After starting the season with three consecutive wins for the first time since 2015, Arizona is projected to earn a bowl berth in 2025. The Holiday and Sun Bowls are the most frequently projected postseason destination for Arizona after the 2025 season.
Arizona beat Oklahoma 38-24 in the 2023 Alamo Bowl in their only postseason appearance in the last eight years. The Wildcats have nine wins, 11 losses and one tie in their bowl history. Arizona lost 38-0 to Centre College in the 1922 San Diego East-West Christmas Classic in its inaugural Bowl Appearance.
Arizona lost its first four bowl appearances, tied Georgia 13-13 in its fifth bowl game before beating North Carolina 30-21 in the 1986 Aloha Bowl for its inaugural postseason victory. Arizona did not play in a bowl game from 1998 through 2008.
The Pac-12 still has tie-ins with multiple bowl games that involve teams who left the conference. Multiple projections have Arizona playing in one of those bowl games. Arizona needs to reach six wins to become bowl eligible.
Media Outlet | Bowl | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
Athlon Sports | Sun Bowl | December 31 | SMU |
CBS Sports | Holiday Bowl | January 2, 2026 | SMU |
College Football News | Holiday Bowl | December 31 | Louisville |
Kyle Bonagura ESPN | Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl | December 24 | Boise State |
Mark Schlabach, ESPN | Sun Bowl | December 31 | Notre Dame |
Boise State, who Kyle Bonagura of ESPN projects Arizona to play in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, is the only potential projected 2025 postseason opponent that the Wildcats have previously played in a bowl game. Boise State upset Arizona 38-30 in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl.
Arizona has alternated wins and losses in its last six bowl appearances since 2012. Arizona has never played Louisville or SMU and is 1-2 versus Notre Dame among its other projected bowl opponents in 2025. The 2014 Fiesta Bowl loss is the only time Arizona has played Boise State.
Among the projected bowl games, Arizona has two losses and a tie in the Sun Bowl and split games with Nebraska in two Holiday Bowl appearances. Arizona has never played in the Hawai'i Bowl. The Hawai'i Bowl was created in 2002 after the demise of the Aloha Bowl after the 2000 season.