Most college football bowl matchups are announced on “Selection Sunday,” the Sunday after conference championship games, usually in early December.

Typical announcement timing

• The College Football Playoff matchups and the rest of the New Year’s Six bowls are revealed first in a TV selection show on that Sunday, and then the remaining bowl pairings roll out over the rest of the day.

• Exact times can vary slightly by year, but fans can expect the full bowl lineup to be known by Sunday evening of Selection Sunday.

Schedule vs. matchups

• The dates and times for bowl games (the overall bowl schedule) are usually released months in advance by organizers, media partners like ESPN, and the NCAA.

• Only the specific team matchups wait until Selection Sunday once final rankings and conference championship results are in.