June 3, 2026
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 20th JLab Birmingham Bowl is set for Tuesday, December 29. The game will be played at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala., and will feature teams from the Southeastern Conference, the American Athletic Conference or Atlantic Coast Conference. Kickoff is set for at 1 PM CT/2 PM ET and will air on ESPN. Participating teams will be announced on Sunday, December 6.
“Our staff has been reflecting on what the past two decades of great football in a great football city has looked like and we can’t wait to host this year’s participating teams, marching bands and fans as they experience the unique southern hospitality that only Birmingham can offer,” said Mark Meadows, JLab Birmingham Bowl Executive Director. “The holiday season is synonymous with college football, and we look forward to celebrating our 20th year with another competitive game at Protective Stadium.”
Tickets will go on sale to the public December 6th at www.birminghambowl.com. Premium seating, hospitality and branding opportunities are currently available through the JLab Birmingham Bowl office. Please contact Mark Meadows at mark.r.meadows@espn.com for more information.
Since the game’s inception in 2006, the Birmingham Bowl has generated over $195 million in economic impact for the Birmingham community according to figures provided by the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau. In addition, the Birmingham Bowl has donated over $520,000 to the Monday Morning Quarterback Club in support of its charitable arm, Quarterbacking Children’s Health Foundation.
The JLab Birmingham Bowl logo is attached and can be found here.
For more JLab Birmingham Bowl information, please visit birminghambowl.com. For up-to-the-minute information, please follow our social handles on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About JLab
JLab inspires people to create unique experiences through innovative personal technology. Our gear — headphones, earbuds, speakers, work peripherals and gaming — empowers consumers to imagine and design the experiences they want. Based in San Diego, we've been innovating and delivering the right products at the right value for more than 20 years — and we're just getting started. Learn more at JLab.com
About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2025-26 academic year, the 35-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, two college volleyball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
Local Media Contact: Heather Jeffcoat, 205-515-1972 or heather.jeffcoat@birminghambowl.com
Danny Chi, Danny.C.Chi@espn.com and Michael Skarka, Michael.Skarka@espn.com