ABC will air six non-College Football Playoff bowl games in 2026, one more than final season, as ESPN unveiled its bowl schedule for 2026-27.
ABC will air bowl sport tripleheaders on Saturday, Dec. 26, and Saturday, Jan. 2. The improve comes as ABC can be airing more College Football Playoff games, together with one quarterfinal, a semifinal, and the nationwide championship for the primary time this season.
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The begin of bowl season is shifting two days later than last year. The first bowl sport final season, the LA Bowl, was performed on the identical day because the Army-Navy Game. However, the primary 2026 bowl sport would be the Salute to Veterans Bowl after Army-Navy on Tuesday, Dec. 15.
Other adjustments embrace ESPN2, which aired the Xbox Bowl final yr, not airing any bowl games this yr. Additionally, with the College Football Playoff taking New Year’s Eve off to keep away from Thursday Night Football, the Texas Bowl will fill the primetime ESPN slot.
ESPN shouldn’t be the one community to air bowl games, however the Sun Bowl, Arizona Bowl, and Holiday Bowl are the one bowl games not scheduled to air on an ESPN-owned community. The Sun Bowl will air on CBS on Dec. 31, whereas the Arizona Bowl will air on The CW on a date to be decided. However, the Holiday Bowl has nonetheless not announced a media partner. The Poinsettia Bowl can be reportedly looking to return in 2026, however didn’t seem within the official release for Bowl Season.
There are additionally some sponsorship adjustments within the bowls themselves. ESPN is labeling final yr’s Xbox Bowl because the Frisco Football Classic, whereas the Rate Bowl is shifting from Chase Field to Mountain America Stadium at Arizona State University and changing into the Cactus Bowl.
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But with talks about College Football Playoff enlargement within the air, the way forward for bowl season is an open question. The already expanded College Football Playoff has considerably lowered the caliber of groups enjoying in bowl games, and that claims nothing concerning the growing variety of gamers who decide out of games.
On the opposite hand, ESPN notes that non-CFP bowl games final yr averaged 3.1 million viewers on its networks, up 13% from 2024-25 and the best non-CFP bowl common because the 2015-16 season.
The lack of main adjustments to bowls in 2026 means that ESPN is blissful with the established order for now. But if the CFP does develop, bowl season might see some main schedule adjustments once more.
The submit ESPN reveals 2026 bowl schedule with more games on ABC appeared first on Awful Announcing.