A record 13 Southeastern Conference football teams learned their post-season bowl destinations on Sunday, including two teams in the College Football Playoff semifinals and a total of three teams in the CFP’s New Year’s Six Games.
No. 1-ranked Alabama will play No. 4 Cincinnati in a CFP semifinal game at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl in Arlington while No. 3-ranked Georgia will play No. 2 Michigan in the other CFP semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl. Both CFP semifinal games will be played on December 31.
In another New Year’s Six Game, Ole Miss will be the SEC’s representative in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 1, facing Big 12 opponent Baylor.
On Sunday, the College Football Playoff committee first selected teams for the national semifinal games, the Capital One Orange Bowl and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The committee later announced the participants in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One Venture X, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and Playstation Fiesta Bowl.
Next, the VRBO Citrus Bowl selected Kentucky from the SEC to play Iowa of the Big Ten.
This marks the eighth year the Conference has assigned league schools to an “SEC Bowl Pool” that includes six postseason games.
The SEC Bowl Pool includes the TaxAct Texas Bowl in Houston, the TransPerfect Music City Bowl in Nashville, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville and the Outback Bowl in Tampa and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte.
The SEC Bowl Pool participants are determined after conversations with bowl partners and discussions with school personnel in order to create a lineup of compelling bowl games. This process, as approved by the institutions of the SEC, provides an opportunity to create intriguing matchups and varying assignments to help prevent repetitive postseason destinations.
Tennessee will play in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, Arkansas will play in the Outback Bowl, Texas A&M will play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, LSU will play in the TaxAct Texas Bowl, Mississippi State will play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and South Carolina will play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Following the SEC Bowl Pool, the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl chose Auburn, the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa selected Florida and the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth chose Missouri.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF BOWLS
- Goodyear Cotton Bowl (Arlington) – Alabama vs. Cincinnati – Dec. 31 – 3:30 pm ET / 2:30 pm CT - ESPN
- Capital One Orange Bowl (Miami) – Georgia vs. Michigan – Dec. 31 – 7:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm CT – ESPN
- Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans) – Ole Miss vs. Baylor – Jan. 1 – 8:45 pm ET / 7:45 pm CT - ESPN
SEC-AFFILIATED BOWLS:
- VRBO Citrus Bowl (Orlando) – Kentucky vs. Iowa – Jan. 1 – 1 pm ET / Noon CT – ABC
SEC Bowl Pool:
- AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Memphis) – Mississippi State vs. Big 12 – Dec. 28 – 6:45 pm ET / 5:45 pm CT – ESPN
- Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Charlotte) – South Carolina vs. ACC – Dec. 30 – 11:30 am ET / 10:30 am CT - ESPN
- TransPerfect Music City Bowl (Nashville) – Tennessee vs. Big Ten - Dec. 30 – 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT – ESPN
- TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Jacksonville) – Texas A&M vs. ACC – Dec. 31 – 11 am ET / 10 am CT – ESPN
- Outback Bowl (Tampa) –Arkansas vs. Big Ten – Jan. 1 – Noon ET / 11 am CT – ESPN2
- TaxAct Texas Bowl (Houston) – LSU vs. Big 12 – Jan. 4 – 9 pm ET / 8 pm CT – ESPN
Additional SEC-Affiliated Bowls:
- Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth) – Missouri vs. Independent – Dec. 22 – 8 pm ET / 7 pm CT – ESPN
- Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa) – Florida vs. AAC – Dec. 23 – 7 pm ET / 6 pm CT – ABC
- TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham) – Auburn vs. AAC – Dec. 28 – Noon ET/11 am CT - ESPN