NEW ORLEANS – James Madison earned the Sun Belt’s first-ever berth into the College Football Playoff to headline a 10-team contingent participating in Bowl Season. This is the fourth-straight season that the Sun Belt paces all non-autonomy conferences in Bowl Season representation. The Sun Belt produced seven Bowl Season qualifiers in 2022, a conference-record and national-best 12 in 2023 and eight in 2024. 
 
The Sun Belt owns a .571 bowl winning percentage during the College Football Playoff era, trailing only the SEC (.578). 
 
Sun Belt West Division champion Troy (8-5, 6-2 SBC) will kick off the Sun Belt’s Bowl Season in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., where it will make its third bowl appearance over the past four seasons. The Trojans—who will be playing in their 11th all-time bowl game—will square off against Conference USA runner-up and in-state foe Jacksonville State (8-5, 7-1 CUSA) at 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 16, on ESPN. 
 
Old Dominion (9-3, 6-2 SBC) is headed to the StaffDNA Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., where it will make its third bowl appearance over the past five seasons. The Monarchs—who will be appearing in their fourth all-time bowl game–will face South Florida (9-3, 6-2 American) at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 17, on ESPN. 
 
Louisiana (6-6, 5-3 SBC) will make its Sun Belt-leading eighth-straight bowl appearance in the 68 Ventures Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The Ragin’ Cajuns—who will be competing in their 13th all-time bowl game—will take on Delaware (6-6, 4-4 CUSA) at 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 17, on ESPN.  
 
Arkansas State (6-6, 5-3 SBC) is bound for the Xbox Bowl at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, where it will make its third-straight bowl appearance. The Red Wolves—who will be competing in their 13th FBS bowl game—will face Missouri State (7-5, 5-3 CUSA) at 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, Dec. 18, on ESPN2. 
 
Sun Belt champion and No. 12-seeded James Madison (12-1, 8-0 SBC) will appear in Bowl Season for the third time in four FBS seasons, as it hits the road for a College Football Playoff First Round matchup against No. 5-seeded Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday, Dec. 20. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT and will be nationally televised on TNT. 

Southern Miss (7-5, 5-3 SBC) will make its 28th all-time bowl appearance in the New Orleans Bowl at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. Returning to Bowl Season for the first time since 2022, the Golden Eagles will take on Western Kentucky (8-4, 6-2 CUSA) at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 23, on ESPN.
 
Georgia Southern (6-6, 4-4 SBC) will make a fourth-straight bowl appearance for the first time in program history in the JLab Birmingham Bowl. The Eagles, who will be competing in their eighth all-time bowl game and seventh over the past eight seasons, will face App State (5-7, 2-6 SBC) at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT on Monday, Dec. 29, on ESPN. After a one-year hiatus, the Mountaineers return to Bowl Season for the ninth time in 11 postseason-eligible seasons. 
 
Coastal Carolina (6-6, 5-3 SBC) will make its sixth-straight and sixth all-time bowl appearance in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La. The Chanticleers will take on Louisiana Tech (7-5, 5-3 CUSA) at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 30, on ESPN. 
 
Texas State (6-6, 3-5 SBC) is headed to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, where it will make its third-straight and third all-time bowl appearance. The Bobcats will square off against Rice (5-7, 2-6 American) at 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Jan. 2, on ESPN. 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

• IS4S SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL – For the third time over the past four seasons, Troy is bowl bound following a Sun Belt West Division title and Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Football Championship Game presented by Visit Pensacola appearance. The Trojans will renew their rivalry with in-state foe Jacksonville State—the Conference USA runner-up—in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT on ESPN. Troy is 6-4 in 10 all-time bowl appearances, including winning 5-of-6 since 2010. The Trojans and Gamecocks will meet for the 64th time in program history—the most against any opponent—and the first time since 2001. Troy has won seven-straight in the series, though Jacksonville State owns the all-time margin at 33-28-2. Troy is making its first-ever appearance in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl, a game founded by former Troy athletic director Johnny Williams, who was instrumental in Troy’s move to NCAA Division I. Williams passed away this February following a brave fight against leukemia. The Sun Belt has appeared in 11-of-12 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowls all-time and leads all conferences with 11 appearances and six bowl titles. 
• STAFFDNA CURE BOWL – For the third time over the past five seasons and the fourth time in program history, Old Dominion is bowl bound. The Monarchs will square off against South Florida for the first time in program history in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 5:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. CT on ESPN. Old Dominion—which carries a five-game winning streak into Bowl Season—is 1-2 in three prior bowl appearances and is looking for its first bowl win under head coach Ricky Rahne. A bowl victory would help the Monarchs match a program-best 10-3 record set in 2016. The Sun Belt has appeared in 10-of-11 StaffDNA Cure Bowls all-time and leads all conferences with 10 appearances and five bowl championships.  
• 68 VENTURES BOWL – Louisiana will compete in Bowl Season for the Sun Belt-leading eighth-straight campaign. The Ragin’ Cajuns will take on Delaware for the first time in program history in the 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. Louisiana, which closed the regular season on a four-game winning streak to get bowl eligible, is 7-5 in 12 bowl appearances all-time. Louisiana is looking for its first bowl victory since a 36-21 win over Marshall in the New Orleans Bowl that opened the head coach Michael Desormeaux era and capped a 13-1 season in 2021. Delaware is bowl eligible in its first FBS season in Conference USA. The Sun Belt has appeared in 16-of-27 68 Ventures Bowls all-time and leads all conferences with 11 bowl titles. 
• XBOX BOWL – Arkansas State is bowl bound for the third-straight season. The Red Wolves will meet Missouri State in the inaugural Xbox Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 18, in Frisco, Texas, at 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT on ESPN2. This will be the fourth all-time matchup between the two teams, with Arkansas State leading the series 3-1. The Red Wolves are 5-7 in 12 prior FBS bowl appearances. Missouri State is bowl eligible in its first FBS season in Conference USA. 
• COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF – Following the seventh all-time unbeaten run through the Sun Belt regular season, Sun Belt champion James Madison will appear in Bowl Season for the third time in four FBS seasons. The No. 12-seeded Dukes will hit the road for a College Football Playoff First Round matchup against No. 5-seeded Oregon in Eugene, Ore., at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 20, on TNT. James Madison is the first Sun Belt program to qualify for the College Football Playoff and will aim to become the first non-autonomy program to secure a College Football Playoff win. The Dukes are 1-1 in two prior bowl appearances and carry an 11-game winning streak into postseason play, trailing only No. 1-seeded Indiana. 
• NEW ORLEANS BOWL – Southern Miss will appear in Bowl Season for the first time since 2022 and the 28th time in program history. The Golden Eagles will face off against Western Kentucky in the New Orleans Bowl in New Orleans, La., at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 23, on ESPN. This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two teams, with Southern Miss searching for its first win over the Hilltoppers. The Golden Eagles are 12-15 in 27 prior bowl games. The Sun Belt has appeared in every New Orleans Bowl, leading all conferences with 25 appearances and 12 bowl championships. 
• JLAB BIRMINGHAM BOWL – Longtime rivals Georgia Southern and App State will square off for the 42nd time in JLab Birmingham Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT on Monday, Dec. 29, on ESPN. The Eagles are making their fourth-straight bowl appearance for the first time in program history, while the Mountaineers return to Bowl Season for the ninth time in 11 postseason-eligible seasons. App State leads the all-time series 22-18-1, though the Eagles proved victorious, 25-23, on the road in Boone, N.C., earlier this season. This will be the first time the rivals meet outside of either Statesboro, Ga., or Boone, N.C. The Sun Belt has sent four teams to the JLab Birmingham Bowl, each over the past four seasons. 
• RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL – Coastal Carolina is set for its sixth-straight and sixth all-time bowl appearance in eight postseason-eligible seasons. The Chanticleers will take on future conference foe Louisiana Tech for the first time in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 30, on ESPN. Coastal Carolina is 2-3 in five prior bowl appearances. The Sun Belt has sent three teams to the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and is looking for its first bowl title. 
• LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCES BOWL – Texas State is slated for its third-straight and third all-time bowl appearance—all coming in the state of Texas—after closing the regular season on a three-game winning streak to get bowl eligible. The Bobcats will face in-state foe Rice in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, at 1:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Jan. 2, on ESPN. The game is a rematch of the 2023 First Responder Bowl, where the Bobcats claimed the first bowl victory in program history by a 45-21 margin. Texas State leads the all-time series 3-2 and is 2-0 in two prior bowl games. The Sun Belt has sent two teams to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, each over the past three seasons, and is seeking its first bowl championship. 

WHERE TO WATCH
 

Date	Game	Time	Broadcast
Tuesday, Dec. 16	Troy vs. Jacksonville State	8:00 p.m.	ESPN
Wednesday, Dec. 17	Old Dominion vs. South Florida	4:00 p.m.	ESPN
Wednesday, Dec. 17	Louisiana vs. Delaware	7:30 p.m.	ESPN
Thursday, Dec. 18	Arkansas State vs. Missouri State	8:00 p.m.	ESPN2
Saturday, Dec. 20	No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Oregon	6:30 p.m.	TNT
Tuesday, Dec. 23	Southern Miss vs. Western Kentucky	4:30 p.m.	ESPN
Monday, Dec. 29	Georgia Southern vs. App State	1:00 p.m.	ESPN
Tuesday, Dec. 30	Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech	1:00 p.m.	ESPN
Friday, Jan. 2	Texas State vs. Rice	12:00 p.m.	ESPN

 
All Times CT