The final non-College Football Playoff bowl game has finally arrived.
No. 20 Arizona (9-3) and SMU (8-4) meet in the 2026 Holiday Bowl inside Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 2. It’s the third trip to the Holiday Bowl for the Wildcats, while it’s the Mustangs second trip to the bowl game.
Stream the Holiday Bowl live with Fubo (free trial)
Led by quarterback Noah Fifita, Arizona heads into the Holiday Bowl playing some of its best football: The Wildcats have won each of their last five games after losing back-to-back conference games in the middle of October. On top of Fifita, who has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 26 touchdown passes this season, two other Arizona players to watch for are defensive backs Dalton Johnson and Treydan Stukes, who’ve combined for eight interceptions.
SMU heads into the Holiday Bowl looking to bounce back from a Week 14 loss to Cal. The Mustangs’ road loss not only kept them out of the ACC Championship game, but also was the first domino of CFP Selection Sunday chaos that allowed two Group of Five programs make the 12-team field with Duke’s win of the ACC.
USA TODAY Sports is bringing live updates, scores and highlights of the game. Follow along:
Arizona vs SMU live score
This section will be updated.
Arizona vs SMU live updates
This section has been updated with new information
Pregame
SMU arrives for Holiday Bowl
The Mustangs are on site for their Holiday Bowl matchup against Arizona. SMU is looking for its first bowl win since 2012, when it was still a member of Conference USA.
What time does Arizona vs SMU start?
- Date: Friday, Jan. 2
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego)
Arizona and SMU are set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 2 in the Holiday Bowl inside Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.
What TV channel is Arizona vs SMU on today?
- TV channel: Fox
- Streaming options: Fox Sports Go app | Fubo (free trial)
Fox will broadcast the Holiday Bowl between Arizona and SMU on Jan. 2. Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt will broadcast the game from the booth at Snapdragon Stadium, with Jenny Taft reporting from the sidelines.
Streaming options for the game include the Fox Sports app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries Fox and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Stream the Holiday Bowl live with Fubo (free trial)
Arizona vs SMU predictions in Holiday Bowl
Here’s who experts within the USA TODAY Sports Network picked to win the Holiday Bowl:
- Matt Hayes: Arizona
- Jordan Mendoza: SMU
- Paul Myerberg: Arizona
- Erick Smith: Arizona
- Eddie Timanus: Arizona
- Blake Toppmeyer: SMU
Arizona vs SMU odds, spread for Holiday Bowl
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, Jan. 1
- Spread: Arizona -1.5
- Over/under: 51.5
- Moneyline: SMU (-105) | Arizona (-115)
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