The End of an Era and the Future of College Football Bowls

The moment the scoreboard clock reached 0:00 on Friday night at Snapdragon Stadium, the 2025 bowl season officially came to a close. SMU players celebrated their 24-19 victory over No. 21 Arizona in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl, marking the final game of the season. While the College Football Playoff games remain on the schedule, all other bowl games have already been played.

This means that the Holiday Bowl, like many of its peers, is now looking ahead to the future. Conference tie-ins for the bowls are set in six-year cycles, and the current cycle has ended with this season’s games. As a result, the Holiday Bowl’s agreement with the ACC and teams from the former Pac-12 is no longer valid. One of the main priorities for the 2026 season is finding new conference tie-ins, negotiating a new TV deal, and securing a new title sponsor.

Trust & Will sponsored this year’s game on a one-year deal, but there is potential for it to be extended. However, the future of the Holiday Bowl and other bowls remains uncertain amid the expansion of the College Football Playoff and concerns among fans about the diminishing value of the bowl system.

A New Beginning for the Holiday Bowl

Mark Neville, CEO of Sports San Diego, which organizes the Holiday Bowl, believes that the bowl system will continue to exist, even if it changes in form. “There’s going to be a bowl system, and there’s still a lot of value in the bowls,” Neville said. “Because of that, there’s going to be a way to make this work. I’m confident that the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl is going to be around for a long time.”

However, the format of the bowls is not yet clear. Variables such as new conference tie-ins and the timing of the kickoff date are still being considered. Neville noted that nearly every conference has reached out for a potential tie-in, but one question remains: Are they interested in the game at a reduced payout?

The Holiday Bowl’s financial reserves were affected when the 2020 and 2021 games were canceled due to the pandemic. This has made it more difficult to cover costs, with sponsorships becoming harder to secure and ticket demand decreasing. The combined payout during the previous cycle was approximately $6 million, but a future payout of $2 million or $3 million would significantly improve the bowl’s financial standing.

Timing and Attendance

The Arizona-SMU game marked the first time the Holiday Bowl was held after New Year’s Day in its 47-year history. For the past three decades, the game was played between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and before that, it was held before Christmas. This year’s attendance was announced at 30,602, which was much higher than the 23,920 recorded a year ago. Was the increase due to the teams or the timing? That question remains open, and determining the best kick date will require further discussion.

“There’s a lot to be figured out,” Neville said. “A lot of that will start with what happens with the playoff, expansion, and things like that.”

The College Football Playoff Expansion

The College Football Playoff was expanded last year from four to 12 teams, and there are ongoing discussions about increasing it to 16 or even 24 teams. Adding four more teams could be accommodated as early as the 2026 season, while expanding beyond that would require more time to handle logistics and contract details.

The College Football Playoff Management Committee had planned to determine the 2026 format last month but delayed its decision until January 23 to gather two years of data from the 12-team format. This means the Holiday Bowl will wait for clarity on the playoff structure before making any major decisions.

“The bowl games are really good about bobbing and weaving and rolling with things,” Neville said.

Evolving with the Times

Neville emphasized that bowls must continue to evolve regardless of what happens with the CFP. They need to challenge and reinvent themselves to stay relevant. “We’re still going to be putting on games,” he said. “That’s never going to change. A lot of bowl games have gotten more creative out there. I’d like to think we’re one of them.”

What does this creativity look like? Neville explained that the goal is to make the experience more engaging for fans. “To make it more of a fan spectacle,” he said. “To get the fans more engaged. I don’t know that our messaging has changed that much through the years. We’re going to have a great football game. We’re also going to have spectacular pageantry. … We’re going to have more fun with it. We’ve challenged ourselves to make it a can’t-miss experience.”