College football bowl games: who plays today, Tuesday Dec. 30? Teams, times and matchups

Bowl season rolls into Tuesday with three games spread across the afternoon and evening, offering a mix of Group of Five intrigue, Big Ten vs SEC tradition, and a marquee Power Five clash to close the night.

Here is a guide to who is playing, when to watch, and what to expect from each NCAA matchup...

College Bowls: Tuesday, December 30

Independence Bowl

• Teams: Coastal Carolina vs Louisiana Tech
• Time: 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT)
• Where: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana
• TV: ESPN

The Independence Bowl is played annually in Shreveport and features teams from Group of Five conferences. Coastal Carolina represents the Sun Belt Conference and is appearing in its latest postseason game after qualifying for bowl eligibility during the 2025 regular season. Louisiana Tech represents Conference USA and returns to a familiar venue, as the program has previously appeared multiple times in the Independence Bowl due to its geographic proximity and conference tie-ins.

Music City Bowl

• Teams: Tennessee vs Illinois
• Time: 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT)
• Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
• TV: ESPN

The Music City Bowl is hosted in Nashville and traditionally matches teams from the SEC and Big Ten. Tennessee enters the game as a member of the SEC, while Illinois represents the Big Ten. The bowl has been played at Nissan Stadium since 1998 and is one of the longest-running non-New Year’s Six postseason games.

Alamo Bowl

• Teams: USC vs TCU
• Time: 9:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. PT)
• Where: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
• TV: ESPN

The Alamo Bowl is played annually at the Alamodome in San Antonio and typically features teams from major conferences. USC represents the Big Ten in its current conference alignment, while TCU represents the Big 12. The game is played indoors and serves as one of the final non-playoff bowls of the postseason calendar.

USC and TCU are both repeat bowl participants, and this matchup closes Tuesday’s slate with a prime-time kickoff.

December 31 sees more College Bowl action

ReliaQuest Bowl

No. 23 Iowa vs. No. 14 Vanderbilt, 12 p.m. ET on ESPN, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Sun Bowl

Arizona State vs. Duke, 2 p.m. ET on CBS, Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas

Citrus Bowl

No. 13 Texas vs. No. 18 Michigan, 3 p.m. ET on ABC, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

Las Vegas Bowl

Nebraska vs. No. 15 Utah, 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

Cotton Bowl - Playoff Quarterfinal

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Miami (Florida), 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and WatchESPN, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

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