# 2021–22 NCAA football bowl games

The 2021–22 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football games scheduled to complete the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The main games concluded with the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship played on January 10, 2022, while the all-star portion of the schedule concluded February 19, 2022.

## Schedule

The schedule for the 2021–22 bowl games is below. All times are EST (UTC−5). Note that Division II bowls and Division III bowls are not included here. The bowl schedule was released on May 27, 2021.

### College Football Playoff and National Championship Game

The College Football Playoff system is used to determine a national championship of Division I FBS college football. A 13-member committee of experts ranked the top 25 teams in the nation after each of the last seven weeks of the regular season. The top four teams in the final ranking were then seeded in a single-elimination semifinal round, with the winners advancing to the National Championship game.
The semifinal games for the 2021 season were the Cotton Bowl Classic and the Orange Bowl. Both were played December 31, 2021, as part of a yearly rotation of three pairs of two bowls, commonly referred to as the New Year's Six bowl games. The winners advanced to the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 10, 2022.
| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Championship | Championship | Championship |
| December 31 – Cotton Bowl ClassicAT&T Stadium, Arlington | December 31 – Cotton Bowl ClassicAT&T Stadium, Arlington | December 31 – Cotton Bowl ClassicAT&T Stadium, Arlington | | |
| 1 | Alabama | 27 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 6 | January 10 – National ChampionshipLucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis | January 10 – National ChampionshipLucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis | January 10 – National ChampionshipLucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis |
| | | | 1 | Alabama | 18 |
| December 31 – Orange BowlHard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens | December 31 – Orange BowlHard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens | December 31 – Orange BowlHard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens | 3 | Georgia | 33 |
| 2 | Michigan | 11 |
| 3 | Georgia | 34 |
* view
* talk
Each of the games in the following table was televised by ESPN.
| Date | Time (EST) | Game | Site | Teams | Affiliations | Results |
| Dec. 30 | 7:00 p.m. | Peach Bowl | Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia | No. 10 Michigan State Spartans (10–2) No. 12 Pittsburgh Panthers (11–2) | Big Ten ACC | Michigan State 31 Pittsburgh 21 |
| Dec. 31 | 3:30 p.m. | Cotton Bowl Classic (Playoff Semifinal Game) | AT&T Stadium Arlington, Texas | No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (12–1) No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats (13–0) | SEC American | Alabama 27 Cincinnati 6 |
| Dec. 31 | 7:30 p.m. | Orange Bowl (Playoff Semifinal Game) | Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida | No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (12–1) No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (12–1) | SEC Big Ten | Georgia 34 Michigan 11 |
| Jan. 1 | 1:00 p.m. | Fiesta Bowl | State Farm Stadium Glendale, Arizona | No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys (11–2) No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11–1) | Big 12 Independent | Oklahoma State 37 Notre Dame 35 |
| Jan. 1 | 5:00 p.m. | Rose Bowl | Rose Bowl Pasadena, California | No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (10–2) No. 11 Utah Utes (10–3) | Big Ten Pac-12 | Ohio State 48 Utah 45 |
| Jan. 1 | 9:00 p.m. | Sugar Bowl | Caesars Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana | No. 7 Baylor Bears (11–2) No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels (10–2) | Big 12 SEC | Baylor 21 Ole Miss 7 |
| Jan. 10 | 8:00 p.m. | College Football Playoff National Championship (Cotton Bowl Winner vs. Orange Bowl Winner) | Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, Indiana | No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (13–1) No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (13–1) | SEC | Georgia 33 Alabama 18 |

### Non CFP bowl games
#### Bowl changes

Two bowls, which had originally planned to debut during the 2020–21 bowl season but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, planned to make their debuts during the 2021–22 bowl season; the Fenway Bowl (Boston, Massachusetts) and the LA Bowl (Inglewood, California). The LA Bowl made its debut, while the Fenway Bowl was again canceled due to COVID-19 issues.
The Montgomery Bowl, played in December 2020 as a one-off substitute for the Fenway Bowl, did not return. The San Francisco Bowl (formerly the Redbox Bowl) was canceled for a second straight season when organizers could not come to terms with all parties involved with the game.
On December 2, 2021, the NCAA approved a 42nd bowl game, later named the Frisco Football Classic, in order to accommodate all 84 bowl-eligible teams.
On December 22, Texas A&M withdrew from the Gator Bowl, citing a breakout of positive COVID-19 cases and season-ending injuries limiting them to too few players. Rutgers was subsequently announced as a replacement team.
On December 23, Hawaii withdrew from the Hawaii Bowl, similarly citing season-ending injuries, transfers, and COVID-19 cases within the program, and the game was ultimately cancelled.
On December 26, Boston College withdrew from the Military Bowl and Virginia withdrew from the Fenway Bowl due to COVID-19 cases; both games were canceled.
On December 26, the Miami (FL) Hurricanes announced that they would not be able to play in the Sun Bowl due to COVID-19 issues; organizers stated that they would try to secure a replacement team to face the Washington State Cougars.
On December 27, the Boise State Broncos withdrew from the Arizona Bowl due to COVID-19 issues; organizers stated that they would attempt to secure a replacement team. Later in the day, the Arizona Bowl was canceled, and the bowl's remaining team, the Central Michigan Chippewas, was named as the replacement team for the Sun Bowl.
On December 28, the Holiday Bowl was called off hours before game time, due to COVID-19 issues within the UCLA Bruins program, and officially canceled the next morning, after organizers could not secure a replacement team to face the NC State Wolfpack.

#### Bowl schedule / results

In the below table, affiliations for confirmed teams reflect their actual conferences, and rankings are per the final CFP rankings that were released on December 5.
| Date | Time (EST) | Game | Site | Television | Teams | Affiliations | Results |
| Dec. 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Bahamas Bowl | Thomas Robinson Stadium Nassau, Bahamas | ESPN | Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (6–6) Toledo Rockets (7–5) | C–USA MAC | Middle Tennessee 31 Toledo 24 |
| Dec. 17 | 6:00 p.m. | Cure Bowl | Exploria Stadium Orlando, Florida | ESPN2 | Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (10–2) Northern Illinois Huskies (9–4) | Sun Belt MAC | Coastal Carolina 47 Northern Illinois 41 |
| Dec. 18 | 11:00 a.m. | Boca Raton Bowl | FAU Stadium Boca Raton, Florida | ESPN | Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8–5) Appalachian State Mountaineers (10–3) | C–USA Sun Belt | Western Kentucky 59 Appalachian State 38 |
| Dec. 18 | 2:15 p.m. | New Mexico Bowl | University Stadium Albuquerque, New Mexico | ESPN | Fresno State Bulldogs (9–3) UTEP Miners (7–5) | MWC C–USA | Fresno State 31 UTEP 24 |
| Dec. 18 | 3:30 p.m. | Independence Bowl | Independence Stadium Shreveport, Louisiana | ABC | UAB Blazers (8–4) No. 13 BYU Cougars (10–2) | C–USA Independent | UAB 31 BYU 28 |
| Dec. 18 | 5:45 p.m. | LendingTree Bowl | Hancock Whitney Stadium Mobile, Alabama | ESPN | Liberty Flames (7–5) Eastern Michigan Eagles (7–5) | Independent MAC | Liberty 56 Eastern Michigan 20 |
| Dec. 18 | 7:30 p.m. | LA Bowl | SoFi Stadium Inglewood, California | ABC | Utah State Aggies (10–3) Oregon State Beavers (7–5) | MWC Pac-12 | Utah State 24 Oregon State 13 |
| Dec. 18 | 9:15 p.m. | New Orleans Bowl | Caesars Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana | ESPN | No. 23 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (12–1) Marshall Thundering Herd (7–5) | Sun Belt C–USA | Louisiana 36 Marshall 21 |
| Dec. 20 | 2:30 p.m. | Myrtle Beach Bowl | Brooks Stadium Conway, South Carolina | ESPN | Tulsa Golden Hurricane (6–6) Old Dominion Monarchs (6–6) | American C–USA | Tulsa 30 Old Dominion 17 |
| Dec. 21 | 3:30 p.m. | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Albertsons Stadium Boise, Idaho | ESPN | Wyoming Cowboys (6–6) Kent State Golden Flashes (7-6) | MWC MAC | Wyoming 52 Kent State 38 |
| Dec. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Frisco Bowl | Toyota Stadium Frisco, Texas | ESPN | No. 24 San Diego State Aztecs (11–2) UTSA Roadrunners (12–1) | MWC C–USA | San Diego State 38 UTSA 24 |
| Dec. 22 | 8:00 p.m. | Armed Forces Bowl | Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, Texas | ESPN | Army Black Knights (8–4) Missouri Tigers (6–6) | Independent SEC | Army 24 Missouri 22 |
| Dec. 23 | 3:30 p.m. | Frisco Football Classic | Toyota Stadium Frisco, Texas | ESPN | Miami (OH) RedHawks (6–6) North Texas Mean Green (6–6) | MAC C–USA | Miami (OH) 27 North Texas 14 |
| Dec. 23 | 7:00 p.m. | Gasparilla Bowl | Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida | ESPN | UCF Knights (8–4) Florida Gators (6–6) | American SEC | UCF 29 Florida 17 |
| Dec. 24 | 8:00 p.m. | Hawaii Bowl | Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex Honolulu, Hawaii | ESPN | Memphis Tigers (6–6) Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (6–7) | American MWC | Canceled |
| Dec. 25 | 2:30 p.m. | Camellia Bowl | Cramton Bowl Montgomery, Alabama | ESPN | Georgia State Panthers (7–5) Ball State Cardinals (6–6) | Sun Belt MAC | Georgia State 51 Ball State 20 |
| Dec. 27 | 11:00 a.m. | Quick Lane Bowl | Ford Field Detroit, Michigan | ESPN | Western Michigan Broncos (7–5) Nevada Wolf Pack (8–4) | MAC MWC | Western Michigan 52 Nevada 24 |
| Dec. 27 | 2:30 p.m. | Military Bowl | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Annapolis, Maryland | ESPN | Boston College Eagles (6–6) East Carolina Pirates (7–5) | ACC American | Canceled |
| Dec. 28 | 12:00 p.m. | Birmingham Bowl | Protective Stadium Birmingham, Alabama | ESPN | No. 20 Houston Cougars (11–2) Auburn Tigers (6–6) | American SEC | Houston 17 Auburn 13 |
| Dec. 28 | 3:15 p.m. | First Responder Bowl | Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, Texas | ESPN | Air Force Falcons (9–3) Louisville Cardinals (6–6) | MWC ACC | Air Force 31 Louisville 28 |
| Dec. 28 | 6:45 p.m. | Liberty Bowl | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee | ESPN | Texas Tech Red Raiders (6–6) Mississippi State Bulldogs (7–5) | Big 12 SEC | Texas Tech 34 Mississippi State 7 |
| Dec. 28 | 8:00 p.m. | Holiday Bowl | Petco Park San Diego, California | Fox | UCLA Bruins (8–4) No. 18 NC State Wolfpack (9–3) | Pac-12 ACC | Canceled |
| Dec. 28 | 10:15 p.m. | Guaranteed Rate Bowl | Chase Field Phoenix, Arizona | ESPN | Minnesota Golden Gophers (8–4) West Virginia Mountaineers (6–6) | Big Ten Big 12 | Minnesota 18 West Virginia 6 |
| Dec. 29 | 11:00 a.m. | Fenway Bowl | Fenway Park Boston, Massachusetts | ESPN | SMU Mustangs (8–4) Virginia Cavaliers (6–6) | American ACC | Canceled |
| Dec. 29 | 2:15 p.m. | Pinstripe Bowl | Yankee Stadium The Bronx, New York | ESPN | Maryland Terrapins (6–6) Virginia Tech Hokies (6–6) | Big Ten ACC | Maryland 54 Virginia Tech 10 |
| Dec. 29 | 5:45 p.m. | Cheez-It Bowl | Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida | ESPN | No. 19 Clemson Tigers (9–3) Iowa State Cyclones (7–5) | ACC Big 12 | Clemson 20 Iowa State 13 |
| Dec. 29 | 9:15 p.m. | Alamo Bowl | Alamodome San Antonio, Texas | ESPN | No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners (10–2) No. 14 Oregon Ducks (10–3) | Big 12 Pac-12 | Oklahoma 47 Oregon 32 |
| Dec. 30 | 11:30 a.m. | Duke's Mayo Bowl | Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, North Carolina | ESPN | South Carolina Gamecocks (6–6) North Carolina Tar Heels (6–6) | SEC ACC | South Carolina 38 North Carolina 21 |
| Dec. 30 | 3:00 p.m. | Music City Bowl | Nissan Stadium Nashville, Tennessee | ESPN | Purdue Boilermakers (8–4) Tennessee Volunteers (7–5) | Big Ten SEC | Purdue 48 Tennessee 45 |
| Dec. 30 | 10:30 p.m. | Las Vegas Bowl | Allegiant Stadium Paradise, Nevada | ESPN | Wisconsin Badgers (8–4) Arizona State Sun Devils (8–4) | Big Ten Pac-12 | Wisconsin 20 Arizona State 13 |
| Dec. 31 | 11:00 a.m. | Gator Bowl | TIAA Bank Field Jacksonville, Florida | ESPN | No. 17 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (10–3) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5−7) | ACC Big Ten | Wake Forest 38 Rutgers 10 |
| Dec. 31 | 12:00 p.m. | Sun Bowl | Sun Bowl El Paso, Texas | CBS | Central Michigan Chippewas (8–4) Washington State Cougars (7–5) | MAC Pac-12 | Central Michigan 24 Washington State 21 |
| Dec. 31 | 2:00 p.m. | Arizona Bowl | Arizona Stadium Tucson, Arizona | Barstool Sports | Boise State Broncos (7–5) Central Michigan Chippewas (8–4) | MWC MAC | Canceled |
| Jan. 1 | 12:00 p.m. | Outback Bowl | Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida | ESPN2 | No. 21 Arkansas Razorbacks (8–4) Penn State Nittany Lions (7–5) | SEC Big Ten | Arkansas 24 Penn State 10 |
| Jan. 1 | 1:00 p.m. | Citrus Bowl | Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida | ABC | No. 22 Kentucky Wildcats (9–3) No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes (10–3) | SEC Big Ten | Kentucky 20 Iowa 17 |
| Jan. 4 | 9:00 p.m. | Texas Bowl | NRG Stadium Houston, Texas | ESPN | Kansas State Wildcats (7–5) LSU Tigers (6–6) | Big 12 SEC | Kansas State 42 LSU 20 |
Source:

### FCS bowl game

The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) has one bowl game. The FCS also has a postseason bracket tournament that culminates in the 2022 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game.
| Date | Time (EST) | Game | Site | Television | Participants | Affiliations | Results | References |
| Dec. 18 | 12:00 p.m. | Celebration Bowl | Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia | ABC | South Carolina State Bulldogs (6–5) Jackson State Tigers (11–1) | MEAC SWAC | South Carolina State 31 Jackson State 10 | |

### All-star games

Each of these games features college seniors, or players whose college football eligibility is ending, who are individually invited by game organizers. These games are scheduled to follow the team-competitive bowls, to allow players selected from bowl teams to participate. The all-star games may include some players from non-FBS programs.
A new all-star game, the HBCU Legacy Bowl, was announced in March 2021, and concluded the overall college football post-season on February 19, 2022. All times are EST.
| Date | Time (EST) | Game | Site | Television | Participants | Results |
| Jan. 15 | 12:00 p.m. | Hula Bowl | Bounce House Orlando, Florida | CBS Sports Network | Team Kai Team Aina | Kai 21 Aina 20 |
| Jan. 15 | 4:00 p.m. | Tropical Bowl | Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida | Varsity Sports Network | American Team National Team | American 24 National 14 |
| Jan. 29 | 6:00 p.m. | NFLPA Collegiate Bowl | Rose Bowl Pasadena, California | NFL Network | National Team American Team | National 25 American 24 |
| Feb. 3 | 8:30 p.m. | East–West Shrine Bowl | Allegiant Stadium Paradise, Nevada | NFL Network | West Team East Team | West 25 East 24 |
| Feb. 5 | 2:30 p.m. | Senior Bowl | Hancock Whitney Stadium Mobile, Alabama | NFL Network | National Team American Team | National 20 American 10 |
| Feb. 19 | 4:00 p.m. | HBCU Legacy Bowl | Yulman Stadium New Orleans, Louisiana | NFL Network | Team Gaither Team Robinson | Gaither 22 Robinson 6 |

## Team selections
### CFP top 25 standings and bowl games

On December 5, 2021, the College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee announced its final team rankings for the year. This was the eighth year of the CFP era. Cincinnati became the first team from the Group of Five conferences to reach the playoffs. Michigan became the first team to make the playoffs after starting the season unranked in the AP Poll.
| Rank | Team | W–L | Conference and standing | Bowl game |
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 12–1 | SEC champions | Cotton Bowl (CFP semifinal) |
| 2 | Michigan Wolverines | 12–1 | Big Ten champions | Orange Bowl (CFP semifinal) |
| 3 | Georgia Bulldogs | 12–1 | SEC East Division champions | Orange Bowl (CFP semifinal) |
| 4 | Cincinnati Bearcats | 13–0 | AAC champions | Cotton Bowl (CFP semifinal) |
| 5 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 11–1 | Independent | Fiesta Bowl (NY6) |
| 6 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 10–2 | Big Ten East Division co-champions | Rose Bowl (NY6) |
| 7 | Baylor Bears | 11–2 | Big 12 champions | Sugar Bowl (NY6) |
| 8 | Ole Miss Rebels | 10–2 | SEC West Division second place | Sugar Bowl (NY6) |
| 9 | Oklahoma State Cowboys | 11–2 | Big 12 first place | Fiesta Bowl (NY6) |
| 10 | Michigan State Spartans | 10–2 | Big Ten East Division third place | Peach Bowl (NY6) |
| 11 | Utah Utes | 10–3 | Pac-12 champions | Rose Bowl (NY6) |
| 12 | Pittsburgh Panthers | 11–2 | ACC champions | Peach Bowl (NY6) |
| 13 | BYU Cougars | 10–2 | Independent | Independence Bowl |
| 14 | Oregon Ducks | 10–3 | Pac-12 North Division champions | Alamo Bowl |
| 15 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 10–3 | Big Ten West Division champions | Citrus Bowl |
| 16 | Oklahoma Sooners | 10–2 | Big 12 second place (tie) | Alamo Bowl |
| 17 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 10–3 | ACC Atlantic Division champions | Gator Bowl |
| 18 | NC State Wolfpack | 9–3 | ACC Atlantic Division second place (tie) | Holiday Bowl canceled |
| 19 | Clemson Tigers | 9–3 | ACC Atlantic Division second place (tie) | Cheez-It Bowl |
| 20 | Houston Cougars | 11–2 | AAC first place (tie) | Birmingham Bowl |
| 21 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 8–4 | SEC West Division third place (tie) | Outback Bowl |
| 22 | Kentucky Wildcats | 9–3 | SEC East Division second place | Citrus Bowl |
| 23 | Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns | 12–1 | Sun Belt champions | New Orleans Bowl |
| 24 | San Diego State Aztecs | 11–2 | Mountain West West Division champions | Frisco Bowl |
| 25 | Texas A&M Aggies | 8–4 | SEC West Division third place (tie) | Gator Bowl withdrew |

### Conference champions' bowl games

Ranks are per the final CFP rankings, released on December 5, with win–loss records at that time. One bowl will feature a matchup of conference champions – the Cotton Bowl. Champions of the Power Five conferences were assured of a spot in a New Year's Six bowl game.
| Conference | Champion | W–L | Rank | Bowl game |
| AAC | Cincinnati Bearcats | 13–0 | 4 | Cotton Bowl (semifinal) |
| ACC | Pittsburgh Panthers | 11–2 | 12 | Peach Bowl (NY6) |
| Big 12 | Baylor Bears | 11–2 | 7 | Sugar Bowl (NY6) |
| Big Ten | Michigan Wolverines | 12–1 | 2 | Orange Bowl (semifinal) |
| C-USA | UTSA Roadrunners | 12–1 | – | Frisco Bowl |
| MAC | Northern Illinois Huskies | 9–4 | – | Cure Bowl |
| Mountain West | Utah State Aggies | 10–3 | – | LA Bowl |
| Pac-12 | Utah Utes | 10–3 | 11 | Rose Bowl (NY6) |
| SEC | Alabama Crimson Tide | 12–1 | 1 | Cotton Bowl (semifinal) |
| Sun Belt | Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns | 12–1 | 23 | New Orleans Bowl |

### Bowl-eligible teams

Generally, a team must have at least six wins to be considered bowl eligible, with at least five of those wins being against FBS opponents. The College Football Playoff semi-final games are determined based on the top four seeds in the playoff committee's final rankings. The remainder of the bowl eligible teams are selected by each respective bowl based on conference tie-ins, order of selection, match-up considerations, and other factors.
* ACC (10): Boston College, Clemson, Louisville, Miami (FL), NC State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
* American (7): Cincinnati, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Tulsa, UCF
* Big Ten (9): Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
* Big 12 (7): Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia
* C-USA (8): Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, UAB, UTEP, UTSA, Western Kentucky
* MAC (8): Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan
* Mountain West (8): Air Force, Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, San Diego State, Utah State, Wyoming
* Pac-12 (6): Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, Utah, Washington State
* SEC (13): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M
* Sun Belt (4): Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, Louisiana
* Independent (4): Army, BYU, Liberty, Notre Dame
Number of bowl berths available: 84 Number of bowl-eligible teams: 84

### Bowl-ineligible teams

* ACC (4): Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Syracuse
* American (4): Navy, South Florida, Temple, Tulane
* Big Ten (5): Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Northwestern, Rutgers*
* Big 12 (3): Kansas, TCU, Texas
* C-USA (6): Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Rice, Southern Miss
* MAC (4): Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Ohio
* Mountain West (4): Colorado State, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV
* Pac-12 (6): Arizona, California, Colorado, Stanford, USC, Washington
* SEC (1): Vanderbilt
* Sun Belt (6): Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Louisiana–Monroe, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy
* Independent (3): New Mexico State, UConn, UMass
Number of bowl-ineligible teams: 46
* Rutgers had the highest Academic Progress Rate (APR) of five-win teams. The NCAA announced on December 23 that Rutgers was the first eligible team, under APR regulations, to replace Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl. Rutgers accepted the bid.

## Venues

A total of thirty-seven venues were utilized, with seven of them in particular for the CFP National Championship and New Year's Six (NY6). The number of venues increased from twenty, primarily due to the relaxation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of venues for bowl games typically was around forty. Prestige and capacity of venues usually increases as the schedule progresses towards to NY6 bowls and the national championship, in large part due to scheduling Top 25 teams late into the bowl games' time frame, while bowl games before Christmas Day typically involve schools in Group of Five conferences. Televising at the venues of bowl games is largely run by ESPN and joint networks (ABC & ESPN2), with only three bowl games run by a non-affiliated network (Holiday Bowl on Fox, Sun Bowl on CBS and Arizona Bowl on Barstool Sports). With the exception of the Bahamas Bowl in The Bahamas, all bowls were played within the United States.

### CFP bowls

The College Football Playoff committee elected to continue with the six venues for this postseason—including two as the semifinals for the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship—as outlined below:
* AT&T Stadium in Arlington: Venue for the 2021 Cotton Bowl Classic that featured one of the semi-final pairings.
* State Farm Stadium in Glendale: Venue for the 2022 Fiesta Bowl that featured two of the four highest non-Top 4 and non-NY6 bid conference affiliated.
* Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta: Venue for the 2021 Peach Bowl that featured two of the four highest non-Top 4 and non-NY6 bid conference affiliated.
* Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens: Venue for the 2021 Orange Bowl that featured one of the semi-final pairings.
* Rose Bowl in Pasadena: Venue for the 2022 Rose Bowl that featured the highest non-top 4 conference finishers from the Big Ten and Pac-12.
* Caesars Superdome in New Orleans: Venue for the 2022 Sugar Bowl that featured the highest non-top 4 conference finishers from the SEC and Big 12.
The National Championship was played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, marking the first time that a state in the U.S. midwest hosted the national championship game in the CFP era.
| Glendale (Phoenix area) | Atlanta | New Orleans |
| State Farm Stadium | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Caesars Superdome |
| Capacity: 78,600 | Capacity: 75,000 | Capacity: 76,468 |
| Pasadena (Los Angeles area) | GlendaleAtlanta_PasadenaNew OrleansArlingtonIndianapolisMiami GardensVenues of the 2021 New Year's Six Bowls Source: College Football Playoff | GlendaleAtlanta_PasadenaNew OrleansArlingtonIndianapolisMiami GardensVenues of the 2021 New Year's Six Bowls Source: College Football Playoff |
| Rose Bowl | GlendaleAtlanta_PasadenaNew OrleansArlingtonIndianapolisMiami GardensVenues of the 2021 New Year's Six Bowls Source: College Football Playoff | GlendaleAtlanta_PasadenaNew OrleansArlingtonIndianapolisMiami GardensVenues of the 2021 New Year's Six Bowls Source: College Football Playoff |
| Capacity: 92,542 | GlendaleAtlanta_PasadenaNew OrleansArlingtonIndianapolisMiami GardensVenues of the 2021 New Year's Six Bowls Source: College Football Playoff | GlendaleAtlanta_PasadenaNew OrleansArlingtonIndianapolisMiami GardensVenues of the 2021 New Year's Six Bowls Source: College Football Playoff |
| Arlington (Dallas/Fort Worth area) | Indianapolis | Miami Gardens (Miami area) |
| AT&T Stadium | Lucas Oil Stadium | Hard Rock Stadium |
| Capacity: 105,000 | Capacity: 70,000 | Capacity: 64,767 |

## Television ratings

All times Eastern. CFP Rankings.

### Non-CFP bowl games

| Rank | Date | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | TV Rating | Game | Location |
| 1 | January 1, 2022, 1:00 p.m. | No. 15 Iowa | 17 | No. 22 Kentucky | 20 | ABC | 6.5 | 3.5 | Citrus Bowl | Camping World Stadium, Orlando FL |
| 2 | December 30, 2021, 3:00 p.m. | Tennessee | 45 | Purdue | 48 | ABC | 5.6 | 3.1 | Music City Bowl | Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN |
| 3 | December 29, 2021, 5:45 p.m. | No. 19 Clemson | 20 | Iowa State | 13 | ABC | 4.9 | 2.8 | Cheez-It Bowl | Camping World Stadium, Orlando FL |
| 4 | December 29, 2021, 9:15 p.m. | No. 14 Oregon | 32 | No. 16 Oklahoma | 47 | ABC | 4.7 | 2.7 | Alamo Bowl | Alamodome, San Antonio, TX |
| 5 | January 1, 2022, 12:00 p.m. | Penn State | 10 | No. 21 Arkansas | 24 | ESPN2 | 3.9 | 2.2 | Outback Bowl | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL |
| 6 | December 28, 2021, 6:45 p.m | Mississippi State | 7 | Texas Tech | 34 | ESPN | 3.9 | 2.3 | Liberty Bowl | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, TN |
| 7 | December 30, 2021, 10:30 p.m. | Wisconsin | 20 | Arizona St. | 13 | ESPN | 3.6 | 1.8 | Las Vegas Bowl | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV |
| 8 | December 31, 2021, 11:00 a.m. | No. 17 Wake Forest | 38 | Rutgers | 10 | ESPN | 3.5 | 2.1 | Gator Bowl | TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL |
| 9 | December 18, 2021, 3:30 p.m. | UAB | 31 | No. 13 BYU | 28 | ABC | 3.2 | 1.9 | Independence Bowl | Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA |
| 10 | December 23, 2021, 7:00 p.m. | UCF | 29 | Florida | 17 | ESPN | 3.2 | 1.8 | Gasparilla Bowl | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL |

### New Year Six and College Football Playoff semifinal games

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the CFP Rankings.
| Rank | Date | Time | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | TV ratings | Game | Location |
| 1 | January 10, 2022 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 3 Georgia | 33 | No. 1 Alabama | 18 | ESPN | 22.6 | 12.1 | National Championship | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN |
| 2 | December 31, 2021 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 3 Georgia | 34 | No. 2 Michigan | 11 | ESPN | 17.2 | 8.1 | Orange Bowl (semifinal) | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL |
| 3 | December 31, 2021 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 4 Cincinnati | 6 | No. 1 Alabama | 27 | ESPN | 16.6 | 8.6 | Cotton Bowl (semifinal) | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX |
| 4 | January 1, 2022 | 5:00 pm | No. 11 Utah | 45 | No. 6 Ohio State | 48 | ESPN | 16.6 | 8.2 | Rose Bowl | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA |
| 5 | January 1, 2022 | 8:45 p.m. | No. 8 Ole Miss | 7 | No. 7 Baylor | 21 | ESPN | 9.8 | 5.1 | Sugar Bowl | Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA |
| 6 | January 1, 2022 | 1:00 pm | No. 9 Oklahoma State | 37 | No. 5 Notre Dame | 35 | ESPN | 8.0 | 4.2 | Fiesta Bowl | State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ |
| 7 | December 30, 2021 | 7:00 pm | No. 12 Pittsburgh | 21 | No. 10 Michigan State | 31 | ESPN | 7.6 | 4.0 | Peach Bowl | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA |