Which bowls are possible for Iowa football in 2024

IOWA CITY — Ironically in a stadium that also hosts one of the most prestigious bowl games, Iowa’s 20-17 loss to UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Friday surely did not do wonders for Hawkeye fans’ enthusiasm ahead of a postseason bowl matchup.

The Hawkeyes have a reputation with bowl organizers, though, that may be helpful when vying for an invitation from one of the better mid-tier college football bowls.

“The (Iowa) fan base — they’re pretty legendary in postseason college football and in college athletics about just being loyal and a lot of them,” Music City Bowl CEO Scott Ramsey told The Gazette in 2022. “And they travel, and they support their team.”

Any bowl discussion comes with the caveat that a lot can change between now and the end of the season. If Iowa wins its next two games and goes 8-4, that’s obviously more appealing to bowl organizers than a 6-6 team. The former Pac-12 teams in the Big Ten also will be vying for a different set of bowl games.

A College Football Playoff berth has been entirely out of the question since last month’s loss to Michigan State. The Citrus Bowl also is off the table because Iowa was there last year.

With that being said, here is a breakdown of Iowa’s bowl possibilities (listed in order of prestige/selection):

ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly known as Outback Bowl)

Date: Dec. 31

Location: Tampa, Fla.

Opposing conference: SEC

This is the best-case scenario for the four-loss Hawkeyes. As long as they win their next two games, it also might be the most likely scenario.

If Ohio State, Indiana and Penn State all make it into the 12-team CFP, Iowa then will need to be one of the two most appealing options left on the table to go to the ReliaQuest Bowl. (The top non-CFP team will go to the Citrus Bowl.)

That remains a realistic possibility, especially considering Iowa has not been there since 2018. Hawkeye fans have a track record of traveling well for this bowl game in particular as well.

Illinois was there two years ago, and Minnesota has not always been the most appealing candidate for upper-tier bowl games. That leaves Nebraska and Michigan as the potentially the biggest obstacles to an Iowa return to Tampa.

Nebraska’s ravenous fan base has not been to a bowl game since 2016, and Michigan has an obvious appeal from a TV ratings standpoint. But both teams’ recent losses — Michigan’s (albeit-expected) loss to Indiana and Nebraska’s loss a week earlier to UCLA — did not help their cases.

Given the depth and strength of the SEC this year, whichever team represents the Big Ten in this matchup will likely be the underdog.

Likelihood: Likely

Music City Bowl

Date: Dec. 30

Location: Nashville, Tenn.

Opposing conference: SEC

The Music City Bowl would be the next-best option.

Iowa was there two years ago, though, whereas other schools have not been there as recently (if they’ve been there at all). Nebraska was last there in 2016, and Minnesota’s last trip to Music City was in 2005. Michigan and Illinois have never been there.

The recency issue does not entirely preclude the Hawkeyes from going to Nashville again in 2024, as evident by Iowa’s two trips to Orlando in the last three years. But when Iowa was there in 2022, the game drew only 42,312 fans.

Likelihood: Possible

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Pinstripe Bowl

Date: Dec. 28

Location: New York, N.Y.

Opposing conference: ACC

There are a couple different scenarios where the Pinstripe Bowl could become a more likely destination.

The most notable one is if Iowa loses to either Maryland or especially Nebraska. If Nebraska has the same or a similar record as Iowa, the Huskers could potentially get picked ahead of the Hawkeyes. Another would be if one or more of the Big Ten’s CFP-contending teams fall off the bracket and cause a bowl-selection chain reaction.

It would be Iowa’s first trip to the Pinstripe Bowl since 2017, which would work in the Hawkeyes’ favor. Given the adverse field conditions that come with playing a football game on a baseball field, bowl opt-outs could be a concern in this game.

Likelihood: Likely

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Date: Jan. 3

Location: Charlotte, N.C.

Opposing conference: ACC

Iowa fans might not want to hold their breath to see Kirk Ferentz gets doused with a mayonnaise bath — a tradition for the winning coach in this bowl game. But it still remains a possibility for the 2024 Hawkeyes.

There could potentially be seven legacy Big Ten teams who are bowl-eligible and outside of the CFP. Four of those teams would have to be selected ahead of the Hawkeyes for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to be an option.

Likelihood: Unlikely

Rate Bowl

Date: Dec. 26

Location: Phoenix

Opposing conference: Big 12

Christmas would come early for the Rate Bowl (formerly known as the Guaranteed Rate Bowl) if the Hawkeyes fell this low in the selection process.

The Hawkeyes would be especially appealing for the Rate Bowl considering the size of its fan base, including many older Iowans who spend their winters in Arizona. But a scenario where bowls choose Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin all over the Hawkeyes seems improbable.

Likelihood: Unlikely

GameAbove Sports Bowl

Date: Dec. 26

Location: Detroit

Opposing conference: MAC

As is the case in most years, the odds of Iowa celebrating the day after Christmas in Detroit are minimal. Even in the unlikely event that Iowa stumbles its way to a 6-6 finish, it is hard to envision a scenario where the Rate Bowl does not pick the Hawkeyes.

Likelihood: Very unlikely

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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