# 1986–87 NCAA football bowl games

The 1986–87 NCAA football bowl games were a series of post-season games played in December 1986 and January 1987 to end the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. A total of 18 team-competitive games, and two all-star games, were played. The post-season began with the California Bowl on December 13, 1986, and concluded on January 17, 1987, with the season-ending Senior Bowl.

## Schedule

| Date | Game | Site | Time (US EST) | TV | Matchup (pre-game record) | AP pre-game rank | UPI (Coaches) pre-game rank |
| 12/13 | California Bowl | Bulldog Stadium Fresno, California | | ESPN | San Jose State 37 (9–2) (PCAA Champion), Miami 7 (8–3) (MAC Champion) | NR NR | #19 NR |
| 12/20 | Independence Bowl | Independence Stadium Shreveport, Louisiana | | Mizlou | Ole Miss 20 (7–3–1) (SEC), Texas Tech 17 (7–4) (SWC) | NR NR | NR NR |
| 12/23 | Hall of Fame Bowl | Tampa Stadium Tampa, Florida | | Mizlou | Boston College 27 (8–3) (Independent), Georgia 24 (8–3) (SEC) | NR NR | NR #17 |
| 12/25 | Sun Bowl | Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, Texas | | CBS | Alabama 28 (9–3) (SEC), Washington 6 (8–2–1) (Pac-10) | #13 #12 | #14 #11 |
| 12/27 | Aloha Bowl | Aloha Stadium Honolulu, Hawaii | | ABC | Arizona 30 (8–3) (Pac-10), North Carolina 21 (7–3–1) (ACC) | #16 NR | #13 NR |
| 12/27 | Gator Bowl | Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, Florida | | CBS | Clemson 27 (7–2–2) (ACC), Stanford 21 (8–3) (Pac-10) | NR #20 | #18 #17 |
| 12/29 | Liberty Bowl | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee | | Raycom Sports | Tennessee 21 (6–5) (SEC), Minnesota 14 (6–5) (Big Ten) | NR NR | NR NR |
| 12/30 | Holiday Bowl | Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, California | | ESPN | Iowa 39 (8–3) (Big Ten), San Diego State 38 (8–3) (WAC Champion) | #19 NR | RV NR |
| 12/30 | Freedom Bowl | Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, California | | Mizlou | UCLA 31 (7–3–1) (Pac-10), BYU 10 (8–4) (WAC) | #15 NR | #15 NR |
| 12/31 | Bluebonnet Bowl | Rice Stadium Houston, Texas | | Raycom Sports | Baylor 21 (8–3) (SWC), Colorado 9 (6–5) (Big Eight) | #14 NR | #16 NR |
| 12/31 | All-American Bowl | Legion Field Birmingham, Alabama | | TBS | Florida State 27 (6–4–1) (Independent), Indiana 13 (6–5) (Big Ten) | NR NR | NR NR |
| 12/31 | Peach Bowl | Fulton County Stadium Atlanta | | Mizlou | Virginia Tech 25 (8–2–1) (Independent), NC State 24 (8–2–1) (ACC) | NR #18 | NR NR |
| 1/1 | Florida Citrus Bowl | Florida Citrus Bowl Orlando, Florida | 12:00 PM | ABC | Auburn 16 (9–2) (SEC), USC 7 (7–4) (Pac-10) | #10 NR | #9 NR |
| 1/1 | Cotton Bowl Classic | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | 1:30 PM | CBS | Ohio State 28 (9–3) (Big Ten co-Champion), Texas A&M 12 (9–2) (SWC Champion) | #11 #8 | #12 #7 |
| 1/1 | Sugar Bowl | Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana | 3:30 PM | ABC | Nebraska 30 (9–2) (Big Eight), LSU 15 (9–2) (SEC Champion) | #6 #5 | #5 #6 |
| 1/1 | Rose Bowl | Rose Bowl Pasadena, California | 4:30 PM | NBC | Arizona State 22 (9–1–1) (Pac-10 Champion), Michigan 15 (10–1) (Big Ten co-Champion) | #7 #4 | #8 #4 |
| 1/1 | Orange Bowl | Miami Orange Bowl Miami | 8:00 PM | NBC | Oklahoma 42 (10–1) (Big Eight Champion), Arkansas 8 (9–2) (SWC) | #3 #9 | #3 #10 |
| 1/2 | Fiesta Bowl | Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, Arizona | 8:00 PM | NBC | Penn State 14 (11–0) (Independent), Miami (FL) 10 (11–0) (Independent) | #2 #1 | #2 #1 |