Why is Appalachian State in bowl game? Opt-outs opened door for 5-7 Mountaineers
- - Why is Appalachian State in bowl game? Opt-outs opened door for 5-7 Mountaineers
Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORKDecember 29, 2025 at 8:08 AM
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Appalachian State will take part in college football bowl season in 2025, although it took the Mountaineers numerous steps to get there.
Appalachian State will face rival Georgia Southern in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 29, setting up a Sun Belt rematch of Georgia Southern's 25-23 win earlier this season. The Mountaineers only won five games this season, but reached bowl season due to numerous others declining invites.
REQUIRED READING: College football bowl game schedule: The entire postseason lineup through CFP
Notre Dame, Iowa State and Kansas State all opted out of participating in bowl games, despite being eligible with at least six wins during the regular season. The decisions opened the door for Appalachian State, Rice and Mississippi State to swoop in with the opportunity to continue their seasons.
There were 82 bowl eligible teams for 41 bowl games this season, setting up a perfect number of six-win teams to reach the postseason. In typical college football fashion, things didn't work out perfect.
Here's a look at how Appalachian State secured a bowl game invitation despite finishing the season with a 5-7 record.
Why is Appalachian State in a bowl game?
Appalachian State took advantage of three bowl eligible teams — Notre Dame, Iowa State and Kansas State — opting out of bowl games in 2025.
Notre Dame opted out of bowl season after narrowly missing out on a College Football Playoff berth, whereas Iowa State and Kansas State underwent coaching transitions with Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers taking over the Cyclones and Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein heading back to the Wildcats.
Rice, Mississippi State and Appalachian State were the three replacement teams that went 5-7 this year to take their place.
Appalachian State was far from the first team asked to face Georgia Southern in the Birmingham Bowl, though. On3's Brett McMurphy reported in early December seven teams or more declined bowl invitations before asking the Mountaineers to rematch with their longtime rival. McMurphy said Florida State, Auburn, UCF, Baylor, Rutgers, Temple and Kansas all declined invitations.
"We are honored and excited to accept the JLab Birmingham Bowl's invitation to play Georgia Southern on December 29th," App State athletic director Doug Gillin said in an announcement. "Playing postseason football is special. It's another opportunity to display the App State brand in front of a national audience. We are excited for our football program and for App Nation for this opportunity to watch our team compete for a bowl championship."
The meeting between both rivals will be the first they've played in their history outside of either home stadium in Boone, Georgia, or Statesboro, Georgia. App State has secured its ninth bowl appearance in 11 seasons as an FBS program since moving up from the FCS level.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is App State in Birmingham Bowl? How 5-7 Mountaineers made game
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