ESPN Unveils Expanded 2026 Bowl Schedule with Increased ABC Coverage

The landscape of college football keeps shifting, and the 2026 bowl season is shaping up to be no different. ESPN just dropped its bowl schedule for the 2026-27 season, and, honestly, there’s a lot going on.

We’re seeing more games on ABC, some shuffling of game dates, plus a few changes in sponsorships. It’s a mixed bag. The future of bowl games still seems a bit murky, especially with all the talk about College Football Playoff (CFP) expansion.

For now, though, ESPN seems pretty happy to stick with what works. Last year’s non-CFP bowls pulled in big viewership numbers, so why mess with success?

ESPN’s Expanded Bowl Game Coverage on ABC

Here’s one of the bigger headlines: ABC will carry six non-CFP bowl games this season, up by one from last year. That’s not nothing.

They’re packing in bowl game tripleheaders on both Saturday, Dec. 26, and Saturday, Jan. 2. ESPN’s clearly aiming to draw in as many eyeballs as possible with these moves.

Key Dates and Game Schedule

There’s also a little shake-up in the timing. Bowl season starts two days later than last year, with the Salute to Veterans Bowl kicking things off after the Army-Navy Game on Tuesday, Dec. 15.

That’s a switch from last season, when the LA Bowl opened the festivities on Army-Navy day. It’s a small detail, but hey, these things matter to fans who plan their December around football.

One more thing—ESPN2, which aired the Xbox Bowl last year, is sitting out this season. Instead, the Texas Bowl gets the primetime ESPN slot on New Year’s Eve.

The CFP is taking the night off to avoid bumping heads with Thursday Night Football. Makes sense, right?

Non-ESPN Network Bowl Games

ESPN may be the big dog, but it doesn’t have every bowl game. The Sun Bowl, Arizona Bowl, and Holiday Bowl are all breaking from the ESPN pack this year.

Details on Non-ESPN Broadcasts

• Sun Bowl: It’ll be on CBS, Dec. 31.
• Arizona Bowl: Headed to The CW, though the date’s still up in the air.
• Holiday Bowl: No media partner announced yet—bit of a mystery there.

It’s nice to have some options outside the ESPN universe. Keeps things interesting for viewers, if you ask me.

Sponsorship Changes and New Bowl Games

There’s some rebranding in the mix, too. The Xbox Bowl from last year? That’s now the Frisco Football Classic.

The Rate Bowl is moving out of Chase Field and over to Mountain America Stadium at Arizona State. It’s getting a new name, too: the Cactus Bowl.

Potential New Entrants

The Poinsettia Bowl might be making a comeback in 2026. It didn’t make the official schedule, but rumors are swirling.

If it does return, it could shake up the lineup a bit and give a few more teams a shot at postseason play. Never hurts to have more football, right?

Impact of College Football Playoff Expansion

The chatter about expanding the College Football Playoff isn’t going away. It’s already changed which teams land in non-CFP bowls, and, honestly, the quality has taken a bit of a hit.

More and more players are skipping bowl games, too. That’s got to affect the matchups and maybe even the fan experience.

Viewership Trends

Still, ESPN points out that non-CFP bowl games last year averaged 3.1 million viewers across its networks. That’s a 13% bump from the 2024-25 season.

Apparently, that’s the best average since 2015-16. So, despite all the changes, folks are still tuning in for bowl season. Go figure.

Conclusion

The 2026 bowl season is shaping up to be something fans won’t want to miss. There’s a fresh mix of matchups, and a few changes are already turning heads.

More games will be showing up on ABC, which is a shift from what we’ve seen in the past. Game dates and sponsorships are also getting a bit of a shake-up, adding some unpredictability this year.

Honestly, it’s hard to say exactly where bowl games are headed, especially with all the talk about possible CFP expansion. Still, the current setup seems to be clicking with viewers for now.

Want the full scoop? Check out the article on Awful Announcing.