College Football Bowl Schedule 2016-2017: Dates, Start Times, TV Channels And More For Every Game

As part of holiday traditions as office and family parties, the 2016 college football bowl schedule will kick-off Saturday, Dec. 17 and run until a national champion is crowned on Monday, Jan. 9. All told, 42 bowl games will play out over the course of 23 days as some of the biggest college programs in the country hope to close out their seasons with a victory.

The College Football Playoff, now in its third year, will highlight bowl season. First, the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide will meet the upstart No. 4 Washington Huskies in one of the two national semifinals followed by the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes taking on the No. 2 Clemson Tigers on New Year’s Eve, Saturday, Dec. 31.

The winner from each of those matchups will move on the national championship, taking place Monday, Jan. 9 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

But bowl season is scheduled to begin well before a national champion is crowned. The schedule officially begins on Saturday, Dec. 17 when North Carolina Central meets Grambling at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. That matchup will be the first of six bowls played on the first day.

A ranked opponent won’t make an appearance until six days later when No. 25 Navy takes on Louisiana Tech in the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday, Dec. 23, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.

Other notable matchups include the No. 6 Michigan Wolverines, who were in the running for one of the four CFP spots, against the No. 11 Florida State Seminoles in the Orange Bowl on Friday, Dec. 30, followed by the No. 20 LSU Tigers squaring off with the No. 13 Louisville Cardinals' Heisman Trophy favorite and quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Below is the complete 2016-17 college football bowl schedule, including the TV channel, start time and location for each contest.

Saturday, Dec. 17

Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl: North Carolina Central vs. Grambling, 12 p.m. ET, ABC (Georgia Dome)

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico vs. University of Texas-San Antonio, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN (University Stadium)

Las Vegas Bowl: Houston vs. San Diego State, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC (Sam Boyd Stadium)

Camellia Bowl: Appalachian State vs. Toledo, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Cramton Bowl)

Cure Bowl: Central Florida vs. Arkansas State, 5:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network (Camping World Stadium)

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Southern Mississippi vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN (Mercedes-Benz Superdome)

Monday, Dec. 19

Miami Beach Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Tulsa, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Marlins Park)

Tuesday, Dec. 20

Boca Raton Bowl: Memphis vs. Western Kentucky, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN (FAU Stadium)

Wednesday, Dec. 21

Poinsettia Bowl: BYU vs. Wyoming, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN (Qualcomm Stadium)

Thursday, Dec. 22

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Idaho vs. Colorado State, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN (Albertsons Stadium)

Friday, Dec. 23

Bahamas Bowl: Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN (Thomas A. Robinson Stadium)

Armed Forces Bowl: Louisiana Tech vs. No. 25 Navy, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Amon G. Carter Stadium)

Dollar General Bowl: Ohio vs. Troy, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN (Ladd-Peebles Stadium)

Saturday, Dec. 24

Hawai’i Bowl: Hawai’i vs. Middle Tennessee, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN (Aloha Stadium)

Monday, Dec. 26

St. Petersburg Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Mississippi State, 11 a.m. ET, ESPN (Tropicana Field)

Quick Lane Bowl: Maryland vs. Boston College, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Ford Field)

Independence Bowl: North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2 (Independence Stadium)

Tuesday, Dec. 27

Heart of Dallas Bowl: Army vs. North Texas, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN (Cotton Bowl)

Military Bowl: No. 24 Temple vs. Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium)

Holiday Bowl: Minnesota vs. Washington State, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN (Qualcomm Stadium)

Cactus Bowl: Boise State vs. Baylor, 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN (Chase Field)

Wednesday, Dec. 28

Pinstripe Bowl: No. 23 Pittsburgh vs. Northwestern, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN (Yankee Stadium)

Russell Athletic Bowl: No. 16 West Virginia vs. Miami, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Camping World Stadium)

Foster Farms Bowl: Indiana vs. No. 19 Utah, 8:30 p.m. ET, FOX (Levi’s Stadium)

Texas Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Kansas State, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN (NRG Stadium)

Thursday, Dec. 29

Birmingham Bowl: South Florida vs. South Carolina, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN (Legion Field)

Belk Bowl: Arkansas vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Bank of American Stadium)

Alamo Bowl: No. 12 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Colorado, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN (Alamodome)

Friday, Dec. 30

Liberty Bowl: Georgia vs. TCU, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN (Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium)

Sun Bowl: No. 18 Stanford vs. North Carolina, 2 p.m. ET, CBS (Sun Bowl)

Music City Bowl: Nebraska vs. No. 21 Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Nissan Stadium)

Arizona Bowl: South Alabama vs. Air Force, 5:30 p.m. ET, Campus Insiders (Arizona Stadium)

Orange Bowl: No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 Florida State, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN (Hard Rock Stadium)

Saturday, Dec. 31

Citrus Bowl: No. 20 LSU vs. No. 13 Louisville, 11 a.m. ET, ABC (Camping World Stadium)

TaxSlayer Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Kentucky, 11 a.m. ET, ESPN (EverBank Field)

Monday, Jan. 2

Outback Bowl: No. 17 Florida vs. Iowa, 1 p.m. ET, ABC (Raymond James Stadium)

Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 15 Western Michigan vs. No. 8 Wisconsin, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN (AT&T Stadium)

Rose Bowl: No. 9 USC vs. No. 5 Penn State, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN (Rose Bowl)

Sugar Bowl: No. 14 Auburn vs. No. 7 Oklahoma, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Mercedes-Benz Superdome)

College Football Playoff

Saturday, Dec. 31

Peach Bowl: No. 4 Washington vs. No. 1 Alabama, national semifinal, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN (Georgia Dome)

Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Clemson, national semifinal, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN, (University of Phoenix Stadium)

Monday, Jan. 9

College Football Playoff National Championship: Alabama/Washington vs. Ohio State/Clemson, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN (Raymond James Stadium)