The American Athletic Conference has announced the pairings and destinations for its six bowl-eligible teams for college football’s 2023 Bowl Season.

SMU (11-2), which was ranked No. 24 in the final College Football Playoff rankings of the season after winning its first American Athletic Conference title Saturday, will face Boston College (6-6) in the Fenway Bowl at historic Fenway Park in Boston.

SMU, which was the only FBS team to defeat a CFP-ranked opponent on the road in a conference championship game, will make its 21st bowl appearance. It will be the second time that SMU has been selected for the Fenway Bowl (the 2021 game was canceled) and the second meeting between the Mustangs and Eagles. SMU was a 31-29 winner against Boston College in the 1986 season..

Tulane (11-2) will make its 16th bowl appearance as the Green Wave plays in Bowl Season for the fifth time in six years when the Green Wave faces Virginia Tech (6-6) in the Military Bowl Dec. 28 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. It will be Tulane’s first Military Bowl appearance and the 10th meeting between the Green Wave and Hokies in a series that traces its roots to 1956.

Memphis (9-3) will find familiar surroundings for its bowl destination as the Tigers meet Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The game will be a rematch of the 2017 Liberty Bowl, when the Tigers were edged by the Cyclones 21-20 in front of more than 57,000 fans. It will be the Tigers’ 14th bowl appearance.

UTSA (8-4) will kick off The American’s Bowl Season when the Roadrunners battle Marshall (6-6) in the Frisco Bowl in Frisco, Texas. UTSA will make its fifth bowl appearance in program history as the Roadrunners look for their first bowl victory. It will be the Roadrunner’ second appearance in the Frisco Bowl.

South Florida (6-6) returns to Bowl Season for the first time in five years as the Bulls battle former Big East Conference rival Syracuse (6-6) in the Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida. The Bulls are 8-2 all-time against the Orange and will face Syracuse in the postseason for the first time. South Florida will make its 11th appearance in a bowl game and its first since 2018.

Rice (6-6) will make its 14th bowl appearance and will play in Bowl Season for the second consecutive year when the Owls face Texas State (7-5) in the First Responder Bowl Dec. 26 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. It will be the fifth meeting between the Owls and Bobcats and Rice’s first appearance in the First Responder Bowl.


2023 AAC Bowl Schedule

Frisco Bowl | Dec. 19

Toyota Stadium | Frisco, Texas

Marshall (6-6) vs. UTSA (8-4), 9 p.m. ET

                Television: ESPN

                Series: Marshall leads, 2-1

            Last Meeting: Nov. 17, 2018 (Marshall, 23-0)

 

Boca Raton Bowl | Dec. 21

FAU Stadium | Boca Raton, Florida

Syracuse (6-6) vs. South Florida (6-6), 11 a.m. ET

                Television: ESPN

                Series: South Florida leads, 8-2

            Last Meeting: Sept. 17, 2016 (South Florida, 45-20)

 

First Responder Bowl | Dec. 26

Gerald J. Ford Stadium | Dallas, Texas

Texas State (7-5) vs. Rice (6-6), 5:30 p.m.

                Television: ESPN

                Series: Tied, 2-2

            Last Meeting: Sept. 26, 1987 (Rice, 38-28)

 

Military Bowl | Dec. 27

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | Annapolis, Md.

Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. Tulane (11-2), 2 p.m.

                Television: ESPN

                Series: Virginia Tech leads, 5-4

            Last Meeting: Oct. 28, 1989 (Virginia Tech, 30-13)

 

Fenway Bowl | Dec. 28

Fenway Park | Boston, Mass.

Boston College (6-6) vs. SMU (11-2), 11 a.m. ET

                Television: ESPN

                Series: SMU leads, 1-0

            Last Meeting: Oct. 4, 1986 (SMU, 31-29)

 

Liberty Bowl | Dec. 29

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Memphis, Tennessee

Iowa State (7-5) vs. Memphis (9-3), 3:30 p.m. ET

                Television: ESPN

                Series: Iowa State leads, 1-0

            Last Meeting: Dec. 30, 2017 (Iowa State, 21-20)

American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco has issued the following statement following the release of the final College Football Playoff rankings of the 2023 season:

"As proud as we were to celebrate SMU's first conference championship in nearly 40 years last night, we are stunned and disappointed in the College Football Playoff committee's egregious decision to exclude SMU from a New Year's Six bowl.

SMU was the only FBS team to beat a CFP-ranked opponent on the road in a conference championship game. It challenged itself with a nonconference schedule against a top-15 team and last year's national runner up, both on the road, played competitively in both of those games, and was undefeated and dominant in conference games, including a road win against Memphis and a road win against an 11-win Tulane team last night.

It is especially disappointing to see that the committee appears to have applied different standards in SMU's case than they did with the selection of the top four teams.

A double-standard with our conference is also at work. The American Athletic Conference has had multiple strong, undefeated teams over the past decade; teams that played tough schedules including power conference teams at home and on the road, and yet were often ranked behind two- and three-loss teams based on the committee's assessment of strength of schedule. Apparently, that same assessment did not apply in this case when it was clearly warranted. This is beyond disappointing."

Regarding the above statement new CUSA member Liberty was selected to play Oregon in what would likely have been the only option for the committee to place SMU.

Added the full AAC schedule in detail up top.

Still can't believe USF is bowling.

FSU is even more of a shock. How can the committee not choose a (P5) undefeated team in the playoffs. I understand that they lost their talented QB, but they still finished 13 & 0. Another Florida school getting the shaft. UCF was not as much of a shock being undefeated twice and not making the playoffs. But a (P5) school gets pushed aside so that an Alabama team can sneak in. Thank goodness the 12 team playoff starts next year.   

Valid point of consideration…let's wait to see what the final score is against Georgia…then we can really gauge if they got it right.

Honestly this is just more proof that cfb is corrupt to the core and the whole playoff system is nothing more than invitational at this point

Frisco Bowl Final:

UTSA 35  Marshall 17

Joshua Cephus caught seven passes for 102 yards and a touchdown and Kam Alexander had a 57-yard interception to help seal a 35-17 victory for UTSA over Marshall in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl, as the Roadrunners registered the program’s first bowl on Tuesday night at Toyota Stadium.

Bulls putting an arse whooping on the Orange.

Rick said

Bulls putting an arse whooping on the Orange.

Posted On: Dec 21st 2023, 10:05 PM #419355

I wanted them to win for the conference but…

    Not like this. Not like this.