Brett McMurphy of On3 confirmed Arizona will play in the Holiday Bowl against an opponent from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Arizona split its two Holiday Bowl appearances against Nebraska. The Wildcats beat the Cornhuskers in 1998 and lost in 2009.
Eleven ACC teams are bowl eligible. Four major sites projected Arizona in the Holiday Bowl in their final predictions after week 14., Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports and Kyle Bonagura of ESPN project Arizona to play Pittsburgh in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on January 2.
Pete Fiutak of the College Football News and Mark Schlabach of ESPN project Arizona in the Holiday Bowl against SMU. Arizona lost 16-10 in the 1979 Fiesta Bowl in their game against Pittsburgh. SMU beat Arizona in the inaugural game in the series in 1938 and the Wildcats won in Tucson in 1985.
Pittsburgh and SMU both finished the regular season with 8-4 overall records and 6-2 in the ACC. Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh and SMU finished tied for second place in the ACC. Duke earned a berth in the ACC Championship Game because of the records of its opponents.
More confirmed bowl destinations, sources told @On3sports
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 6, 2025
USC in Alamo Bowl vs. Big 12
Utah in Las Vegas Bowl vs. Big Ten
Arizona in Holiday Bowl vs. ACC
Arizona State in Sun Bowl vs. ACC
Complete list of confirmed matchups ⤵️https://t.co/Z4QMu99s85
Arizona finished the 2025 season with a 9-3 overall record, 6-3 in the Big XII and has a five-game winning streak entering its bowl game. Arizona, Arizona State and Houston tied for fourth place in the Big XII regular season standings. Texas Tech won the Big XII Title with a 34-7 win over BYU on Saturday.
Arizona is bowl eligible for the second time in the last eight seasons. Arizona defeated Oklahoma 38-24 in the 2023 Alamo Bowl. The Wildcats have nine wins, 11 losses and one tie in their bowl history. Arizona beat San Diego State 38-20 in the 2022 season opener in its only game at Snapdragon Stadium, where the Holiday Bowl is now played.