PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The UCF Knights, the only unbeaten team in the nation and the 2017 American Athletic Conference champions, learned their postseason bowl destination Sunday as the College Football Playoff Selection Committee paired the Knights against Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
UCF’s selection to a New Year’s Six bowl highlights a group of seven American Athletic Conference schools that will play in bowl games.
“I congratulate the student-athletes and coaches at UCF on their history-making season,” said American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco. “UCF has a unique opportunity to finish a perfect season against another quality Power Six opponent. We are proud of our conference’s record in New Year’s bowls in our brief history, and I know that UCF will represent our conference well in Atlanta.”
UCF’s appearance in Atlanta will mark the second time in three years that an American Athletic Conference team will play in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the third time in five years that The American has a team in the top New Year’s bowls. UCF was a 52-42 winner against Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl to cap the 2013 season, while Houston defeated Florida State 38-24 in the 2015 Peach Bowl.
UCF (12-0) was ranked No. 12 in the final College Football Playoff rankings of the season, the highest final ranking for an American Athletic Conference team in the four-year history of the CFP. The Knights are ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press and Amway Coaches’ polls and will face an Auburn team that is 10-3, had been ranked as high as No. 2 in the CFP rankings, and finished as the runner-up in the SEC.
Memphis, which won The American’s West Division title and dropped a double-overtime heartbreaker to UCF in the American Athletic Conference Championship Saturday, finished as the No. 20-ranked team by the College Football Playoff committee. The Tigers will play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl at their home stadium, where they will take on Iowa State (7-5) for the first time. Memphis is making its 10th bowl appearance and its first in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
“We are excited to be able to send an outstanding Memphis team to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl,” said Aresco. “Memphis has clearly established itself as one of the best and most exciting teams in the nation, and their performance in our championship game was magnificent. We are proud to give their loyal fans an opportunity to see their team in a prestigious bowl game in their home city.”
USF will return to a familiar and destination, and one that has been successful for the Bulls (9-2), who will face Texas Tech (6-6) in the Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. USF is 2-0 all-time in the Birmingham Bowl, including a 46-39 win against South Carolina last season. The Bulls have won four of their last five bowl games.
Houston will take on Fresno State in the Hawai’i Bowl. The Cougars will make their fifth straight bowl appearance and their 11th in 13 seasons. It will be the first meeting on the gridiron between Houston (7-4) and Fresno State (9-4), which finished as the Mountain West runner-up.
Navy will play in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman as the Midshipmen (6-5) face Virginia (6-6) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. The Midshipmen (6-5) will make their third appearance in the Military Bowl and its first since a 2015 win against Pittsburgh. Navy is making its fifth straight appearance in a bowl game.
SMU returns to a bowl game for the first time since 2012 as the Mustangs head to the DXL Frisco Bowl at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The Mustangs (7-5) will face Louisiana Tech for the first time since the 2004 season as SMU makes its 16th appearance in a bowl game.
Temple will make its third straight appearance in a bowl game as the Owls (6-6) face Florida International (8-4) in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. It will be the first appearance in the bowl for both teams and the first meeting between Temple and FIU.
“Our goal with our bowl lineup is always to provide compelling matchups for our teams in desirable locations that are accessible to our fans,” said Aresco. “I am proud to say that we have done that once again.”
2017 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BOWL SCHEDULE
DXL Frisco Bowl - Dec. 20
Toyota Stadium - Frisco, Texas
SMU (7-5) vs. Louisiana Tech (6-6), 8 p.m.
Television: ESPN
Series: Louisiana Tech leads, 3-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 16, 2004 (Louisiana Tech, 41-10)
Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl - Dec. 21
Tropicana Field - St. Petersburg, Florida
Temple (6-6) vs. Florida International (8-4), 8 p.m.
Television: ESPN
Series: First meeting
Birmingham Bowl - Dec. 23
Legion Field – Birmingham, Ala.
USF (9-2) vs. Texas Tech (6-6), Noon
Television: ESPN
Series: First meeting
Hawai’i Bowl – Dec. 24
Aloha Stadium – Honolulu, Hawaii
Houston (7-4) vs. Fresno State (9-4), 8:30 p.m.
Television: ESPN
Series: First meeting
Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman – Dec. 28
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium – Annapolis, Md.
Navy (6-5) vs. Virginia (6-6) , 1:30 p.m.
Television: ESPN
Series: Navy leads, 27-11
Last Meeting: Sept. 10, 1994 (Virginia, 47-10)
AutoZone Liberty Bowl – Dec. 30
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium – Memphis, Tenn.
Memphis (10-2) vs. Iowa State (7-5), 12:30 p.m.
Television: ABC
Series: First meeting
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Bowl – Jan. 1
Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, Ga., 12:30 p.m.
UCF (12-0) vs. Auburn (10-3)
Television: ESPN
Series: Auburn leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 6, 1999 (Auburn, 28-10)