Which bowl games could Utah go to in the 2026 season?
Utah is still tied into Pac-12 bowl games as it enters third season in Big 12.
Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) holds the trophy given to the Utah Utes for winning the Las Vegas Bowl against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Bowl season is still over six months away, but preparation is already underway for the annual postseason slate.
In April, it was announced that the current bowl system will maintain its current structure through the 2026 season. The College Football Playoff remains at 12 teams, with automatic bids for the five highest-ranked conference champions. Every other team that wins six or more games will be placed into a bowl game based on conference affiliation.
The fallout from the collapse of the old Pac-12 Conference will also still be felt during bowl season. For the past two seasons, legacy Pac-12 Conference members Utah, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Cal and Stanford continued to represent their old conference in bowl games. Last year, Utah defeated Nebraska 44-22 in the Las Vegas Bowl in a Pac-12 vs.
Big Ten matchup. In 2026, legacy Pac-12 schools will still be tied into Pac-12 bowl options, meaning no Pop-Tarts Bowl for former Pac-12 and current Big 12 members Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State. Here were the bowl games for last year’s non-CFP former Pac-12 schools: Alamo Bowl (Pac-12 vs.