BYU Football Set To Play In Their 40th Bowl Game

PROVO, Utah – BYU football will play the SMU Mustangs in the 2022 New Mexico Bowl on December 17. It’s the second time BYU has ever faced the Mustangs in a bowl game.

The bid to the New Mexico Bowl is significant in terms of the number of all-time bowl games they have reached.

The 2022 New Mexico Bowl marks #BYU's 40th bowl game as a program. They are one of 23 schools to reach 40 all-time bowl appearances.#BYUFootball @kslsports

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 4, 2022

BYU is one of 23 programs claiming 40-plus bowl appearances in their history. Others that joined BYU this season in the 40 bowl club include Notre Dame, Texas Tech, and Washington.

The school with the most bowl game appearances is Alabama, with 75.

.@BYUfootball is headed to the @NMBowl for a meeting with @SMUFB. #BYU #GoCougs #BYUFOOTBALL https://t.co/qF6zvDzq1f pic.twitter.com/cPbNriBYhU

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 4, 2022

Programs that have reached the 40-bowl game threshold are among the top programs in college football. They include Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Tennessee, LSU, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Miami (FL). All but four of those teams will be playing in a bowl game to close out the 2022 season.

How many bowl games has BYU played?

BYU has appeared in 39 bowl games all-time. The 2022 season will be their 40th bowl game. BYU’s record in those postseason games is 16-22-1—a measly winning percentage of 42.3%.

Under BYU coach Kalani Sitake, the Cougars are entering their sixth postseason appearance. They are 3-2 in the last five postseason opportunities under Sitake.

BYU football bowl game history

2021: Independence Bowl – UAB (28-31, Loss)

2020: Boca Raton Bowl – UCF (49-23, Win)

2019: Hawaii Bowl – Hawaii (34-38, Loss)

2018: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Western Michigan (49-18, Win)

2016: Poinsettia Bowl – Wyoming (24-21, Win)

2015: Las Vegas Bowl – Utah (28-35, Loss)

2014: Miami Beach Bowl – Memphis (48-55, Loss)

2013: Fight Hunger Bowl – Washington (16-31, Loss)

2012: Poinsettia Bowl – San Diego State (23-6, Win)

2011: Armed Forces Bowl – Tulsa (24-21, Win)

2010: New Mexico Bowl – UTEP (52-24, Win)

2009: Las Vegas Bowl – Oregon State (44-20, Win)

2008: Las Vegas Bowl – Arizona (21-31, Loss)

2007: Las Vegas Bowl – UCLA (17-16, Win)

2006: Las Vegas Bowl – Oregon (38-8, Win)

2005: Las Vegas Bowl – Cal (28-35, Loss)

2001: Liberty Bowl – Louisville (10-28, Loss)

1999: Motor City Bowl – Marshall (3-21, Loss)

1998: Liberty Bowl – Tulane (27-41, Loss)

1996: Cotton Bowl – Kansas State (19-15, Win)

1994: Copper Bowl – Oklahoma (31-6, Win)

1993: Holiday Bowl – Ohio State (21-28, Loss)

1992: Aloha Bowl – Kansas (20-23, Loss)

1991: Holiday Bowl – Iowa (13-13, Tie)

1990: Holiday Bowl – Texas A&M (14-65, Loss)

1989: Holiday Bowl – Penn State (39-50, Loss)

1988: Freedom Bowl – Colorado (20-17, Win)

1987: All-American Bowl – Virginia (16-22, Loss)

1986: Freedom Bowl – UCLA (10-31, Loss)

1985: Citrus Bowl – Ohio State (7-10, Loss)

1984: Holiday Bowl – Michigan (24-17, Win)

1983: Holiday Bowl – Missouri (21-17, Win)

1982: Holiday Bowl – Ohio State (17-47, Loss)

1981: Holiday Bowl – Washington State (38-36, Win)

1980: Holiday Bowl – SMU (46-45, Win)

1979: Holiday Bowl – Indiana (37-38, Loss)

1978: Holiday Bowl – Navy (16-23, Loss)

1976: Tangerine Bowl – Oklahoma State (21-49, Loss)

1974: Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma State (6-16, Loss)

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s BYU football coverage on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.

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