Memphis football bowl predictions

August 22, 2026 - 21:51

With the college football season just around the corner, the first wave of bowl projections has hit the internet. Both ESPN and CBS Sports released their early postseason forecasts over the weekend, giving fans a glimpse of where their team might land in December. These are the first such predictions from either outlet in several months, and they are expected to be the final ones before the season kicks off.

For Memphis, the outlook is mostly positive. Both outlets see the Tigers returning to a bowl game for the ninth straight year, though they disagree on the destination. ESPN slots Memphis into the Frisco Bowl, a matchup that would pit the Tigers against a team from the American Athletic Conference or Conference USA. CBS Sports, meanwhile, has Memphis heading to the Hawaii Bowl, a festive trip that would come with a late-night kickoff and a unique travel experience for the program.

Neither projection is a major New Year's Six bid, but that is not a surprise for a team that is still trying to find its footing after a few coaching changes. The Tigers have a new offensive coordinator and a quarterback battle brewing, so the fact that national analysts still expect them to be bowl eligible says something about the talent on the roster. The schedule is not a cakewalk, with road games at Ole Miss and UCF, but the home slate includes several winnable matchups.

Of course, these predictions are just guesses. A lot can change between now and December, especially with injuries and the transfer portal. But for Memphis fans, it is nice to see the program still getting respect on a national level. The Tigers have not missed a bowl game since 2014, and both ESPN and CBS believe that streak will continue. Whether it is Frisco or Honolulu, the expectation is that Memphis will be playing somewhere in the postseason.