The Massachusetts football team is set to join the Mid-American Conference next fall and the competition they will face is heating up big time with seven teams set for some bowl game action.
Salute to Veterans Bowl: Western Michigan vs. South Alabama
Kicking off the MAC’s first bowl is the Western Michigan Broncos taking on the South Alabama Jaguars. Both teams have matching records at 6-6. The Salute to Veterans Bowl will kick off at 9 p.m. on Dec. 14 in Montgomery, Alabama.
This will be the first time these two teams face off in program history. The Broncos (6-6) finished fifth in the MAC, going 5-3 in conference play.
The Jaguars (6-6) have also had a strong season and has experience against other MAC teams this year. South Alabama almost beat the Ohio Bobcats, the MAC’s first place team, but lost 27-20 to the Bobcats in a nailbiter.
The matchup of the Broncos and Jaguars will be a good one you won’t want to miss.
Cure Bowl: Ohio vs. Jacksonville State
The Ohio Bobcats will look to cap off its season against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. The game will take place on Dec. 20 at 12 p.m. in Orlando, Florida.
The Bobcats (10-3) had a dominant season, going 7-1 in conference play and undefeated at home. Ohio’s on a six-game win streak and will look to keep the momentum going.
The Gamecocks (9-4) also went 7-1 in conference games and ended with a 6-1 record at home. This bowl game will be the first time the Bobcats play Jacksonville State.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State
The Northern Illinois Huskies will take on the Fresno State Bulldogs in a competitive bowl game matchup.
The Huskies (7-5) were put on the map this season after pulling off a huge upset against the No. 5 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
This was the only loss on the season for the Fighting Irish (11-1). Northern Illinois were 28 point underdogs, but they came out on top with a 16-14 win against Notre Dame.
On the other hand, the Bulldogs (6-6) will look to pull off an upset of their own against Northern Illinois. The game will take place on Dec. 23 at 2:30 p.m. in Boise, Idaho.
GameAbove Sports Bowl: Toledo vs. Pittsburgh
The MAC’s very own Toledo Rockets will play the Pittsburgh Panthers on Dec. 26 at 2 p.m in Detroit, Michigan
The Rockets (7-5) defeated UMass earlier this season 38-23 back on Sept. 7. Toledo’s most impressive win comes over the Northern Illinois Huskies in a gritty 13-6 victory in October.
The Panthers (7-5) have the edge over the Rockets as they are 2-1 against them all time. Pittsburgh started the season undefeated at 7-0 and was ranked in the top 25 but ultimately went on a five-game losing streak, which erased all the momentum they had.
68 Ventures Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Arkansas State
The Bowling Green Falcons finished fourth in the MAC with a 6-2 conference record. The Falcons (7-5) almost pulled off a huge upset against No. 8 Penn State but fell short in a 34-27 lost in early September.
The Arkansas State Red Wolves finished second in the Sun Belt Conference. The Red Wolves (7-5) recently extended their head coach Butch Jones through the 2029 season after he led the team to multiple bowl game appearances.
Jones and the Arkansas State team will be fired up in search of a win against Bowling Green on Dec. 26 with kickoff set for 9 p.m. in Mobile, Alabama.
Arizona Bowl: Miami (OH) RedHawks vs. Colorado State Rams
The Miami (OH) RedHawks will take on the Colorado State Rams on Dec. 28 at 4:30 p.m., in Tucson, Arizona. The RedHawks (8-5) finished second in the MAC with an impressive 7-1 conference record. Miami (OH) defeated MAC’s first place Ohio Bobcats 30-20 back in mid-October. The ReHawks also defeated the Minutemen in a thrilling overtime game 23-20.
The Rams (8-4) struggled against tougher opponents this season with losses to No. 4 Texas and the Colorado Buffaloes.
Miami (OH) are 2-0 all time against Colorado State. Its last matchup was on Sep. 18, 2010, where the RedHawks won 31-10 in dominant fashion.
Bahamas Bowl: Buffalo vs. Liberty
The Buffalo Bulls are set to play the Liberty Flames in the 2025 Bahamas Bowl. The game will be played at 11:00 a.m. on Jan. 4 in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Bulls (8-4) finished third in the MAC under first year head coach Pete Lembo. Buffalo defeated UMass earlier this season at home 34-3.
The Flames (8-3) played one less game than the Bulls due to the Appalachian State Mountaineers game being canceled. Liberty is 3-0 all time against Buffalo and defeated the Bulls 55-27 during their undefeated season back in 2023. Buffalo will look to get its first win in program history against the Flames.
