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Update 11:13 p.m. There are now 83 eligible teams for 82* bowl slots, plus Hawai’i is 6-7.
One eligible team could still be bumped from a bowl game if either Cal or USC wins tonight (Cal at UCLA, BYU at USC), and then wins again next week when Cal faces USC to make up a game canceled due to a Covid-19 outbreak a few weeks ago.
There are 41 bowl games with 82* bowl spots available for 130 FBS teams in 2021, not including the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Teams with a 6-6 or better record are bowl-eligible, but teams that are 5-7 can be given consideration if there aren’t enough bowl-eligible teams after the season ends. Hawai’i also has six wins with their 6-7 finish thanks to the Hawai’i Rule.
5-7 teams are chosen in order of their current Academic Progress Rate (APR Score), but all 6-6 teams must be given a postseason berth first before any 5-7 team can be considered. Also teams that get to 6-7 by losing their conference championship game are also prioritized, but that won’t happen in 2021.
Here is the list of potential 5-7 teams by APR score from College Football News.
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FBS teams are allowed to count one win against an FCS team. If that FCS opponent offers at least 90% of the FCS football scholarship limit (which is 63) during a rolling two-year period, that win is prioritized over a win against a team with an FCS win that doesn’t meet the 90% threshold. Opponents from the Pioneer League, Ivy League, and Northeastern Conference of FCS by conference rule don’t meet the 90% requirement.
Here is the complete list of bowl eligible teams following for the 2021 college football regular season at 12:30 a.m. on November 28th.
2021 Bowl Eligible Teams
| Total | Team | Wins | Losses | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Team | Wins | Losses | Conference |
| 1 | Cincinnati | 12 | 0 | American (East) |
| 2 | Georgia | 12 | 0 | SEC (East) |
| 3 | UTSA | 11 | 1 | CUSA (West) |
| 4 | San Diego State | 11 | 1 | MWC (West) |
| 5 | Houston | 11 | 1 | American (West) |
| 6 | Michigan | 11 | 1 | Big Ten (East) |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 11 | 1 | Ind |
| 8 | Alabama | 11 | 1 | SEC (West) |
| 9 | Louisiana | 11 | 1 | Sun Belt (West) |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 10 | 1 | Big 12 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 10 | 1 | Big 12 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 10 | 2 | Big Ten (East) |
| 13 | Iowa | 10 | 2 | Big Ten (West) |
| 14 | Ole Miss | 10 | 2 | SEC (West) |
| 15 | Coastal Carolina | 10 | 2 | Sun Belt (East) |
| 16 | Wake Forest | 10 | 2 | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 17 | Pitt | 10 | 2 | ACC (Coastal) |
| 18 | Baylor | 10 | 2 | Big 12 |
| 19 | Michigan State | 10 | 2 | Big Ten (East) |
| 20 | Oregon | 10 | 2 | Pac-12 (North) |
| 21 | Appalachian State | 10 | 2 | Sun Belt (East) |
| 22 | North Carolina State | 9 | 3 | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 23 | BYU | 9 | 2 | Ind |
| 24 | Air Force | 9 | 3 | MWC (Mountain) |
| 25 | Utah State | 9 | 3 | MWC (Mountain) |
| 26 | Fresno State | 9 | 3 | MWC (West) |
| 27 | Utah | 9 | 3 | Pac-12 (South) |
| 28 | Clemson | 8 | 3 | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 29 | UCF | 8 | 4 | American (East) |
| 30 | SMU | 8 | 4 | American (West) |
| 31 | Wisconsin | 8 | 4 | Big Ten (West) |
| 32 | UAB | 8 | 4 | CUSA (West) |
| 33 | Central Michigan | 8 | 4 | MAC (West) |
| 34 | Northern Illinois | 8 | 4 | MAC (West) |
| 35 | Kentucky | 8 | 3 | SEC (East) |
| 36 | Texas A&M | 8 | 3 | SEC (West) |
| 37 | Arkansas | 8 | 4 | SEC (West) |
| 38 | Minnesota | 8 | 4 | Big Ten (West) |
| 39 | Purdue | 8 | 4 | Big Ten (West) |
| 40 | Western Kentucky | 8 | 4 | CUSA (East) |
| 41 | Army | 8 | 3 | Ind |
| 42 | Arizona State | 8 | 4 | Pac-12 (South) |
| 43 | East Carolina | 7 | 5 | American (East) |
| 44 | Iowa State | 7 | 5 | Big 12 |
| 45 | Kansas State | 7 | 5 | Big 12 |
| 46 | Penn State | 7 | 5 | Big Ten (East) |
| 47 | Marshall | 7 | 5 | CUSA (East) |
| 48 | UTEP | 7 | 5 | CUSA (West) |
| 49 | Liberty | 7 | 5 | Ind |
| 50 | Eastern Michigan | 7 | 5 | MAC (West) |
| 51 | Western Michigan | 7 | 5 | MAC (West) |
| 52 | Boise State | 7 | 5 | MWC (Mountain) |
| 53 | Nevada | 7 | 4 | MWC (West) |
| 54 | Oregon State | 7 | 4 | Pac-12 (North) |
| 55 | Washington State | 7 | 5 | Pac-12 (North) |
| 56 | UCLA | 7 | 4 | Pac-12 (South) |
| 57 | Mississippi State | 7 | 5 | SEC (West) |
| 58 | Miami (FL) | 7 | 5 | ACC (Coastal) |
| 59 | Kent State | 7 | 5 | MAC (East) |
| 60 | Toledo | 7 | 5 | MAC (West) |
| 61 | Tennessee | 7 | 5 | SEC (East) |
| 62 | Georgia State | 7 | 5 | Sun Belt (East) |
| 63 | Louisville | 6 | 5 | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 64 | Boston College | 6 | 6 | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 65 | Virginia | 6 | 6 | ACC (Coastal) |
| 66 | North Carolina | 6 | 6 | ACC (Coastal) |
| 67 | Texas Tech | 6 | 6 | Big 12 |
| 68 | Miami (OH) | 6 | 6 | MAC (East) |
| 69 | Ball State | 6 | 6 | MAC (West) |
| 70 | Wyoming | 6 | 6 | MWC (Mountain) |
| 71 | Missouri | 6 | 6 | SEC (East) |
| 72 | South Carolina | 6 | 5 | SEC (East) |
| 73 | Auburn | 6 | 6 | SEC (West) |
| 74 | Virginia Tech | 6 | 6 | ACC (Coastal) |
| 75 | Tulsa | 6 | 6 | American (West) |
| 76 | Maryland | 6 | 6 | Big Ten (East) |
| 77 | Old Dominion | 6 | 6 | CUSA (East) |
| 78 | Florida | 6 | 6 | SEC (East) |
| 79 | North Texas | 6 | 6 | CUSA (West) |
| 80 | Hawai'i | 6 | 7 | MWC (West) |
| 81 | Florida State | 5 | 7 | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 82 | Syracuse | 5 | 6 | ACC (Atlantic) |
| 83 | Memphis | 5 | 6 | American (West) |
| 84 | Texas | 5 | 7 | Big 12 |
| 85 | Texas Christian | 5 | 7 | Big 12 |
| 86 | West Virginia | 5 | 6 | Big 12 |
| 87 | Rutgers | 5 | 7 | Big Ten (East) |
| 88 | Charlotte | 5 | 7 | CUSA (East) |
| 89 | Florida Atlantic | 5 | 6 | CUSA (East) |
| 90 | Middle Tennessee State | 5 | 6 | CUSA (East) |
| 91 | San Jose State | 5 | 7 | MWC (West) |
| 92 | LSU | 5 | 6 | SEC (West) |
| 93 | Troy | 5 | 7 | Sun Belt (East) |
| 94 | South Alabama | 5 | 7 | Sun Belt (West) |
| 95 | Illinois | 5 | 7 | Big Ten (West) |
| 96 | Bowling Green State | 4 | 8 | MAC (East) |
| 97 | Buffalo | 4 | 8 | MAC (East) |
| 98 | California | 4 | 6 | Pac-12 (North) |
| 99 | Washington | 4 | 8 | Pac-12 (North) |
| 100 | USC | 4 | 6 | Pac-12 (South) |
| 101 | Colorado | 4 | 8 | Pac-12 (South) |
| 102 | Louisiana-Monroe | 4 | 8 | Sun Belt (West) |
| 103 | Rice | 4 | 8 | CUSA (West) |
| 104 | Texas State | 4 | 8 | Sun Belt (West) |
| 105 | Georgia Tech | 3 | 9 | ACC (Coastal) |
| 106 | Duke | 3 | 9 | ACC (Coastal) |
| 107 | Temple | 3 | 9 | American (East) |
| 108 | Nebraska | 3 | 9 | Big Ten (West) |
| 109 | Northwestern | 3 | 9 | Big Ten (West) |
| 110 | Louisiana Tech | 3 | 9 | CUSA (West) |
| 111 | Ohio | 3 | 9 | MAC (East) |
| 112 | Colorado State | 3 | 8 | MWC (Mountain) |
| 113 | New Mexico | 3 | 9 | MWC (Mountain) |
| 114 | Stanford | 3 | 8 | Pac-12 (North) |
| 115 | Georgia Southern | 3 | 9 | Sun Belt (East) |
| 116 | Navy | 3 | 8 | American (West) |
| 117 | Southern Mississippi | 3 | 9 | CUSA (West) |
| 118 | South Florida | 2 | 10 | American (East) |
| 119 | Tulane | 2 | 9 | American (West) |
| 120 | Kansas | 2 | 9 | Big 12 |
| 121 | Indiana | 2 | 10 | Big Ten (East) |
| 122 | Akron | 2 | 10 | MAC (East) |
| 123 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 2 | 10 | MWC (West) |
| 124 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 10 | SEC (East) |
| 125 | Arkansas State | 2 | 10 | Sun Belt (West) |
| 126 | New Mexico State | 2 | 10 | Ind |
| 127 | Florida International | 1 | 11 | CUSA (East) |
| 128 | Massachusetts | 1 | 11 | Ind |
| 129 | Connecticut | 1 | 11 | Ind |
| 130 | Arizona | 1 | 11 | Pac-12 (South) |
* Updated from 84 to 82 because we mistakenly counted the Celebration Bowl for HBCU’s from the FCS division.