In 2024, 33 Group of Five teams competed in bowl games. And I project there will be about as many G5 representatives involved in bowl season this year as well.
And that’s not to mention we’ll see at least one G5 program compete in the College Football Playoff with the field at 12 teams again this season.
Here’s a look at HERO Sports’ G5 2025 bowl projections before Week 1. Remember: Bowls could always change, especially when factoring in the number of eligible teams from each conference.
College Football Playoff First-Round Prediction
For my G5 College Football Playoff prediction, I project Boise State will play Oregon with Oregon winning.
Even without Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty, Boise State is loaded on offense and defense. The Broncos have a good chance of going 11-1 during the regular season and winning the Mountain West. If they do, they’ll probably be the G5 team that makes it to the CFP.
I don’t discount Boise State, which is No. 1 in the HERO Sports G5 Preseason Top 25 Media Poll, from pulling off an upset in the first round of the CFP. But beating a team like Oregon or one of that caliber would be daunting, though.
Group of Five teams likely to play in the College Football Playoff:
- Boise State
- James Madison
- Tulane
- Navy
- Memphis
LA Bowl Prediction
For my LA Bowl prediction, I project San Jose State will play Oregon State with SJSU winning.
Aside from Boise State, I think San Jose State is the best team in the Mountain West this year. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Spartans have a winning record in conference play and make it to the conference championship game.
Teams likely to play in the LA Bowl:
- UNLV
- San Jose State
- Colorado State
- Washington State
- Oregon State
Salute To Veterans Bowl Prediction
For my Salute To Veterans Bowl prediction, I project North Texas will play Marshall with UNT winning.
Marshall may have gone through a coaching change, but I believe the Thundering Herd will be back in a bowl game this year. And as for North Texas, I believe the Mean Green will have a strong enough offense to make it to a bowl like this and win.
Teams likely to play in the Salute To Veterans Bowl:
- North Texas
- UTSA
- Army
- Marshall
- App State
Cure Bowl Prediction
For my Cure Bowl prediction, I project Texas State will play Central Michigan with Texas State winning.
I think Central Michigan will take a step up with Matt Drinkall as head coach this season. But I think Texas State will be one of the better teams in the Sun Belt and would win here.
Teams likely to play in the Cure Bowl:
- Texas State
- JMU
- Louisiana
- Central Michigan
- Ohio
68 Ventures Bowl Prediction
For my 68 Ventures Bowl prediction, I project Northern Illinois will play App State with Northern Illinois winning.
With Dowell Loggains at head coach, look for App State to get back to a bowl game this year. However, I think beating Northern Illinois, which should have a well-rounded squad this season, would be difficult.
Teams likely to play in the 68 Ventures Bowl:
- Texas State
- App State
- Northern Illinois
- Buffalo
- Toledo
Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction
For my Myrtle Beach Bowl prediction, I project Charlotte will play Southern Miss with Southern Miss winning.
I expect Charlotte to quickly improve now that Tim Albin is the head coach. But I also expect Southern Miss to make similar strides after Charles Huff joined the program.
Teams likely to play in the Myrtle Beach Bowl:
- Charlotte
- North Texas
- UTSA
- Southern Miss
- Marshall
Gasparilla Bowl Prediction
For my Gasparilla Bowl prediction, I project USF will play Florida State with USF winning.
Two years ago, USF beat Syracuse 45-0 in the Boca Raton Bowl. I think the Bulls could pull off a similar victory over a Power Four program.
Teams likely to play in the Gasparilla Bowl:
- USF
- UTSA
- Arkansas State
- Florida State
- Louisville
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Prediction
For my Famous Idaho Potato Bowl prediction, I project Miami (Ohio) will play Utah State with Utah State winning.
Miami (Ohio) should continue to be a powerhouse in the MAC this season. But now that Bronco Mendenhall is the head coach for the Aggies, I think Utah State will earn another bowl berth and would win here.
Teams likely to play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:
- Miami (Ohio)
- Ohio
- Utah State
- Fresno State
- UNLV
Boca Raton Bowl Prediction
For my Boca Raton Bowl prediction, I project UNLV will play Toledo with Toledo winning.
Even if UNLV struggled in a Week 0 win over Idaho State, I still believe the Rebels will earn bowl-eligibility in 2025. Though I expect Toledo, one of the better teams in the MAC, would win this matchup.
Teams likely to play in the Boca Raton Bowl:
- UNLV
- San Jose State
- Colorado State
- Toledo
- Ohio
New Orleans Bowl Prediction
For my New Orleans Bowl prediction, I project Louisiana will play Louisiana Tech with Louisiana winning.
Louisiana Tech looks like it will be one of the top four teams in Conference USA this season. But I think Louisiana, one of the better programs in the Sun Belt, would find a way to win here.
Teams likely to play in the New Orleans Bowl:
- Louisiana Tech
- UTEP
- JMU
- Louisiana
- Arkansas State
Frisco Bowl Prediction
For my Frisco Bowl prediction, I project Georgia Southern will play Western Kentucky with WKU winning.
Western Kentucky is my pick to win Conference USA this season, and that looks like a good pick after the Hilltoppers beat Sam Houston in Week 0. Still, Georgia Southern would be a tough matchup.
Teams likely to play in the Frisco Bowl:
- Georgia Southern
- Louisiana
- JMU
- Western Kentucky
- Liberty
Hawaii Bowl Prediction
For my Hawaii Bowl prediction, I project FAU will play Hawaii with Hawaii winning.
Hawaii may end up being a top-10 team in the Group of Five this season after the Rainbow Warriors beat Stanford in Week 0. I think they would manage to defeat FAU in this clash.
Teams likely to play in the Hawaii Bowl:
- Hawaii
- Colorado State
- FAU
- Charlotte
- East Carolina
GameAbove Sports Bowl Prediction
For my GameAbove Sports Bowl prediction, I project Nebraska will play Ohio with Ohio winning.
Yes, Ohio went through a coaching change this offseason, but the Bobcats return plenty of talent. I think they could pull off a win against a Power Four opponent in a bowl game.
Teams likely to play in the GameAbove Sports Bowl:
- Western Michigan
- Ohio
- Toledo
- Nebraska
- Wisconsin
Rate Bowl Prediction
For my Rate Bowl prediction, I project Colorado State will play Iowa State with Colorado State winning.
Iowa State looked pretty good in its win over Kansas State in Week 0. But look out for Colorado State this season. The Rams could also end up contending for a spot in the Mountain West title game.
Teams likely to play in the Rate Bowl:
- San Jose State
- Colorado State
- Fresno State
- Iowa State
- Kansas State
First Responder Bowl Prediction
For my First Responder Bowl prediction, I project SMU will play Old Dominion with SMU winning.
With a talented quarterback and one of the best linebacking corps in the country, keep an eye on Old Dominion in the Sun Belt. Still, I expect SMU will be one of the top teams in the FBS again after making the College Football Playoff in 2024.
Teams likely to play in the First Responder Bowl:
- Old Dominion
- App State
- Arkansas State
- SMU
- Duke
Military Bowl Prediction
For my Military Bowl prediction, I project Navy will play North Carolina with Navy winning.
With Bill Belichick at head coach, North Carolina should be capable of making a bowl game this year. But I think Navy, if it doesn’t make it to the College Football Playoff, would win this game at the line of scrimmage.
Teams likely to play in the Military Bowl:
- Navy
- East Carolina
- Charlotte
- North Carolina
- Duke
Fenway Bowl Prediction
For my Fenway Bowl prediction, I project Memphis will play Duke with Memphis winning.
Memphis was my preseason pick to win the American. The Tigers have a pretty good roster this year, and they’ve been known to beat Power Four programs in bowl games.
Teams likely to play in the Fenway Bowl:
- UTSA
- North Texas
- Memphis
- Duke
- NC State
Arizona Bowl Prediction
For my Arizona Bowl prediction, I project Buffalo will play Air Force with Buffalo winning.
I’m expecting a big bounce back for Air Force in 2025. Still, I think Buffalo is going to prove to be the best team in the MAC this year and would end up winning in a physical contest.
Teams likely to play in the Arizona Bowl:
- Buffalo
- Ohio
- Miami (Ohio)
- Air Force
- Colorado State
New Mexico Bowl Prediction
For my New Mexico Bowl prediction, I project UTEP will play James Madison with JMU winning.
JMU, in my opinion, is going to be one of the best teams in the G5 this season. While I do expect UTEP to make some strides in Year 2 of the Scotty Walden era, I think the Dukes would win here.
Teams likely to play in the New Mexico Bowl:
- UTEP
- Western Kentucky
- JMU
- Marshall
- Arkansas State
Birmingham Bowl Prediction
For my Birmingham Bowl prediction, I project UTSA will play Texas A&M with Texas A&M winning.
I expect UTSA will have one of the most productive offenses in the American this season. Going up against Texas A&M, or any SEC team with a winning record for that matter, would be difficult, though.
Teams likely to play in the Birmingham Bowl:
- UTSA
- Memphis
- Tulane
- Texas A&M
- Florida
Independence Bowl Prediction
For my Independence Bowl prediction, I project East Carolina will play Kansas State with East Carolina winning.
East Carolina made some major improvements late last season once Blake Harrell took over as head coach, and I expect the Pirates to keep that momentum in 2025. ECU beat a Power Four team in a bowl last year – 26-21 over NC State in the Military Bowl – and I think it could happen again.
Teams likely to play in the Independence Bowl:
- East Carolina
- USF
- UTSA
- Kansas State
- Kansas
Armed Forces Bowl Prediction
For my Armed Forces Bowl prediction, I project Army will play Liberty with Army winning.
Though Army is without some of its best players from last season, I still anticipate the Black Knights will play well enough to earn bowl-eligibility. Liberty should be one of the top teams in Conference USA this year, so this could prove to be a solid matchup.
Teams likely to play in the Armed Forces Bowl:
- Army
- UTSA
- Navy
- Liberty
- Western Kentucky
FBS Bowl Schedule For The G5
| Bowl | Bowl Tie-In | Date | TV |
| LA Bowl | MWC/Pac-12 | 12/13/25 | ESPN |
| Salute To Veterans Bowl | CUSA/MAC/SBC/AC | 12/16/25 | ESPN |
| Cure Bowl | G5 vs. G5 | 12/17/25 | ESPN |
| 68 Ventures Bowl | CUSA/MAC/SBC | 12/17/25 | ESPN |
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | CUSA/AC/MAC/SBC | 12/19/25 | ESPN |
| Gasparilla Bowl | CUSA/ACC/AC/SEC | 12/19/25 | ESPN |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | MAC/MWC | 12/22/25 | ESPN |
| Boca Raton Bowl | G5 vs. G5 | 12/23/25 | ESPN |
| New Orleans Bowl | CUSA/SBC | 12/23/25 | ESPN |
| Frisco Bowl | G5 vs. G5 | 12/23/25 | ESPN |
| Hawaii Bowl | AC/CUSA/MWC | 12/24/25 | ESPN |
| GameAbove Sports Bowl | Big Ten/MAC | 12/26/25 | ESPN |
| Rate Bowl | MWC/Big Ten/Big 12 | 12/26/25 | ESPN |
| First Responder Bowl | AC/CUSA/MWC/ACC/Big 12 | 12/26/25 | ESPN |
| Military Bowl | AC/ACC | 12/27/25 | ESPN |
| Fenway Bowl | AC/CUSA/ACC | 12/27/25 | ESPN |
| Arizona Bowl | MAC/MWC | 12/27/25 | CW |
| New Mexico Bowl | G5 vs. G5 | 12/27/25 | ESPN |
| Birmingham Bowl | AC/CUSA/SEC | 12/29/25 | ESPN |
| Independence Bowl | AC/CUSA/Big 12 | 12/30/25 | ESPN |
| Armed Forces Bowl | AC/CUSA | 1/2/26 | ESPN |
