The regular season is over but there is still more college football to be played for five college football teams from North Carolina. While the Tarheels from Chapel Hill aren't among that group, these five teams from North Carolina will be continuing the action in postseason bowl games.

Fresh off an ACC Championship win, Duke will play Arizona State in the Sun Bowl in El Paso on Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. EST. The Blue Devils were excluded from the College Football Playoffs despite Saturday’s 27-20 win against Virginia for the ACC title. According to the Duke Chronicle, this will be the Blue Devils 18th bowl appearance. 

Duke faced a rough start to the season with multiple injuries and losses. Despite their challenges, head coach Manny Diaz led the team to an 8-5 record. Arizona State finished out the regular season in the Pac-12  with a similar record of 8-4. The last time Duke and Arizona State met was at the 2016 Sun Bowl.

NC State is making its 6th straight bowl game appearance against Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa on Dec 19, at 2:30 p.m. EST. The Gasparilla Bowl will be the first time that these two football programs have played each other.

NC State comes in with a 7-5 record while Memphis finished off the regular season 8-4. Memphis holds the longest non-Power 4 program bowl game streak with 12 straight appearances. The Wolfpack has attended 11 bowl games under head coach Dave Doeren's 13 seasons, but a win in Tampa will mark the program's first bowl game victory in 8 years.

Wake Forest is facing off against Mississippi State in the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte on Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. EST. This matchup at Bank of America Stadium will mark the second time in program history that Wake Forest and Mississippi State have met.

The Bulldogs secured a bowl invitation by a long shot after a 5-7 season. The Demon Deacons are coming off a more successful 8-4 season, led by first-year coach Jake Dickert. This will be the 8th bowl appearance for Wake Forest in the past 10 years and Mississippi State's 27th all-time bowl appearance.

The Bank of America Stadium has become a home away from home for the Demon Deacons, with most of the program's away games being played in the Queen City stadium.

East Carolina and Pittsburgh will meet at the Military Bowl in Annapolis on Dec. 27 at 11 a.m. EST. This matchup at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium will be the fifth meeting between ECU and Pitt.

The Pirates and the Panthers both posted impressive 8-4 regular-season records. ECU succeeded with the most regular-season wins since 2014, while Pitt finished with two disappointing losses that cost them a chance in the College Football Playoff.

ECU defeated NC State 26-21 in the 2025 Military Bowl, and they will look to repeat a win in this year's matchup against Pittsburgh.

Sun Belt rivals, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern are facing off on Dec 29. at the Birmingham Bowl at 2 p.m. EST. The NCAA was rejected by seven different programs before App State finally accepted its offer in the bowl game.

App State grabbed its bowl game spot by surprise after a 5-7 season under first-year head coach Dowell Loggains. Georgia Southern finished with a 6-6 record, with one of its wins being away against the Mountaineers. This marks App State's 9th and Georgia Southern's 8th postseason bowl game.

The rivalry between App State and Georgia Southern dates all the way back to 1932, with the Mountaineers holding a 22-18-1 all-time record against the Eagles. The Birmingham Bowl will be the first time in history that these two teams have met outside either of the program's home stadiums. And it's all because of the weirdness of this year's bowl season.