SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (June 3, 2026) – The 2026 Valero Alamo Bowl will be played on Tuesday, December 29 at 8:00 p.m. CT at the Alamodome and televised nationally on ESPN.
The 2026 game will mark the 15th time in the Bowl’s 34-year history that the Valero Alamo Bowl has been played on December 29, the most common date in event history. The most recent December 29 matchup came in 2022 when #12 Washington defeated #20 Texas, 27-20.
The Valero Alamo Bowl will continue its current selection format for the 2026 season, matching the first selection from two 12-member pools following the announcement of the College Football Playoff (CFP) field.
The Big 12 Conference pool includes Baylor, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, and West Virginia.
The Pac-12/former Pac-12 pool includes Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, and Washington State.
The format has been utilized over the past two seasons and delivered the most-watched Valero Alamo Bowl in history in 2024 and one of the most dramatic finishes in Bowl history with TCU’s walk-off overtime touchdown against USC last season.
Tickets for the 2026 Valero Alamo Bowl will go on sale this summer, but interested buyers can join the Priority Wait List at alamobowl.com.
The first of 15 events on the Valero Alamo Bowl’s 2026 calendar is the PNC Pigskin Preview luncheon on Wednesday, August 26 at the Alamodome.
“The Valero Alamo Bowl remains one of college football’s premier postseason events, and we’re excited to welcome another primetime matchup to San Antonio on December 29,” said Jeff Rummel, 2026 Valero Alamo Bowl Chair. “After last year’s memorable overtime game, we look forward to delivering another outstanding Bowl Week experience for our fans, student-athletes, partners, and city.”
About the Valero Alamo Bowl
Founded in 1993, the Valero Alamo Bowl was created to generate positive economic impact, national exposure, and memorable experiences for San Antonio and participating universities.
In 33 bowl games, the organization has generated more than $1.2 billion in total economic impact, delivered 177.7 million viewers on ESPN, welcomed 1.93 million fans to the Alamodome, and contributed more than $185.3 million to higher education through team payouts ($172 million) and local scholarships ($13.3 million).
Last season, the Valero Alamo Bowl selected 183 students representing every San Antonio area high school and university to receive a Valero Alamo Bowl record $1.28 million in scholarship awards. This total is number one in local giving among all 40-plus bowl games.
For more information, visit www.alamobowl.com.