2011–12 NCAA football bowl games

2011–12 NCAA football bowl games
Bowl sites by state
Season	2011
Regular season	September 1, 2011 – December 10, 2011
Number of Bowls	35
All-Star Games	4
Bowl games	December 17, 2011 – January 9, 2012 (team-competitive)
National Championship	2012 BCS National Championship
Location of Championship	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana
Conference Bowl Records
Conference Bowl Teams Record % Teams in AP Poll
Big Ten 10 4–6 0.400 TBD
SEC 9 4–2 0.667 TBD
ACC 8 2–4 0.333 TBD
Big 12 8 6–1 0.857 TBD
Pac-12 7 2–5 0.286 TBD
Big East 5 2–1 0.667 TBD
Conference USA 5 3–1 0.750 TBD
MAC 5 3–1 0.750 TBD
Mountain West 5 2–3 0.400 TBD
Sun Belt 3 1–1 0.500 TBD
WAC 3 0–3 0.000 TBD
Independents 2 1–1 0.500 TBD
College football bowl games «2010–11 2012–13»

The 2011–12 NCAA football bowl games are a series of college football bowl games. They will conclude the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and include 35 team-competitive games and four all-star games. The games began on December 17, 2011 and, aside from the all-star games, will culminate with the 2012 BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans, to be played on January 9, 2012.

Contents 1 Selection of the teams 2 Bowl eligibility 2.1 Eligible 2.2 Teams unable to become bowl-eligible 3 Fiesta Bowl controversy 4 New bowl sponsors 5 Moratorium on new bowl games 6 Schedule 6.1 Non-BCS games 6.2 2012 Bowl Championship Series schedule 6.3 Post-BCS all-star games 7 References

Selection of the teams

In a significant change from the 2009–10 bowl cycle, the NCAA scrapped a bylaw which mandated that a school with a record of 6–6 in regular season play was eligible only if conferences could not fill out available positions for bowl games with teams possessing seven (or more) wins (excluding games played in Hawaiʻi and conference championship games in the ACC, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, the Pacific 12 and the SEC, along with the Big 12 from 1996 through 2010). An example was in 2008 when the Big Ten, the Big 12 and SEC each had two teams selected for the Bowl Championship Series games – Ohio State and Penn State from the Big Ten, Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12 and Alabama and Florida from the SEC. With each conference sending two teams to the BCS, these three conferences forfeited several bowl game slots due to a lack of teams with a winning record. The 2011 UCLA Bruins were invited to a bowl game despite a losing record of 6–7, claiming that they would have finished their season 6–6 if they had not been forced to play their conference championship game (which they ultimately lost) when the USC Trojans (10–2) were barred from postseason play due to NCAA sanctions.^[1]

Bowl eligibility

Eligible

• ACC (8): Clemson (ACC Champions), Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech (Coastal Division Champions), North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia, Wake Forest, NC State
• Big East (5): Cincinnati (Big East co-Champions), West Virginia (Big East co-Champions), Rutgers, Louisville (Big East co-Champions), Pittsburgh
• Big Ten (10): Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin (Big Ten Champions), Nebraska, Michigan State (Legends Division Champions), Ohio State, Northwestern, Purdue
• Big 12 (8): Oklahoma State (Big 12 Champions), Oklahoma, Kansas State, Texas, Baylor, Iowa State, Texas A&M, Missouri
• Conference USA (5): Houston (C-USA West Division Champions), Southern Miss (C-USA Champions), Tulsa, SMU, Marshall
• Independents (2): BYU, Notre Dame
• MAC (6): Northern Illinois (Mid-American Conference Champions), Ohio (MAC East Division Champions), Ball State, Toledo (MAC West Division Co-Champions), Temple, Western Michigan
• Mountain West (5): Air Force, Boise State, TCU (Mountain West Champions), San Diego State, Wyoming
• Pac-12 (7): Stanford (Pac-12 North Division Co-Champions), Oregon (Pac-12 Champions), Arizona State, Washington, California, Utah, UCLA (Pac-12 South Division Champions, 6–7, bowl-eligible per waiver) ^[2]
• SEC (9): LSU (SEC Champions), Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia (SEC East Division Champions), Auburn, Florida, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State
• Sun Belt (4): Louisiana–Lafayette, Arkansas State (Sun Belt Champions), Florida International, Western Kentucky
• WAC (3): Louisiana Tech (WAC Champions), Nevada, Utah State

Number of bowl berths available: 70
Number of teams assured of bowl eligibility: 71 (72, with 6–7 UCLA becoming bowl-eligible per NCAA waiver)

Western Kentucky (7–5) and Ball State (6–6) were not extended invitations to bowl games.

Teams unable to become bowl-eligible

• ACC (4): Boston College, Maryland & Duke (by record), Miami (FL) (via self-imposed sanctions)
• Big East (3): South Florida, Syracuse, Connecticut
• Big Ten (2): Indiana, Minnesota
• Big 12 (2): Kansas, Texas Tech
• C-USA (7): UAB, Memphis, Tulane, Rice, UCF, UTEP, East Carolina
• Independents (2): Army & Navy
• MAC (7): Akron, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Miami (OH) & Kent State. Eastern Michigan was 6–6 but had two FCS wins.
• Mountain West (3): New Mexico, UNLV & Colorado State
• Pac-12 (5): Colorado, Oregon State, Washington State & Arizona (by record), USC (via NCAA sanctions)
• SEC (3): Ole Miss, Kentucky & Tennessee
• Sun Belt (5): Florida Atlantic, Louisiana-Monroe, Middle Tennessee, Troy & North Texas
• WAC (5): Idaho, San Jose State, Fresno State, Hawaiʻi & New Mexico State

Fiesta Bowl controversy

Because of illegal payouts to many politicians, the Fiesta Bowl was embroiled in a major dispute by firing executive director John Junker, and their license from the NCAA to run the game and their BCS spot was in jeopardy. However, in May 2011, the BCS fined the Fiesta Bowl organization US $ 1 million without removing their BCS spot.

New bowl sponsors

Meineke has transferred their sponsorship from the game in Charlotte to the Houston-based game previously known as the Texas Bowl, and was renamed the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas. Belk Department Stores assumes the title sponsorship for the North Carolina contest, renaming that game the Belk Bowl. The Idaho Potato Commission takes over as the title sponsor for the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho and has been renamed the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, while Montreal-based Gildan, a maker of T-shirts, underwear and socks, will begin sponsorship of the previously unsponsored New Mexico Bowl this season. All of the bowl games will have a presenting or title sponsor.

Moratorium on new bowl games

The NCAA has placed a three-year moratorium on any new bowl games, after two new games, the Pinstripe Bowl and the TicketCity Bowl, were introduced in 2010.

Schedule

The official schedule was released June 17, 2011.^[3] Though it is traditionally the date for many bowl games to be played, none will be held on January 1, due to that date being on a Sunday and conflict with the National Football League's slate of Sunday games.^[4]

Subsequently, the Fiesta Bowl moved from January 5 to January 2, in its traditional spot following the Rose Bowl, after the 2011 NFL lockout was settled. The Monday evening spot was held open for a possible Monday Night Football game.^[5]

NOTE: All times are US EST (UTC −5).

Non-BCS games

Date	Game	Site	Television	Teams	Affiliations	Results
Dec. 17	Gildan New Mexico Bowl	University Stadium University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 2:00 pm	ESPN	Wyoming Cowboys (8–4) Temple Owls (8–4)	MWC MAC	Wyoming 15 Temple 37
	Famous Idaho Potato Bowl	Bronco Stadium Boise State University Boise, ID 5:30 pm		Ohio Bobcats (9–4) Utah State Aggies (7–5)	MAC WAC	Ohio 24 Utah State 23
	R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 9:00 pm		San Diego State Aztecs (8–4) Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (8–4)	MWC Sun Belt	San Diego State 30 Louisiana–Lafayette 32
Dec. 20	Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg	Tropicana Field St. Petersburg, FL 8:00 pm		FIU Golden Panthers (8–4) Marshall Thundering Herd (6–6)	Sun Belt C-USA	FIU 10 Marshall 20
Dec. 21	San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl	Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, CA 8:00 pm		#18 TCU Horned Frogs (10–2) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8–4)	MWC WAC	TCU 31 Louisiana Tech 24
Dec. 22	Maaco Bowl Las Vegas	Sam Boyd Stadium University of Nevada, Las Vegas Whitney, NV 8:00 pm		#7 Boise State Broncos (11–1) Arizona State Sun Devils (6–6)	MWC Pac-12	Boise State 56 Arizona State 24
Dec. 24	Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl	Aloha Stadium Honolulu, HI 8:00 pm		Nevada Wolf Pack (7–5) #21 Southern Miss Golden Eagles (11–2)	WAC C-USA	Nevada 17 Southern Miss 24
Dec. 26	Advocare Independence Bowl	Independence Stadium Shreveport, LA 5:00 pm	ESPN2	Missouri Tigers (7–5) North Carolina Tar Heels (7–5)	Big 12 ACC	Missouri 41 North Carolina 24
Dec. 27	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl	Ford Field Detroit, MI 4:30 pm	ESPN	Purdue Boilermakers (6–6) Western Michigan Broncos (7–5)	Big Ten MAC	Purdue 37 Western Michigan 32
	Belk Bowl	Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC 8:00 pm		North Carolina State Wolfpack (7–5) Louisville Cardinals (7–5)	ACC Big East	North Carolina State 31 Louisville 24
Dec. 28	Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman	RFK Stadium Washington, DC 4:30 pm		Air Force Falcons (7–5) Toledo Rockets (8–4)[n 1]	MWC MAC	Air Force 41 Toledo 42
	Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl	Snapdragon Stadium San Diego, CA 8:00 pm		#24 Texas Longhorns (7–5) California Golden Bears (7–5)	Big 12 Pac-12	Texas 21 California 10
Dec. 29	Champs Sports Bowl	Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL 5:30 pm		Florida State Seminoles (8–4) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8–4)	ACC Independent	Florida State 18 Notre Dame 14
	Valero Alamo Bowl	Alamodome San Antonio, TX 9:00 pm		#12 Baylor Bears (9–3) Washington Huskies (7–5)	Big 12 Pac-12	Baylor 67 Washington 56
Dec. 30	Bell Helicopters Armed Forces Bowl	Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, TX 12:00 pm		BYU Cougars (9–3) Tulsa Golden Hurricane (8–4)	Independent C-USA	BYU 24 Tulsa 21
	New Era Pinstripe Bowl	Yankee Stadium Bronx, NY 3:20 pm		Iowa State Cyclones (6–6) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8–4)	Big 12 Big East	Iowa State 13 Rutgers 27
	Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl	LP Field Nashville, TN 6:40 pm		Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6–6) Mississippi State Bulldogs (6–6)	ACC SEC	Wake Forest 17 Mississippi State 23
	Insight Bowl	Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ 10:00 pm		Iowa Hawkeyes (7–5) #14 Oklahoma Sooners (9–3)	Big Ten Big 12	Iowa 14 Oklahoma 31
Dec. 31	Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas	Reliant Stadium Houston, TX 12:00 pm		Texas A&M Aggies (6–6) Northwestern Wildcats (6–6)	Big 12 Big Ten	Texas A&M 33 Northwestern 22
	Hyundai Sun Bowl	Sun Bowl Stadium University of Texas El Paso El Paso, TX 2:00 pm	CBS	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8–4) Utah Utes (7–5)	ACC Pac-12	Georgia Tech 27 Utah 30 (OT)
	AutoZone Liberty Bowl	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN 3:30 pm	ABC	Cincinnati Bearcats (9–3) Vanderbilt Commodores (6–6)	Big East SEC	Cincinnati 31 Vanderbilt 24
	Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl	AT&T Park San Francisco, CA 3:30 pm	ESPN	Illinois Fighting Illini (6–6)[n 2] UCLA Bruins (6–7)	Big Ten Pac-12	Illinois 20 UCLA 14
	Chick-fil-A Bowl	Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA 7:30 pm		#25 Auburn Tigers (7–5) Virginia Cavaliers (8–4)	SEC ACC	Auburn 43 Virginia 24
Jan. 2	TicketCity Bowl	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX 12:00 pm	ESPNU	#22 Penn State Nittany Lions (9–3) #19 Houston Cougars (12–1)	Big Ten C-USA	Penn State 14 Houston 30
	Outback Bowl	Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL 1:00 pm	ABC	#17 Michigan State Spartans (10–3) #16 Georgia Bulldogs (10–3)	Big Ten SEC	Michigan State 33 (3OT) Georgia 30
	Capital One Bowl	Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL 1:00 pm	ESPN	#20 Nebraska Cornhuskers (9–3) #9 South Carolina Gamecocks (10–2)	Big Ten SEC	Nebraska 13 South Carolina 30
	TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl	EverBank Field Jacksonville, FL 1:00 pm	ESPN2	Ohio State Buckeyes (6–6) Florida Gators (6–6)	Big Ten SEC	Ohio State 17 Florida 24
Jan. 6	AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic	Cowboys Stadium Arlington, TX 8:00 pm	FOX	#8 Kansas State Wildcats (10–2) #6 Arkansas Razorbacks (10–2)	Big 12 SEC
Jan. 7	BBVA Compass Bowl	Legion Field Birmingham, AL 1:00 pm	ESPN	SMU Mustangs (7–5) Pittsburgh Panthers (6–6)	C-USA Big East
Jan. 8	GoDaddy.com Bowl	Ladd Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL 9:00 pm		Northern Illinois Huskies (10–3) Arkansas State Red Wolves (10–2)	MAC Sun Belt

2012 Bowl Championship Series schedule

Date	Game	Site	Television	Teams	Affiliations	Results
Jan. 2	Rose Bowl presented by Vizio	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 5:00 pm	ESPN	#10 Wisconsin Badgers (11–2) #5 Oregon Ducks (11–2)	Big Ten Pac-12	Wisconsin 38 Oregon 45
	Tostitos Fiesta Bowl	University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ 8:30 pm		#3 Oklahoma State Cowboys (11–1) #4 Stanford Cardinal (11–1)	Big 12 Pac-12	Oklahoma State 41 (OT) Stanford 38
Jan. 3	Allstate Sugar Bowl	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 8:30 pm		#13 Michigan Wolverines (10–2) #11 Virginia Tech Hokies (11–2)	Big Ten ACC	Michigan 23 (OT) Virginia Tech 20
Jan. 4	Discover Orange Bowl	Sun Life Stadium Miami Gardens, FL 8:30 pm		#15 Clemson Tigers (10–3) #23 West Virginia Mountaineers (9–3)	ACC Big East
Jan. 9	Allstate BCS National Championship Game	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA 8:30 pm		#1 LSU Tigers (13–0) #2 Alabama Crimson Tide (11–1)	SEC SEC

Post-BCS all-star games

Date	Game	Site	Television	Participants	Results
Jan. 16	Casino del Sol College All-Star Game	Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium Tucson, AZ 6:00 pm	Fox Sports Arizona	Stars vs. Stripes
Jan. 21	2012 East–West Shrine Game	Tropicana Field St. Petersburg, FL 4:00 pm	NFL Network	East Team vs. West Team
Jan. 28	2012 Senior Bowl	Ladd Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL 4:00 pm		North Team vs. South Team
Feb. 4	NFLPA Game	Alamodome San Antonio, TX 2:00 pm	Unknown	Texas vs. the Nation

References

2011–12 NCAA football bowl game season New Mexico (Dec. 17) Famous Idaho Potato (Dec. 17) New Orleans (Dec. 17) Beef 'O' Brady's (Dec. 20) Poinsettia (Dec. 21) Maaco Las Vegas (Dec. 22) Hawaiʻi (Dec. 24) Independence (Dec. 26) Little Caesars Pizza (Dec. 27) Belk (Dec. 27) Military (Dec. 28) Holiday (Dec. 28) Champs Sports (Dec. 29) Alamo (Dec. 29) Armed Forces (Dec. 30) Pinstripe (Dec. 30) Music City (Dec. 30) Insight (Dec. 30) Meineke Car Care of Texas (Dec. 31) Sun (Dec. 31) Liberty (Dec. 31) Kraft Fight Hunger (Dec. 31) Chick-fil-A (Dec. 31) TicketCity (Jan. 2) Outback (Jan. 2) Capital One (Jan. 2) Gator (Jan. 2) Cotton (Jan. 6) BBVA Compass (Jan. 7) GoDaddy.com (Jan. 8) Bowl Championship Series games: Rose (Jan. 2) Fiesta (Jan. 2) Sugar (Jan. 3) Orange (Jan. 4) BCS National Championship (Jan. 9) All-Star Games: East–West Shrine Game (Jan. 21) Senior Bowl (Jan. 28) Dixie Gridiron Classic (Feb. 4)

2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season Conference seasons ACC • Big 12 • Big East • Big Ten • Conference USA • Mid-American • Mountain West • Pac-12 • SEC • Sun Belt • WAC Bowl season 2011–12 NCAA football bowl games All-Americans 2011 College Football All-America Team

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