No, there are no bowl games scheduled on Christmas Day.
Planning your holiday viewing and wondering, are there any bowl games on Christmas day? It’s a common question, as many sports fans love to catch a game during the holiday season. However, the NCAA bowl schedule typically avoids scheduling games directly on December 25th. This allows everyone, including the players and staff, to spend the day with their families.
Bowl games generally begin in mid-December and continue into early January. You’ll find many exciting matchups happening around Christmas, just not on the holiday itself. So, while there isn’t a game on that exact day, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy college football during the holidays.
Are There Any Bowl Games on Christmas Day?
The question of whether college football bowl games grace our television screens on Christmas Day is a common one, especially as the holiday season approaches. For many, the festive period is synonymous with family, food, and football. But does that football tradition extend to December 25th? The short answer is: it’s complicated! It’s not a simple yes or no. So let’s dive deep into the world of college football bowl games and see if any gridiron action happens on Christmas.
The History of Christmas Day Bowl Games
The idea of football games on Christmas Day isn’t new. Back in the early days of bowl games, playing on December 25th was actually more common. Think way back, before television was such a big deal. Stadiums were often nearly full, because people were already gathered in the city for the holidays. The games were a way to provide some entertainment during the down time between the Christmas festivities. However, as television became more prominent, game schedules began shifting, so that most games are now played before or after Christmas. Playing games on Christmas could cut into ratings, as many people have family traditions and prefer not to watch a game on television.
Why Bowl Games Used to be Played on Christmas
There were several reasons why Christmas Day games were popular in the past:
- Travel and Gatherings: People traveled to see family and stayed for days during holidays, providing a built-in audience for games.
- Limited Entertainment Options: Before widespread television, live sporting events like bowl games were a major attraction.
- Traditional scheduling: It was just part of the tradition of bowl season.
Modern Scheduling and Christmas Day
These days, the landscape of college football scheduling is much different. Television networks, advertising dollars, and viewer habits now drive the bus. Christmas Day is typically considered a day for family and for some religious observance. So networks usually try to avoid competing with the day’s festivities. The major TV broadcasters like ESPN and FOX prioritize their broadcasts so that their programming will not conflict with Christmas gatherings. As such, football games on Christmas day are far less common these days. Instead, the bowl games are mainly clustered on either side of December 25th. These include the days leading up to Christmas and the days after, usually the 26th and 27th of December.
Why We Don’t See Many Bowl Games on Christmas Now
Here are some of the major reasons why Christmas Day games are scarce now:
- Television Ratings: Networks know that many viewers are not available to watch games on Christmas. They are busy with family or with religious services.
- Family Time: Christmas is typically a day dedicated to family traditions. People want to spend time together, not necessarily watching sports.
- Travel Concerns: The teams and staff also want to be able to spend time with family. Playing on Christmas can create travel and scheduling difficulties.
- Religious Observance: For many, Christmas Day is a day of religious observance, not a time to watch a football game.
Possible Exceptions: When a Christmas Day Game Might Occur
While rare, there are situations where you might find a bowl game being played on Christmas Day. Here’s what to look out for:
The Timing of Bowl Game Schedules
The bowl game schedule changes every year. Depending on how the days of the week line up with Christmas, it is possible to have a few bowl games on the 25th. If the bowl game schedule is compacted into a smaller window because of how the calendar aligns, then a game could happen on Christmas. But it’s not because organizers are aiming for this. It is usually as a result of the way that the calendar falls in a particular year. For example, if Christmas day falls on a Wednesday or Thursday, it’s possible some less-prominent bowls might be scheduled to be played in the afternoon. However, the bigger more high-profile bowl games will avoid scheduling on Christmas.
Late-Season Bowl Games and The Calendar
Some of the later-season bowl games sometimes end up on a day close to Christmas. Even though the goal is usually to avoid the holiday, occasionally a late-season bowl game or two will end up on December 25th, due to scheduling conflicts. This is especially true if the bowl is not one of the New Year’s Six games, which are typically played closer to New Year’s. If a bowl game wants to be played as early as possible, it can sometimes cause a bowl game to happen on Christmas. It is usually not the first choice of game organizers, though.
Special Circumstances
In rare instances, a unique situation could cause a Christmas Day game. These could involve things like stadium availability or scheduling quirks, but are highly unlikely. There are not many reasons at all that a game would be scheduled on Christmas day.
Looking at Past Christmas Bowl Games
To further illustrate the infrequency of Christmas Day bowl games, let’s briefly look at the past. While there used to be more games on Christmas, in recent decades there have been extremely few. You really need to look back to the mid 20th century to see regular Christmas Day bowl games. Since then they are very rare.
- The Early Era: During the mid-1900s, Christmas Day games were more common. The Pineapple Bowl in Honolulu often took place on Christmas, for example. Other older bowls, like the Bluebonnet Bowl, also had a few Christmas games.
- Recent Years: The recent past has seen an extreme drop-off in Christmas Day games. You’d be hard-pressed to find one in the past couple of decades. The vast majority of bowl games are carefully scheduled to avoid Christmas.
What to Expect During Bowl Season
So, while Christmas Day bowl games are not usually a thing now, what can you expect during the rest of the bowl season? Let’s take a look at what the average bowl season looks like:
A Barrage of Bowl Games Before and After Christmas
Get ready to see a whole lot of college football games! The bowl season is packed with action. The majority of bowl games happen during the days leading up to Christmas, and the days right after. The days after Christmas, particularly the 26th and 27th of December, are typically packed with bowl games. Many of these bowl games start from the early afternoon and run all the way until night. If you’re a college football fan, those days are really going to have your attention!
New Year’s Six Bowl Games
The “New Year’s Six” are the biggest and most important bowl games, with the exception of the College Football Playoff National Championship. These games happen around New Years Day. They often have very exciting match-ups and big national audiences. The Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Peach Bowl are the six games in this group. They will almost never be scheduled on Christmas.
The College Football Playoff Semifinals and Championship
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is how the national championship is determined. The CFP semifinal games and national championship also happen during the bowl season, usually in late December and early January. These games are the most high-profile college football games of the year. Again, you won’t see these on Christmas Day.
How to Stay Updated on Bowl Game Schedules
It’s always a good idea to check official sources for the most up-to-date information. Since the schedule is always subject to change, you’ll want to make sure you are getting information from a reliable source:
- ESPN and Other Sports Networks: ESPN’s website and television broadcasts are a great way to see the full schedule.
- Official Bowl Game Websites: Individual bowl games will often have their own websites with the latest schedules.
- The NCAA website: The NCAA website has schedules for all sports.
- Major Sports News Sites: Look at major sports news websites. These usually have full bowl schedules listed.
Using Search Engines Effectively
You can also use search engines to find what you’re looking for. Type in “college football bowl schedule” or something similar. Be sure to add the year so you are looking at the schedule for the correct year. This should bring up several options that will have the official schedule available.
Looking Towards the Future
As far as the future, it seems unlikely that we will see many changes when it comes to Christmas Day bowl games. Television networks and game organizers are aware that football games are usually not ideal for Christmas. Most of the bowl games will continue to be scheduled around the holiday, with a heavy emphasis on the days before and after.
While a Christmas Day bowl game would be unique and memorable, the realities of scheduling and television economics make it a rarity these days. So, while you might not have a big college football game to watch on Christmas, you can certainly expect an action-packed bowl season that is scheduled around the holiday.
The tradition of football during the holiday season is still very much alive! Although it might not be on Christmas Day, the bowl games bring plenty of excitement and competitive play to watch during the days surrounding Christmas. You may not be watching a game on December 25th, but you can still have the festive period full of family, fun, and lots of football. Be sure to check the schedules of your preferred bowl games, and have a great holiday season!
College Football Bowl Games: 2024 Schedule, Tracker, Matchups, Dates & Times For All 41 Bowls
Final Thoughts
Generally, no, there are not bowl games on Christmas Day. The schedule typically avoids conflicts with the holiday. College football bowl season starts in mid-December and runs into January.
However, schedules can shift year to year. So, always check the official NCAA bowl schedule for the current season. For those wondering, are there any bowl games on Christmas day, the answer is usually a definitive no. This allows everyone to celebrate the holiday.
