ReliaQuest Bowl kicks off Dec. 31 games on ESPN; Gasparilla Bowl is Dec. 20

TAMPA, Fla. — The ReliaQuest Bowl will kick off the Dec. 31 games at noon on ESPN, and the Gasparilla Bowl is set for Dec. 20, the Tampa Bay Bowl Association and ESPN announced as part of ESPN’s 2024-25 football bowl schedule release Thursday.

The game, which is played at Raymond James Stadium, matches teams from the Southeastern and the Big Ten conferences. 

“We are thrilled to kick off an exciting day of games leading into the New Year’s holiday,” ReliaQuest Bowl Chairman Greg Orchard said.  

Tickets will go on sale to the public in the fall through Ticketmaster, with details to come. Premium ticket packages are available now through the bowl office by calling 813-874-BOWL. 

The Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl is set to take place at Raymond James Stadium on Friday, Dec. 20, at 3:30 pm ET and will air on ESPN.

The teams for that game are selected from a group that includes the SEC, Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference.

Along with announcing the game date, the Gasparilla Bowl said it extended its partnership with Union Home Mortgage as the title sponsor for another two years, making the company the longest-tenured title sponsor in the bowl’s history.

Ticket information for the Gasparilla Bowl will be announced later this fall. 

The dates and times for Orlando’s two bowl games also were revealed Thursday.

The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl will move to New Year’s Eve this year, and the Pop-Tarts Bowl shifts to a Saturday, Dec. 28.

The Citrus Bowl, played at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, features the top teams from the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences. The 2024 game will be the 79th and will kick off at 3 p.m. on ABC.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl, which last year became a national sensation for its mascot and production, will start at 3:30 p.m. and also will air on ABC. Top teams from the ACC and Big 12 compete in the game at Camping World Stadium.

Tickets to both of this year’s games can be purchased now through Florida Citrus Sports. They won’t go on sale to the general public until the day after this year’s teams are selected Dec. 8.

This year’s bowl season will include the expanded 12-team College Football Playoffs for the first time. First-round games will be Dec. 20 and 21 at campus sites. The quarterfinals are Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2025, with the semifinals set for Jan. 9 and 10 and the championship game on Jan. 20.