began in 2005. It is the current longest active streak among ACC teams.
  • The bowl will mark the Tigers’ 52nd all-time postseason appearance, including bowls and the CFP, but their first in the Pinstripe Bowl.
  • Clemson has won each of its last four games to close out the regular season, including a 28-14 win over South Carolina in the Palmetto Bowl.
  • The bowl contest will be the second all-time meeting between the Tigers and Nittany Lions, which saw Clemson defeat Penn State 35-10 in the Florida Citrus Bowl on January 1, 1988.
 
Saturday, December 27 – Pop-Tarts Bowl; Orlando, Florida
#22 Georgia Tech (9-3, 6-2 ACC) vs. #12 BYU (11-2, 8-1 Big 12)
  • No. 22 Georgia Tech will play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Saturday, December 27, in Orlando, Florida.
  • The Yellow Jackets are 2-0 all-time in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, defeating West Virginia 35–30 in the 1997 Carquest Bowl and Syracuse 51–14 in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl.
  • This marks Georgia Tech’s third straight bowl appearance and the program’s 48th all-time, holding a 26–21 record in previous postseason games.
  • Georgia Tech ranks among the nation’s top 12 in total offense and has recorded 500+ yards in three of its last four games.
  • The Jackets have scored 24+ points and totaled 350+ yards in 11 of 12 games this season.
  • Georgia Tech will face No. 12 BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. BYU leads the all-time series 3–1, with the last meeting coming in 2013.
 
Saturday, December 27 - TaxSlayer Gator Bowl; Jacksonville, Florida
#19 Virginia (10-3, 7-1 ACC) vs. Missouri (8-4, 4-4 SEC)
  • Nationally ranked Virginia will compete in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on December 27, in Jacksonville, Florida.
  • The Cavaliers are 8-13 all-time in bowl games and are making their first postseason appearance since 2021.
  • Virginia returns to the Gator Bowl for the first time since 2008, when it faced Texas Tech.
  • UVA enters the postseason at 10–3 overall and 7–1 in ACC play, matching the program’s single-season high in both overall wins and conference wins.
  • This will be only the second-ever meeting between Virginia and Missouri, with the first coming in 1973.
 
Wednesday, December 31 – Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl; El Paso, Texas
Duke (8-5, 6-2 ACC) vs. Arizona State (8-4, 6-3)
  • The 2025 ACC Champions are bowl-eligible for the second year under head coach Manny Diaz.
  • The Blue Devils will make their 18th bowl appearance, including for the fourth consecutive year.
  • The Blue Devils are 8-9 all-time in postseason bowl play and have won six of their last seven postseason bowl games.
  • Duke’s offense ranks in the top 25 nationally in passing and scoring, and is led by quarterback Darian Mensah, who ranks in the top 10 in all of FBS in passing yards, passing yards per game and passing touchdowns on the season.
  • The Blue Devils will take on Arizona State out of the Big 12. It will be just the second meeting between the two teams, with Arizona State holding the 1-0 edge with a 36-31 win over Duke in the 2014 Sun Bowl.
 
Friday, January 2 – Duke’s Mayo Bowl; Charlotte, North Carolina
Wake Forest (8-4, 4-4 ACC) vs. Mississippi State (5-7, 1-7 SEC)
  • Wake Forest will meet Mississippi State in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday, January 2, 2026. The game is slated to kick off at 8 p.m. ET.
  • This will be the fourth time in Wake Forest’s last 11 bowl appearances that the Demon Deacons’ play in Charlotte, joining 2007, 2017 and 2020.
  • The Demon Deacons are 11-6 all-time in bowl games, winning both of their last two – the 2021 Gator Bowl and 2022 Gasparilla Bowl.
  • Wake Forest’s only previous meeting against Mississippi State came in the 2011 Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee.
  • The Demon Deacons’ defense has been elite this season, ranking in the top 30 nationally in total defense, tackles-for-loss, passing efficiency defense and fumbles recovered.

Friday, January 2 – Trust & Will Holiday Bowl; San Diego, California
SMU (8-4, 6-2 ACC) vs. #17 Arizona (9-3, 6-3 Big 12)
  • SMU will face No. 17 Arizona in the Truist & Will Holiday Bowl on Friday, January 2, 2026, in San Diego, California.
  • The Mustangs are making their seventh consecutive bowl appearance.
  • SMU has participated in 20 bowl games in program history, winning seven.
  • This will be SMU’s first Holiday Bowl appearance since 1980, when they faced BYU.
  • SMU’s defense has been a team strength in 2025, ranking third nationally in takeaways (27) and finishing in the top 10 in both fumbles recovered and interceptions.
  • Led by quarterback Kevin Jennings, the Mustangs’ offense ranks 11th nationally in passing and scored 24+ points in 10 of 12 games this season.
  • SMU and Arizona have split their two previous meetings, with their last matchup in 1985.
 
About The ACC  
The Atlantic Coast Conference, in its 73rd year and 18 members strong, stands as one of the most competitive and revered intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members including Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest are dedicated to upholding the league's founding values of academic excellence, athletic competition at the highest level, and integrity. The ACC supports 28 NCAA sports, with 15 for women and 13 for men, and its member institutions span 12 states. In August 2019, the ACC and ESPN partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network exclusively devoted to ACC sports and original programming. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow the ACC on Instagram (@accsports), Twitter (@theACC) and Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).