By Luke Fletcher | Atlanta, GA

After several reports hinted at a potential BYU–Notre Dame bowl matchup in Florida, Notre Dame abruptly shut the door on that idea, announcing it would withdraw “as a team” from bowl consideration. For both No. 12 BYU and No. 11 Notre Dame, programs left on the outside looking in when the College Football Playoff revealed its final 12-team field, it would’ve been an unwanted consolation prize anyway.

With the Irish out, the pairing shifted. Now it’s BYU vs. Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on December 27 in Orlando, a Top-25 showdown built for storylines, with a 3:30pm kick and televised nationally on ABC. The game pits an underdog Georgia Tech squad against a highly ranked BYU team that narrowly missed the CFP cut. Oddsmakers opened BYU as a 3.5-point favorite.

“This is a huge, huge game for us,” said Georgia Tech coach  Brent Key. “We have one mission, and that is to go to Orlando to win a football game. Bottom line.  We are really, really excited to play BYU. Two really good teams, but also two teams that I think go about doing things the right way and have high values, high character. This should be a really good football game.”

The No. 12 Cougars enter this bowl with plenty to prove after falling to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship. At 11–2, with a strong resume and both losses coming to the same opponent, BYU had every reason to believe it was in the playoff conversation. Now, they’ll try to turn that frustration into fuel on December 27. This game gives the Cougars a chance to close the season on a high note and show why they deserved that No. 12 ranking.

“I don’t know all the other specifics behind it, the details,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. speaking on the premature reports of Notre Dame and BYU playing in a bowl. “We’re just honored to play Georgia Tech. They do a lot of things that will be difficult for us (to play against), and I know they’re going to be at their best, and we have to be at ours, too.”

Under head coach Brent Key, Georgia Tech has made a bowl game three consecutive years, though their recent bowl performance stands at 1-1. The Yellow Jackets enter as underdogs against a ranked Cougar squad seeking redemption. Georgia Tech will need strong execution, disciplined defense, and minimal mistakes to compete with BYU’s talent level. December 27 will reveal whether the Yellow Jackets can execute at bowl-game level against a ranked opponent. Go Jackets!

• Date: Saturday, December 27,  2025  3:30 pm. ET
• City: Orlando, Florida
• Venue: Camping World Stadium
• TV: ABC

Tech fans are urged to strengthen the Yellow Jackets’ candidacy for future premier bowl selections, as well as guarantee the best seats alongside other Yellow Jacket fans in exclusive Tech seating areas, by purchasing bowl tickets directly from Georgia Tech. CLICK HERE TO REQUEST TICKETS TO SIT IN THE GEORGIA TECH SECTION(S)

GAME DAY SCHEDULE:

8 a.m. – RV Parking Lot (Lot 4) Opens

10:30 a.m. – General Parking Lots Open

10:30 a.m. – FREE Stadium Shuttle Starts

11:30 a.m. – FanFest Opens

12:00 p.m. – Pregame Hospitality Opens

1:30 p.m. – Stadium Gates Open

3:30 p.m. – Kickoff