The 2017–18 NCAA football bowl games was a series of college football bowl games which completed the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The games began on December 16, 2017, and aside from the all-star games ended with the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship, which was played on January 8, 2018.
The total of 40 team-competitive bowls in FBS, including the national championship game, was one less than the previous year, with the folding of the Poinsettia Bowl. To fill the 78 available bowl slots, a total of 15 teams (19% of all participants) with non-winning (6–6) seasons participated in bowl games. This marks only the second time in seven years that no teams with losing seasons (6–7 or 5–7) had to be invited to fill available bowl berths.
Schedule The schedule for the 2017–18 bowl games is below. All times are EST (UTC−5).
College Football Playoff and Championship Game The College Football Playoff system was used to determine a national champion of Division I FBS college football. A 13-member committee of experts ranked the top 25 teams in the nation after each of the last seven weeks of the 2017 season. The top four teams in the final ranking played a single-elimination semifinal round, with the winners advancing to the National Championship game.
The semifinal games were the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. Both were played on New Year's Day, as part of a yearly rotation of three pairs of six bowls, commonly referred to as the CFP New Year's Six bowl games. Their winners advanced to the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 8, 2018.
Each of the games in the following table was televised by ESPN. DateTime (EST)GameSiteTeamsAffiliationsResultsDec. 298:30 p.m.Cotton Bowl ClassicAT&T StadiumArlington, TexasNo. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (11–2) No. 8 USC Trojans (11–2)Big Ten Pac-12Ohio State 24 USC 7Dec. 304:00 p.m.Fiesta BowlUniversity of Phoenix StadiumGlendale, ArizonaNo. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions (10–2) No. 11 Washington Huskies (10–2)Big Ten Pac-12Penn State 35 Washington 288:00 p.m.Orange BowlHard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FloridaNo. 6 Wisconsin Badgers (12–1) No. 10 Miami (FL) Hurricanes (10–2)Big Ten ACCWisconsin 34 Miami (FL) 24Jan. 112:30 p.m.Peach BowlMercedes-Benz StadiumAtlanta, GeorgiaNo. 12 UCF Knights (12–0) No. 7 Auburn Tigers (10–3)American SECUCF 34Auburn 275:00 p.m.Rose Bowl (Playoff Semifinal Game)Rose BowlPasadena, CaliforniaNo. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (12–1)No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners (12–1)SECBig 12Georgia 54Oklahoma 48 (2OT)8:45 p.m.Sugar Bowl (Playoff Semifinal Game)Mercedes-Benz SuperdomeNew Orleans, LouisianaNo. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (11–1)No. 1 Clemson Tigers (12–1)SECACCAlabama 24Clemson 6Jan. 88:00 p.m.College Football Playoff National Championship (Rose Bowl Winner vs. Sugar Bowl Winner)Mercedes-Benz StadiumAtlanta, GeorgiaNo. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (12–1)No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (13–1)SECAlabama 26Georgia 23 (OT)
Non-CFP bowl games On April 11, 2016, the NCAA announced a freeze on new bowl games until after the 2019 season. While bowl games had been the purview of only the very best teams for nearly a century, the NCAA had to lower its postseason eligibility criteria repeatedly (2006, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013), eventually allowing teams with losing seasons (5–7) to participate in bowls due to there being not enough bowl-eligible teams, while also having to allow teams from the same conference to meet in the 2015 Arizona Bowl due to the lack of eligible teams to meet its other tie-ins. For the 2017–18 bowl season, 62% of the 130 teams playing in Division I FBS were deemed eligible to participate in a bowl game, with 60% actually receiving invites to fill the 78 available slots.
For the 2017–18 bowl season, changes from the prior season's bowl games include the relocation of the Miami Beach Bowl to Frisco, Texas as the Frisco Bowl, and the discontinuation of the Poinsettia Bowl. The Russel Athletic Bowl was renamed the Camping World Bowl under a new sponsorship, and after going without a sponsor for two years, the St. Petersburg Bowl was renamed the Gasparilla Bowl (a name that pays homage to Tampa Bay's Gasparilla Pirate Festival).
DateTime (EST)GameSiteTelevisionTeamsAffiliationsResultsDec. 161:00 p.m.New Orleans BowlMercedes-Benz SuperdomeNew Orleans, LouisianaESPNTroy Trojans (10–2)North Texas Mean Green (9–4)Sun BeltC–USATroy 50North Texas 302:30 p.m.Cure BowlCamping World StadiumOrlando, FloridaCBSSNGeorgia State Panthers (6–5)Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (6–6)Sun BeltC-USAGeorgia State 27Western Kentucky 173:30 p.m.Las Vegas BowlSam Boyd StadiumLas Vegas, NevadaABCNo. 25 Boise State Broncos (10–3)Oregon Ducks (7–5)MWCPac–12Boise State 38Oregon 284:30 p.m.New Mexico BowlDreamstyle StadiumAlbuquerque, New MexicoESPNMarshall Thundering Herd (7–5)Colorado State Rams (7–5)C–USAMWCMarshall 31Colorado State 288:00 p.m.Camellia BowlCramton BowlMontgomery, AlabamaMiddle Tennessee Blue Raiders (6–6)Arkansas State Red Wolves (7–4)C–USASun BeltMiddle Tennessee 35Arkansas State 30Dec. 197:00 p.m.Boca Raton BowlFAU StadiumBoca Raton, FloridaFlorida Atlantic Owls (10–3) Akron Zips (7–6)C–USAMACFlorida Atlantic 50Akron 3Dec. 208:00 p.m.Frisco BowlToyota StadiumFrisco, TexasLouisiana Tech Bulldogs (6–6)SMU Mustangs (7–5)C–USAAmericanLouisiana Tech 51SMU 10Dec. 218:00 p.m.Gasparilla BowlTropicana FieldSt. Petersburg, FloridaTemple Owls (6–6)FIU Panthers (8–4)AmericanC–USATemple 28FIU 3Dec. 2212:30 p.m.Bahamas BowlThomas Robinson StadiumNassau, BahamasOhio Bobcats (8–4)UAB Blazers (8–4)MACC–USAOhio 41UAB 64:00 p.m.Famous Idaho Potato BowlAlbertsons StadiumBoise, IdahoWyoming Cowboys (7–5)Central Michigan Chippewas (8–4)MWCMACWyoming 37Central Michigan 14Dec. 2312:00 p.m.Birmingham BowlLegion FieldBirmingham, AlabamaSouth Florida Bulls (9–2)Texas Tech Red Raiders (6–6)AmericanBig 12South Florida 38Texas Tech 343:30 p.m.Armed Forces BowlAmon G. Carter StadiumFort Worth, TexasArmy Black Knights (9–3)San Diego State Aztecs (10–2)IndependentMWCArmy 42San Diego State 357:00 p.m.Dollar General BowlLadd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AlabamaAppalachian State Mountaineers (8–4)Toledo Rockets (11–2)Sun BeltMACAppalachian State 34Toledo 0Dec. 248:30 p.m.Hawaii BowlAloha StadiumHonolulu, HawaiiFresno State Bulldogs (9–4)Houston Cougars (7–4)MWCAmericanFresno State 33Houston 27Dec. 261:00 p.m.Heart of Dallas BowlCotton Bowl StadiumDallas, TexasUtah Utes (6–6)West Virginia Mountaineers (7–5)Pac-12Big 12Utah 30West Virginia 145:15 p.m.Quick Lane BowlFord FieldDetroit, MichiganDuke Blue Devils (6–6)Northern Illinois Huskies (8–4)ACCMACDuke 36Northern Illinois 149:00 p.m.Cactus BowlChase FieldPhoenix, ArizonaKansas State Wildcats (7–5)UCLA Bruins (6–6)Big 12Pac-12Kansas State 35UCLA 17Dec. 271:30 p.m.Independence BowlIndependence StadiumShreveport, LouisianaFlorida State Seminoles (6–6)Southern Miss Golden Eagles (8–4)ACCC–USAFlorida State 42Southern Miss 135:15 p.m.Pinstripe BowlYankee StadiumBronx, New YorkIowa Hawkeyes (7–5)Boston College Eagles (7–5)Big TenACCIowa 27Boston College 208:30 p.m.Foster Farms BowlLevi's StadiumSanta Clara, CaliforniaFoxPurdue Boilermakers (6–6)Arizona Wildcats (7–5)Big TenPac-12Purdue 38Arizona 359:00 p.m.Texas BowlNRG StadiumHouston, TexasESPNTexas Longhorns (6–6)Missouri Tigers (7–5)Big 12SECTexas 33Missouri 16Dec. 281:30 p.m.Military BowlNavy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MarylandNavy Midshipmen (6–6)Virginia Cavaliers (6–6)AmericanACCNavy 49Virginia 75:15 p.m.Camping World BowlCamping World StadiumOrlando, FloridaNo. 19 Oklahoma State Cowboys (9–3)No. 22 Virginia Tech Hokies (9–3)Big 12ACCOklahoma State 30 Virginia Tech 219:00 p.m.Alamo BowlAlamodomeSan Antonio, TexasNo. 15 TCU Horned Frogs (10–3)No. 13 Stanford Cardinal (9–4)Big 12Pac-12TCU 39 Stanford 379:00 p.m.Holiday BowlSDCCU StadiumSan Diego, CaliforniaFS1No. 16 Michigan State Spartans (9–3)No. 18 Washington State Cougars (9–3)Big TenPac-12Michigan State 42 Washington State 17Dec. 291:00 p.m.Belk BowlBank of America StadiumCharlotte, North CarolinaESPNWake Forest Demon Deacons (7–5) Texas A&M Aggies (7–5)ACCSECWake Forest 55Texas A&M 523:00 p.m.Sun BowlSun Bowl StadiumEl Paso, TexasCBSNo. 24 NC State Wolfpack (8–4)Arizona State Sun Devils (7–5) ACCPac-12NC State 52Arizona State 314:30 p.m.Music City BowlNissan StadiumNashville, TennesseeESPNNo. 21 Northwestern Wildcats (9–3)Kentucky Wildcats (7–5)Big TenSECNorthwestern 24 Kentucky 235:30 p.m.Arizona BowlArizona StadiumTucson, ArizonaCBSSNNew Mexico State Aggies (6–6)Utah State Aggies (6–6)Sun BeltMWCNew Mexico State 26 Utah State 20 (OT)Dec. 3012:00 p.m.TaxSlayer BowlEverBank FieldJacksonville, FloridaESPNNo. 23 Mississippi State Bulldogs (8–4) Louisville Cardinals (8–4)SEC ACCMississippi State 31 Louisville 2712:30 p.m.Liberty BowlLiberty BowlMemphis, TennesseeABCIowa State Cyclones (7–5) No. 20 Memphis Tigers (10–2)Big 12 AmericanIowa State 21 Memphis 20Jan. 112:00 p.m.Outback BowlRaymond James StadiumTampa, FloridaESPN2South Carolina Gamecocks (8–4)Michigan Wolverines (8–4)SECBig TenSouth Carolina 26Michigan 191:00 p.m.Citrus BowlCamping World StadiumOrlando, FloridaABCNo. 14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9–3)No. 17 LSU Tigers (9–3)IndependentSECNotre Dame 21LSU 17
FCS bowl game The FCS has one bowl game; they also have a championship bracket that began on November 25 and ended on January 6. DateTime (EST)GameSiteTelevisionParticipantsAffiliationsResultsDec. 1612:00 p.m.Celebration BowlMercedes-Benz StadiumAtlanta, GeorgiaABCNorth Carolina A&T Aggies (11–0)Grambling State Tigers (11–1)MEACSWACNorth Carolina A&T 21Grambling State 14
All-star games DateTime (EST)GameSiteTelevisionParticipantsResultsJan. 14Tropical BowlDaytona StadiumDaytona Beach, FloridaAmerican TeamNational TeamAmerican 29National 20Jan. 203:00 p.m.East–West Shrine GameTropicana FieldSt. Petersburg, FloridaNFL NetworkEast TeamWest TeamWest 14East 105:00 p.m.NFLPA Collegiate BowlRose BowlPasadena, CaliforniaFS1American TeamNational TeamNational 23American 0Jan. 272:30 p.m.Senior BowlLadd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AlabamaNFL NetworkNorth TeamSouth TeamSouth 45North 16
Selection of the teams CFP top 25 teams On December 3, 2017, the College Football Playoff selection committee announced their final team rankings for the year.
In the fourth year of the College Football Playoff era, this was the first time that two of the four semifinalists were from the same conference (Georgia and Alabama of the SEC).