Cactus Bowl 2026: Date, Time, TV, Teams and Odds
The Cactus Bowl 2026 is Saturday, December 26, 2026, at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Kickoff is listed for 7:30 PM ET on ABC. The matchup features teams from the Big 12 and the Big Ten.
Cactus Bowl 2026 date, time and TV channel
| Detail | Cactus Bowl 2026 |
|---|---|
| Game | Cactus Bowl |
| Date | Saturday, December 26, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 7:30 PM ET |
| TV | ABC |
| Stadium | Mountain America Stadium |
| Location | Tempe, Arizona |
| Tie-ins | The Big 12 and the Big Ten |
| Teams | To be announced |
Who plays in the Cactus Bowl 2026?
The Cactus Bowl has tie-ins with the Big 12 and the Big Ten, per FBSchedules. A tie-in gives a conference a spot in the game, and the bowl and the conference choose which eligible team fills it.
Tie-ins are not guarantees. When a conference does not have enough bowl-eligible teams, or sends extra teams to the College Football Playoff, the spot goes to a team from another league.
Our bowl projections track which teams are in line for each game, and the full bowl game schedule lists every date and kickoff.
Cactus Bowl 2026 odds and prediction
There are no odds yet because there is no matchup. Sportsbooks post a point spread, a moneyline and a total within hours of the teams being announced. We will add the line at each major book here, with the date and time of the snapshot.
Our prediction will follow the same method we use all season: our own projection compared with the market, and a lean only when our number beats the line. Our free plays are on the free picks page.
What moves a bowl game line
- Opt-outs: players headed to the NFL draft sometimes skip non-playoff bowls.
- The transfer portal, which opens before many bowls are played.
- Coaching changes, including interim coaches calling plays.
- The layoff: most teams have not played in three weeks or more.
These factors make bowl lines move more than regular-season lines. Our guide on how to bet on college football explains spreads, totals and moneylines.