The 2015–16 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football bowl games. They completed the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The games began on December 19, 2015, and, aside from the all-star games, ended with the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship which was played on January 11, 2016.
A new record total of 41 team-competitive bowl games were played in FBS, including the national championship game and the inaugural Cure Bowl and Arizona Bowl. While bowl games had been the purview of only the very best teams for nearly a century, this was the tenth consecutive year that teams with non-winning seasons were bowl-eligible and participated in bowl games. To fill the 80 available team-competitive bowl slots, a new record 15 teams (19% of all participants) with non-winning seasons participated in bowl games—12 had a .500 (6–6) season and, for another new record, three had a sub-.500 season. Those three teams each had 5–7 seasons, sharing a new record for the most regular season losses by a bowl team, which had previously been six. This situation led directly to the NCAA Division I Council imposing a three-year moratorium on new bowl games in April 2016.
Schedule The schedule for the 2015–16 bowl games is below. All times are EST (UTC−5). The rankings used were the CFP rankings."2015–16 College Football Bowl Schedule – 2016 Playoff" , FBSchedules.com. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
College Football Playoff and Championship Game The 2015–16 postseason was the second to feature a College Football Playoff (CFP) to determine a national champion of Division I FBS college football. Four teams were selected by a 12-member committee to participate in a single-elimination tournament, whose semifinals were held at the Orange Bowl and the Cotton Bowl as part of a yearly rotation of six bowls. Their winners advanced to the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 11, 2016."College Football Playoff 101", ESPN, May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
Both semifinal bowls were held on December 31, 2015. Under the TV contracts with ESPN that predate the CFP, both the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl (the first two bowls in the three cycling pairs that host semi-final games) are guaranteed exclusive TV time slots on January 1, regardless of whether they will be hosting a semifinal game. Analysts expressed concerns that the semifinal games could face reduced television viewership due to the New Year's Eve scheduling, believing that fans would not be accustomed to the scheduling, and that they would face competition from New Year's Eve events and television specials like New Year's Rockin' Eve, which is aired by ABC—a corporate sibling to CFP broadcaster ESPN. ESPN then proposed moving the semifinal games to January 2, 2016, a Saturday, arguing that the games would enjoy a higher level of prominence if held on a day of the week that is traditionally associated with college football. However, its proposal was rejected.
CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock suggested this scheduling issue would instead "change the paradigm of what New Year's Eve is all about," opining that "if you're hosting a New Year's Eve party, you better have a bunch of televisions around." Ratings for the two semifinal games were down from the prior season's equivalents, with the Orange Bowl reaching a 9.7 rating (in comparison to 15.5 for the 2015 Rose Bowl) and the Cotton Bowl reaching a 9.9 rating (in comparison to a 15.3 rating for the 2015 Sugar Bowl). On the online WatchESPN streaming service, the Cotton Bowl and the Orange Bowl drew the second and third-largest streaming audiences in the service's history (excluding 2014 FIFA World Cup games), behind the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. As a result of the reduced viewership, it was reported that ESPN was negotiating $20 million worth of credits to advertisers to compensate for the lower than expected ratings.
DateGameSiteTelevisionTeamsAffiliationsResultsDec. 31Peach BowlGeorgia DomeAtlanta, GA12:00 pm ESPN No. 18 Houston Cougars (12–1) No. 9 Florida State Seminoles (10–2) AmericanACCHouston 38Florida State 24Orange Bowl(Playoff Semifinal Game)Sun Life StadiumMiami Gardens, FL4:00 pm No. 1 Clemson Tigers (13–0)No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners (11–1) ACCBig 12Clemson 37 Oklahoma 17Cotton Bowl Classic(Playoff Semifinal Game)AT&T StadiumArlington, TX8:00 pm No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (12–1)No. 3 Michigan State Spartans (12–1) SECBig TenAlabama 38 Michigan State 0Jan. 1Fiesta BowlUniversity of Phoenix StadiumGlendale, AZ1:00 pm No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (11–1) No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10–2) Big TenIndependentOhio State 44 Notre Dame 28Rose Bowl GameRose BowlPasadena, CA5:00 pm No. 6 Stanford Cardinal (11–2)No. 5 Iowa Hawkeyes (12–1)Pac-12Big TenStanford 45Iowa 16Sugar BowlMercedes-Benz SuperdomeNew Orleans, LA8:30 pm No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels (9–3)No. 16 Oklahoma State Cowboys (10–2)SECBig 12Ole Miss 48Oklahoma State 20Jan. 11College Football Playoff National Championship(Orange Bowl Winner vs. Cotton Bowl Winner)University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ8:30 pm No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (13–1)No. 1 Clemson Tigers (14–0) SECACC Alabama 45Clemson 40
Non-CFP bowl games For the 2015–16 season, two new bowl games were added, the Cure Bowl and the Arizona Bowl, bringing the total number of bowl games to 41.Kelley, Kevin (May 6, 2015). "Three New Bowls Approved, Pushes Total to 42 in 2015", FBSchedules.com. Retrieved May 9, 2015.Lisaius, Som (October 1, 2015). "Organizers, Officials Celebrate Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl", Tucson News Now. Retrieved October 2, 2015. Due to not having enough teams with a 6–6 or better record to fill available bowl slots, the increase in number of bowls had the adverse effect of allowing a record three teams with losing records (5–7) to participate in bowls. The teams were selected by being the ones with the highest Academic Progress Rate (APR) among all 5–7 teams. The participating teams with a losing record were Nebraska, Minnesota, and San Jose State.
DateGameSiteTelevisionTeamsAffiliationsResults Dec. 19New Mexico BowlUniversity StadiumAlbuquerque, NM2:00 pm ESPNArizona Wildcats (6–6) New Mexico Lobos (7–5)Pac-12Mountain West Arizona 45New Mexico 37Las Vegas BowlSam Boyd StadiumWhitney, NV3:30 pm ABCNo. 22 Utah Utes (9–3) BYU Cougars (9–3)Pac-12Independent Utah 35 BYU 28 Camellia BowlCramton BowlMontgomery, AL5:30 pm ESPNAppalachian State Mountaineers (10–2)Ohio Bobcats (8–4) Sun BeltMACAppalachian State 31 Ohio 29Cure BowlOrlando Citrus Bowl StadiumOrlando, FL7:00 pm CBSSNSan Jose State Spartans (5–7)Georgia State Panthers (6–6)Mountain WestSun BeltSan Jose State 27 Georgia State 16New Orleans BowlMercedes-Benz SuperdomeNew Orleans, LA9:00 pm ESPNLouisiana Tech Bulldogs (8–4)Arkansas State Red Wolves (9–3)C-USASun BeltLouisiana Tech 47 Arkansas State 28Dec. 21Miami Beach BowlMarlins ParkMiami, FL2:30 pm ESPNWestern Kentucky Hilltoppers (11–2)South Florida Bulls (8–4)C-USAAmericanWestern Kentucky 45 South Florida 35 Dec. 22Famous Idaho Potato BowlAlbertsons StadiumBoise, ID3:30 pm ESPNAkron Zips (7–5)Utah State Aggies (6–6)MACMountain West Akron 23 Utah State 21Boca Raton BowlFAU StadiumBoca Raton, FL7:00 pm ESPNToledo Rockets (9–2) No. 24 Temple Owls (10–3)MACAmerican Toledo 32Temple 17 Dec. 23Poinsettia BowlQualcomm StadiumSan Diego, CA4:30 pm ESPNBoise State Broncos (8–4) Northern Illinois Huskies (8–5)Mountain WestMAC Boise State 55Northern Illinois 7GoDaddy BowlLadd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AL8:00 pm ESPNGeorgia Southern Eagles (8–4)Bowling Green Falcons (10–3)Sun BeltMACGeorgia Southern 58Bowling Green 27 Dec. 24 Bahamas BowlThomas Robinson StadiumNassau, Bahamas12:00 pm ESPNWestern Michigan Broncos (7–5)Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (7–5)MACC-USAWestern Michigan 45Middle Tennessee 31Hawaii BowlAloha StadiumHonolulu, HI8:00 pm ESPNSan Diego State Aztecs (10–3) Cincinnati Bearcats (7–5)Mountain WestAmericanSan Diego State 42Cincinnati 7 Dec. 26St. Petersburg BowlTropicana FieldSt. Petersburg, FL11:00 am ESPNMarshall Thundering Herd (9–3) Connecticut Huskies (6–6) C-USAAmericanMarshall 16Connecticut 10Sun BowlSun Bowl StadiumEl Paso, TX2:00 pm CBSWashington State Cougars (8–4) Miami Hurricanes (8–4) Pac-12ACCWashington State 20Miami 14Heart of Dallas BowlCotton BowlDallas, TX2:20 pm ESPNWashington Huskies (6–6) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (9–4)Pac-12C-USAWashington 44Southern Miss 31Pinstripe BowlYankee StadiumBronx, NY3:30 pm ABCDuke Blue Devils (7–5)Indiana Hoosiers (6–6)ACCBig TenDuke 44Indiana 41 (OT)Independence BowlIndependence StadiumShreveport, LA5:45 pm ESPNVirginia Tech Hokies (6–6) Tulsa Golden Hurricane (6–6) ACCAmericanVirginia Tech 55Tulsa 52Foster Farms BowlLevi's StadiumSanta Clara, CA9:15 pm ESPNNebraska Cornhuskers (5–7) UCLA Bruins (8–4) Big TenPac-12Nebraska 37UCLA 29 Dec. 28Military BowlNavy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD2:30 pm ESPNNo. 21 Navy Midshipmen (10–2)Pittsburgh Panthers (8–4)AmericanACCNavy 44 Pittsburgh 28Quick Lane BowlFord FieldDetroit, MI5:00 pm ESPN2Minnesota Golden Gophers (5–7) Central Michigan Chippewas (7–5) Big TenMACMinnesota 21 Central Michigan 14 Dec. 29Armed Forces BowlAmon G. Carter StadiumFort Worth, TX2:00 pm ESPNCalifornia Golden Bears (7–5) Air Force Falcons (8–5) Pac-12Mountain WestCalifornia 55 Air Force 36Russell Athletic BowlOrlando Citrus Bowl StadiumOrlando, FL5:30 pm ESPNNo. 17 Baylor Bears (9–3)No. 10 North Carolina Tar Heels (11–2)Big 12ACCBaylor 49 North Carolina 38Arizona BowlArizona StadiumTucson, AZ7:30 pm ASN Nevada Wolf Pack (6–6)Colorado State Rams (7–5)Mountain WestMountain West Nevada 28 Colorado State 23Texas BowlNRG StadiumHouston, TX9:00 pm ESPNNo. 20 LSU Tigers (8–3)Texas Tech Red Raiders (7–5) SECBig 12LSU 56 Texas Tech 27Dec. 30Birmingham BowlLegion FieldBirmingham, AL12:00 pm ESPNAuburn Tigers (6–6)Memphis Tigers (9–3)SECAmericanAuburn 31 Memphis 10Belk BowlBank of America StadiumCharlotte, NC3:30 pm ESPNMississippi State Bulldogs (8–4)NC State Wolfpack (7–5)SECACCMississippi State 51 NC State 28Music City BowlNissan StadiumNashville, TN7:00 pm ESPNLouisville Cardinals (7–5)Texas A&M Aggies (8–4) ACCSEC Louisville 27 Texas A&M 21Holiday BowlQualcomm StadiumSan Diego, CA10:30 pm ESPNWisconsin Badgers (9–3) No. 25 USC Trojans (8–5)Big TenPac-12Wisconsin 23 USC 21 Jan. 1Outback BowlRaymond James StadiumTampa, FL12:00 pm ESPN2No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers (8–4)No. 13 Northwestern Wildcats (10–2)SECBig TenTennessee 45 Northwestern 6Citrus BowlOrlando Citrus Bowl StadiumOrlando, FL1:00 pm ABCNo. 14 Michigan Wolverines (9–3)No. 19 Florida Gators (10–3)Big TenSECMichigan 41 Florida 7 Jan. 2TaxSlayer BowlEverBank FieldJacksonville, FL12:00 pm ESPNGeorgia Bulldogs (9–3)Penn State Nittany Lions (7–5)SECBig TenGeorgia 24Penn State 17Liberty BowlLiberty Bowl Memorial StadiumMemphis, TN3:20 pm ESPNArkansas Razorbacks (7–5)Kansas State Wildcats (6–6) SECBig 12Arkansas 45Kansas State 23Alamo BowlAlamodomeSan Antonio, TX6:45 pm ESPNNo. 11 TCU Horned Frogs (10–2) No. 15 Oregon Ducks (9–3)Big 12Pac-12TCU 47Oregon 41 (3OT)Cactus BowlChase FieldPhoenix, AZ10:15 pm ESPNWest Virginia Mountaineers (7–5) Arizona State Sun Devils (6–6)Big 12Pac-12West Virginia 43Arizona State 42
+ Notre Dame is eligible for any one of the bowl bids reserved for ACC teams, if Notre Dame: (a) is bowl-eligible; and (b) is not selected for one of the CFP Bowls. Notre Dame may not be selected for one of the bowl games having ACC tie-ins unless Notre Dame has no less than one less overall loss than the winningest-remaining ACC team which has not yet been selected for a bowl game.
BYU has an agreement with the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl and the Hawaii Bowl for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The Cougars will appear, in place of a Mountain West team, in the Las Vegas Bowl this season.
All-star games