Dates Set for 2025 Orlando Bowl Slate
Pop-Tarts Bowl – Saturday, Dec. 27 at 3:30 p.m.
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl – Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 3 p.m.
Game dates and kickoff times for Orlando’s Pop-Tarts Bowl and Cheez-It Citrus Bowl games were announced this afternoon as part of ESPN’s 2025-26 college football schedule release.
After one of the most talked-about bowl games in recent memory, filled with unforgettable moments on and off the field, the Pop-Tarts Bowl is set to return in 2025, with the internet’s favorite postseason clash slated for Saturday, Dec. 27 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. FCS confirmed the details Thursday as part of ESPN’s 2025-26 football bowl schedule release.
This year’s game — the third under Pop-Tarts’ title partnership — will be the 36th edition of the bowl overall and the 25th played at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium. It also marks the 12th consecutive season the game will feature top programs from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 Conferences.
Last year, No. 18 Iowa State outlasted No. 13 Miami 42-41 in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The one-point thriller was the closest finish in bowl history and capped a milestone campaign for the Cyclones, who secured the program’s first 11-win season and brought a first-of-its-kind functioning toaster trophy back to Ames.
Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht also took home MVP honors thanks to 270 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air — plus a go-ahead rushing touchdown run with 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter. After the final whistle, Becht chose the Frosted Cinnamon Roll mascot to be toasted and devoured by his teammates in one of the most talked-about moments of the postseason (click below for video).
The 80th edition of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl is set for Wednesday, Dec. 31, closing out a yearlong celebration of one of college football’s most historic postseason games. The New Year’s Eve matchup, featuring top teams from the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences, will kick off at 3 p.m. ET on ABC, serving as a lead-in to that evening’s College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
First played in 1947 as the Tangerine Bowl, the Citrus Bowl is the seventh-oldest bowl game in college football. Throughout the 2025 season, FCS will commemorate the milestone with a series of events and storytelling initiatives celebrating eight decades of rich history, community impact and unforgettable moments.
The 2025 matchup marks the 30th time the Citrus Bowl will be played in December and the third time it will be held on New Year’s Eve. In last season’s game, also played on Dec. 31, No. 20 Illinois defeated No. 15 South Carolina 21-17. Illini running back Josh McCray earned MVP honors with 114 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, lifting the Illini to their first 10-win season since 2001.
Tickets to both the Pop-Tarts Bowl and the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl are available now exclusively through Florida Citrus Sports membership and will go on sale to the public after teams are selected on Sunday, Dec. 7.
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