# 1985–86 NCAA football bowl games

The 1985–86 NCAA football bowl games were a series of post-season games played in December 1985 and January 1986 to end the 1985 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 14, 1985, and concluded on January 18, 1986, 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 |
| 12/14 | California Bowl | Bulldog Stadium Fresno, California | | | Fresno State 51 (10–0–1) (PCAA Champion), Bowling Green 7 (11–0) (MAC Champion) | NR #20 | #18 NR |
| 12/21 | Cherry Bowl | Pontiac Silverdome Pontiac, Michigan | | USA Network | Maryland 35 (8–3) (ACC Champion), Syracuse 18 (7–4) (Independent) | #20 NR | NR NR |
| 12/21 | Independence Bowl | Independence Stadium Shreveport, Louisiana | | Mizlou | Minnesota 20 (6–5) (Big Ten), Clemson 13 (6–5) (ACC) | NR NR | NR NR |
| 12/22 | Holiday Bowl | Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, California | | USA Network | Arkansas 18 (10–2) (SWC), Arizona State 17 (8–4) (Pac-10) | #14 NR | #12 NR |
| 12/27 | Liberty Bowl | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee | | Raycom | Baylor 21 (8–3) (SWC), LSU 7 (9–1–1) (SEC) | NR #12 | NR #10 |
| 12/28 | Sun Bowl | Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, Texas | | CBS | Arizona 13 (8–3) (Pac-10), Georgia 13 (7–3–1) (SEC) | NR NR | #20 NR |
| 12/28 | Aloha Bowl | Aloha Stadium Honolulu, Hawaii | | | Alabama 24 (8–2–1) (SEC), USC 3 (6–5) (Pac-10) | #15 NR | #14 NR |
| 12/28 | Florida Citrus Bowl | Florida Citrus Bowl Orlando, Florida | | NBC | Ohio State 10 (8–3) (Big Ten), BYU 7 (11–2) (WAC) | #17 #9 | #17 #9 |
| 12/30 | Freedom Bowl | Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, California | | Lorimar | Washington 20 (6–5) (Pac-10), Colorado 17 (7–4) (Big Eight) | NR NR | NR NR |
| 12/30 | Gator Bowl | Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, Florida | | ABC | Florida State 34 (8–3) (Independent), Oklahoma State 23 (8–3) (Big Eight) | #18 #19 | #16 #19 |
| 12/31 | Bluebonnet Bowl | Rice Stadium Houston, Texas | | Lorimar | Air Force 24 (11–1) (WAC), Texas 16 (8–3) (SWC) | #10 NR | #7 NR |
| 12/31 | Peach Bowl | Fulton County Stadium Atlanta | | CBS | Army 31 (8–3) (Independent), Illinois 29 (6–4–1) (Big Ten) | NR NR | NR NR |
| 12/31 | Hall of Fame Classic | Legion Field Birmingham, Alabama | | WTBS | Georgia Tech 17 (8–2–1) (ACC), Michigan State 14 (7–4) (Big Ten) | NR NR | NR NR |
| 1/1 | Cotton Bowl Classic | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | 1:30 PM | CBS | Texas A&M 36 (9–2) (SWC Champion), Auburn 16 (8–3) (SEC) | #11 #16 | #11 #15 |
| 1/1 | Fiesta Bowl | Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, Arizona | 1:30 PM | NBC | Michigan 27 (9–1–1) (Big Ten), Nebraska 23 (9–2) (Big Eight) | #5 #7 | #5 #6 |
| 1/1 | Rose Bowl | Rose Bowl Pasadena, California | 4:30 PM | NBC | UCLA 45 (8–2–1) (Pac-10 Champion), Iowa 28 (10–1) (Big Ten Champion) | #13 #4 | #13 #3 |
| 1/1 | Sugar Bowl | Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana | 8:00 PM | ABC | Tennessee 35 (8–1–2) (SEC Champion), Miami (FL) 7 (10–1) (Independent) | #8 #2 | #8 #4 |
| 1/1 | Orange Bowl | Orange Bowl Miami, Florida | 8:00 PM | NBC | Oklahoma 25 (10–1) (Big Eight Champion), Penn State 10 (11–0) (Independent) | #3 #1 | #2 #1 |