Citrus Bowl Set for Saturday, Jan. 2 at Noon ET on ABC

Game to feature SEC vs. Big Ten matchup at Camping World Stadium in Orlando

ORLANDO, Florida — The 81st Citrus Bowl, featuring top teams from the Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences, will be held on Saturday, Jan. 2 at noon ET, with a national broadcast on ABC. Florida Citrus Sports officials confirmed the details Wednesday as part of ESPN’s 2026-27 football bowl schedule release.

This season’s contest — the first Saturday Citrus Bowl since 2022 — marks 35 years since the bowl adopted its current SEC vs. Big Ten format. The game will be played at Camping World Stadium, which will host the event at a reduced capacity as the venue undergoes a $400 million renovation set for completion in 2027.

Last year, in the milestone 80th edition of the game, No. 14 Texas defeated No. 18 Michigan 41-27. The Longhorns were led by QB Arch Manning, who earned MVP honors after racking up 376 yards of offense (221 passing, 155 rushing) and four total TDs to lead Texas to victory in the program’s first-ever Orlando bowl appearance.

Florida Citrus Sports’ second bowl game, the Pop-Tarts Bowl, features teams from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 Conferences and will be played on Tuesday, Dec. 29, at 5:30 p.m. ET, with coverage on ESPN.

Tickets to both the Citrus Bowl and the Pop-Tarts Bowl are available now exclusively through FCS Stadium Pass packages and will go on sale to the public after teams are selected on Sunday, Dec. 6. For more information regarding FCS membership and other Stadium Pass offerings, visit StadiumPassOrlando.com.