2 more routine season weeks stay for college football programs to make their case for bowl eligibility with a lot of areas offered. There’s still plenty to bet down the stretch with 63 programs currently punching their ticket to bowl eligibility. This is your guide to tracking which groups will reach the postseason through completion of the routine season.
College Football Bowl Eligibility Criteria:
The future of the College Football Playoff remains in concern however when it concerns this year’s postseason, here’s a fast summary.
The last day of the 2025 routine season is on Nov. 29 with championship game anticipated to be revealed on Dec. 7. Bowl season starts Dec. 13 and ends Jan. 19. The postseason includes 35 conventional championship game, 4 CFP preliminary video games, 4 quarterfinal video games, 2 semifinal video games and one championship game video game. That contributes to as much as 46 matches with 82 FBS programs set to play beyond championship game weekend.
To receive bowl eligibility, groups need to win a minimum of 6 video games, and they can just count one win versus FCS challengers. If there are a lot of bowl-eligible groups, some will be neglected of postseason play.
If there are insufficient bowl-eligible groups, the very first 2 areas would go to Delaware and Missouri State, which are transitioning from the FCS, presuming they please the bowl-eligibility requirements. After that, it will boil down to Academic Development Rate ratings for groups one win far from bowl eligibility, which is why in some years you see groups with a 5-7 record contending in championship game.
Before the countdown to bowl season even started, one program was currently removed. Akron was ruled disqualified for postseason play in Might due to a stopping working Academic Development Rate rating throughout the 2023-24 season.
College Football Bowl Qualified Groups (63 )
4 groups ended up being bowl eligible after Week 12 of the college football season consisting of Central Michigan, LSU, Toledo and Western Michigan. Here’s the complete list of groups that protected a minimum of 6 triumphes and are bowl eligible:
** Missouri State reached 6 wins however will just get a bowl quote if there are insufficient bowl-eligible groups.
- SEC (10 ) – Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
- Huge 10 (10 ) – Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, USC, Washington
- ACC (8 ) – Cal, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, Pitt, SMU, Virginia, Wake Forest
- Huge 12 (9 ) – Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah
- Pac-12 (0 ) – None
- American (6 ) – East Carolina, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Tulane, USF
- Mountain West (6 ) – Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV
- Sun Belt (5 ) – Coastal Carolina, James Madison, Old Rule, Southern Miss, Troy
- MAC (4 ) – Main Michigan, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
- Conference U.S.A. (3 ) – Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Western Kentucky
- Independents (2 ) – Notre Dame, UConn
One Win Far From Bowl Eligibility (24 )
9 groups relocated to one win far from bowl eligibility after Week 12 consisting of Clemson, FIU, Florida State, Georgia Southern, Kansas State, Kentucky, Marshall, UTSA and Washington State. All 24 five-win groups have a chance to end up being bowl eligible throughout the Week 13 slate. Here’s the complete list of programs that are one triumph far from 6 wins:
** Delaware is one win far from bowl eligibility however would just get a bowl quote if there are insufficient bowl-eligible groups.
- SEC – Kentucky, Mississippi State
- Huge 10 – Northwestern, Rutgers
- ACC – Clemson, Duke, Florida State, NC State
- Huge 12 – Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State
- Pac-12 – Washington State
- American – Army, Rice, Temple, UTSA
- Mountain West – Utah State
- Sun Belt – Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Marshall
- MAC – Buffalo, Miami (OH)
- Conference U.S.A. – FIU, Louisiana Tech
- Independents – None
One Win Far From 5 Wins (16 )
4 groups relocated to one win far from 5 triumphes after Week 12 consisting of Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Penn State and Texas State. The following programs are one triumph far from 5 wins to possibly play in a bowl if there are insufficient bowl-eligible groups:
* Akron is one win far from 5 wins however is disqualified for postseason play due to a stopping working APR rating throughout the 2023-24 season.
- SEC – Auburn
- Huge 10 – Maryland, Penn State
- ACC – North Carolina
- Huge 12 – UCF, West Virginia
- Pac-12 – None
- American – FAU
- Mountain West – Wyoming
- Sun Belt – Appalachian State, Louisiana, Texas State
- MAC – Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Kent State
- Conference U.S.A. – Liberty
- Independents – None
Got Rid Of From Bowl Eligibility (14 )
3 groups were removed from bowl eligibility after Week 12 consisting of Arkansas, Colorado State and UTEP. The following programs are no longer qualified to take part in a championship game, suggesting they’ll disappoint the five-win mark or are disqualified for non-football factors:
- SEC – Arkansas
- Huge 10 – Purdue
- ACC – Boston College
- Huge 12 – Oklahoma State
- Pac-12 – Oregon State
- American – Charlotte
- Mountain West – Colorado State, Nevada
- Sun Belt – Georgia State
- MAC – * Akron, UMass
- Conference U.S.A. – Middle Tennessee, Sam Houston State, UTEP
- Independents – None
FBS APR Rankings
If less than 82 groups end up being bowl eligible, it will boil down to Academic Development Rate ratings for groups one win far from bowl eligibility. Here’s a take a look at the APR rating rankings for every single FBS program.
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- Michigan/North Carolina
- Clemson/Wake Forest
- Cincinnati
- Northwestern
- Air Force/Minnesota
- Iowa State/Wisconsin
- Auburn/Florida State/Kansas State/Notre Dame
- Missouri
- Rice
- Duke/NC State
- Boise State/Boston College/Miami/Oklahoma State/Texas/Tulane/ UCF
- Ball State/Stanford
- James Madison/Louisville/Utah
- Arkansas/East Carolina/Virginia
- Coastal Carolina/Florida/Indiana/ Iowa
- Liberty/Texas Tech
- Army/Ole Miss/West Virginia
- Georgia/Kentucky/Mississippi State/Nevada/Old Dominion/UNLV/Vanderbilt/ Western Kentucky
- Rutgers/Washington
- Eastern Michigan
- Nebraska/USC/Virginia Tech/Wyoming
- Fresno State/Oklahoma/South Carolina
- Baylor/Pitt
- Arizona State/Toledo
- Kansas/Purdue/Troy
- Cal/Illinois/Sam Houston State
- ** Delaware
- Arizona/Bowling Green/Georgia State/Georgia Tech/Temple
- Appalachian State/Michigan State
- UCLA
- San Diego State
- Northern Illinois/Oregon State
- Navy/South Alabama/Tennessee/Washington State
- TCU
- Maryland/UTSA
- Colorado/Marshall/USF
- SMU/Texas State
- Miami (OH)/ Middle Tennessee
- Colorado State/Georgia Southern/Memphis/Syracuse
- Ohio
- Texas A&M
- FIU/Kennesaw State
- BYU/New Mexico State
- Louisiana
- North Texas
- LSU/UTEP
- New Mexico
- Kent State/San Jose State
- Arkansas State/UConn/Western Michigan
- FAU/Hawaii/Penn State
- Oregon/UAB/UMass
- Main Michigan
- Tulsa
- Houston
- Utah State
- Southern Miss
- Buffalo
- Jacksonville State
- Louisiana-Monroe
- Louisiana Tech
- Charlotte
- ** Missouri State
* Akron is disqualified for postseason play due to a stopping working APR rating throughout the 2023-24 season.
** Delaware and Missouri State would get a bowl quote if there are insufficient bowl-eligible groups and if they please bowl eligibility requirements.
Source: Forbes.
