when are the bowl games

The college football bowl games for the 2025–26 season run from the weekend before Christmas through early January, with most games clustered between about December 20 and January 2.

Overall timing

• Bowl season typically starts in mid‑ to late December and continues into the first or second week of January.

• Early bowls (smaller/non‑NY6) are usually played between around Dec. 20–24 , with a heavy slate on the days right after Christmas.

• The biggest New Year’s bowls and College Football Playoff games fall on or around Dec. 31–Jan. 1 , with the national title game in early January.

2025–26 bowl season window

For the current season specifically:

• The official bowl slate lists games beginning Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 , and continuing through early January 2026.

• Quarterfinal and New Year’s Six bowls such as the Cotton and Orange Bowls are scheduled for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 on national TV.

• A complete, game‑by‑game bowl schedule (dates, times, TV) is posted on major sports sites and the official bowl‑season site as the matchups are finalized.

How to quickly check exact dates

• Check the official bowl‑season schedule site, which maintains a running list of all bowls, by date and kickoff time.

• Major outlets like ESPN and Fox have a “2025–26 bowl schedule” page with filters for date, conference, and TV channel.

• Many fan forums and subreddits also pin the full bowl calendar once selections are announced, often with user‑made visual grids.

TL;DR: Bowl games start around Dec. 20, 2025, run heavily through late December, and wrap with the big New Year’s bowls and title game in early January 2026.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.