The Bahamas Bowl is dead, and the Xbox Bowl is taking its place.
ESPN Events announced on Thursday that Missouri State will face Arkansas State in the first-ever Xbox Bowl on Dec. 18 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The Bahamas Bowl had been on shaky ground for years. It wasn’t played in 2023 either, because of renovations at Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, which forced the bowl to relocate to Charlotte. It returned last season when Buffalo beat Liberty 26-7, a game that became memorable for all the wrong reasons when Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell wore a “Jesus won” t-shirt while his team got blown out.
ESPN announced in June that the Bahamas Bowl wouldn’t be played this season. The statement said MAC and Conference USA tie-ins would be fulfilled through other ESPN-owned games, leaving the door open for something else to fill the void.
Note from ESPN on the Bahamas Bowl:
“While the Bahamas Bowl will not be played during 2025-26 Bowl Season, league commitments will be fulfilled through other ESPN owned-and-operated games.”
— FBSchedules.com (@FBSchedules) June 5, 2025
The Xbox Bowl is that something else.
Xbox is the new title sponsor, marking the gaming giant’s first move into college football’s postseason. The company is planning Xbox-themed activations throughout the game, though the specifics remain vague. Chris Lee, Vice President of Xbox Marketing, said the partnership with ESPN Events is about bringing fans closer to the action, whether they’re in the stands, watching at home, or playing with friends.
The Bahamas Bowl was always a little weird, a little offbeat. A January football trip to the Bahamas for two teams that spent most of their season in the ESPN+ window. But weird is good. Weird is bowl season. And now, Xbox will have to figure out how to bring its own version of weird to Frisco.
