Now that the Yellow Jackets are eligible to play in the postseason, the query of where — and whom and when — Georgia Tech will play in a bowl game will hover in the air over the next month.
Tech’s 28-23 win over No. 4 Miami on Saturday made it bowl eligible for a second straight season. The Jackets still have games remaining against North Carolina State (Nov. 21) and No. 11 Georgia (Nov. 29), respectively, and won’t officially find out their bowl selection until Dec. 8.
Here are the bowl games the ACC has agreements with for the 2024 postseason. Although Tech is likely to play in one of these matchups, it is not guaranteed to appear in any of them. The Jackets’ selection will be dictated by its final win-loss record, how many ACC teams are selected for the College Football Playoff and numerous other factors ahead of Dec. 8.
Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa; 3:30 p.m. Dec. 20; ESPN): The Gasparilla Bowl has tie-ins with the ACC, AAC and SEC, but in 2023 took a team out of the Big 12 — Central Florida — to face Tech. The Jackets ran away from UCF in a 30-17 win and running back Jamal Haynes was named the MVP after the win.
Birmingham Bowl (Birmingham, Alabama; noon or 3:30 p.m. Dec. 27; ESPN): Any eligible ACC, AAC or SEC teams can be chosen to play in the Birmingham Bowl played at Protective Stadium. The Jackets last played a postseason game in Birmingham in 1985 when they beat Michigan State in the All-American Bowl.
Holiday Bowl (San Diego; 8 p.m. Dec. 27; TBD): Played at Snapdragon Stadium on the campus of San Diego State, the Holiday Bowl pits an ACC team against a Pac-12 team. Tech has never played in the Holiday Bowl, nor has it played a game in San Diego.
Fenway Bowl (Boston; 11 a.m. Dec. 28; ESPN): Played at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, the Fenway Bowl takes a team from the ACC and a team from the AAC. Tech has played in Boston four previous times, winning at Boston College in three of those trips, but never in a postseason contest.
Pinstripe Bowl (New York; noon Dec. 28; ABC): An ACC team will face a Big Ten team in this game played at Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees. Tech last played in New York City in 1921 when it lost 28-7 to Penn State in a regular-season game at the Polo Grounds.
Pop-Tarts Bowl (Orlando; 3:30 p.m. Dec. 28; ABC): Having underwent an slew of name and location changes in its history, the Pop-Tarts Bowl is played at Camping World Stadium and features an ACC team and Big 12 team. Tech last played in Orlando in 2004 when it beat Syracuse 51-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl.
Military Bowl (Annapolis, Maryland; 5:45 p.m. Dec. 28; ESPN): Played at Navy-Marine Corp Stadium at the U.S. Naval Academy, the Military Bowl selects a team from the ACC and one from the AAC. Tech last played in Maryland in 2012 when it won at Maryland 33-13, one of six victories for the Jackets at their former ACC rival. The Jackets have also played at Navy six times and won 70-7 there in 2001.
Sun Bowl (El Paso Texas; 2 p.m. Dec. 31; CBS): The Jackets last visited El Paso in 2012 when they beat Southern California 21-7 in the Sun Bowl, a game played at a stadium by the same name on the campus of Texas El Paso. Tech also played in the 2011 Sun Bowl where it lost 30-27 to Utah in overtime and the 1970 Sun Bowl where it beat Texas Tech 17-9. This year’s game will feature an ACC team against a Pac-12 program.
Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Florida; 7:30 p.m. Jan. 2; ESPN): The Jackets are no stranger to the Gator Bowl, having played there in 2006, 1999, 1998, 1965, 1961, 1959, 1956. The Jackets last played in Jacksonville in 2016 where they beat Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Bowl. This year’s game will feature an ACC team against an SEC team.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Charlotte; 7:30 p.m. Jan. 3; ESPN): A Big Ten team and an ACC team will square off at Bank of America Stadium, home of the Charlotte Panthers. Tech last played in Charlotte in 2014 in an ACC championship game loss to Florida State.
