12/9/2024 UPDATE: The teams have now been announced for one of college football’s most exciting events of the year. The 2024 DIRECTV Holiday Bowl will feature the Syracuse Orange from the ACC versus the Washington State Cougars from the PAC 12.
Read on to get all the details about the game itself including dates, times, how to get to the game, my favorite place to stay near the stadium and where to watch in person or on television. I’ll also make sure to cover details about events taking place throughout the week of the game!
One of college football’s most exciting events, the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl, is returning to San Diego in 2024, this year at the all new Snapdragon Stadium. The event is also joining the list of our team’s favorite Christmas activities in San Diego.
Moving from last year’s temporary venue, PETCO Park, to the recently-built Snapdragon Stadium, built on the former site of Qualcomm Stadium, will make for a lively atmosphere you won’t want to miss!
Who’s Playing in the 2024 Holiday Bowl?
We now know that the 2024 DIRECTV Holiday Bowl should be a fantastic game between the ACC’s Syracuse Orange and the PAC 12’s Washington State Cougars.
The 2024 Holiday Bowl will be Washington State’s fifth appearance in the annual game and Syracuse’s first ever appearance. The team’s last played each other in 1979, so to say this is a rare matchup is a very true statement!
Let’s look at both team’s seasons starting with the Washington State Cougars.
The Washington Cougars Football Team
The Washington State Cougars out of the 2 team PAC 12 finished their regular season with 8 wins and 4 loses.
Washington State had a big win against their instate rival, the University of Washington Huskies in Seattle. The Huskies played for the 2023 National Championship coming up just short against the Michigan Wolverines.
The Cougars put up a valiant effort against Boise State, the eventual Mountain West Champions and 3 seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff, but came up just short in that contest.
Interestingly the Cougars will be making their second trip to Snapdragon Stadium of 2024 as they were hosted by the San Diego State Aztecs in late October winning by a final score of 29-26 at which point they were 7-1. Unfortunately they had a tough finish to their season losing 3 of their final 4 games.
But with 8 wins, I think that they are still a very good football team!
The Syracuse Orange Football Team
Syracuse, out of the Power 4’s ACC, finished their regular season with 9 wins and 3 loses, which puts them forth in the ACC conference standings.
The team’s final win of the season was probably their most notable in my opinion, coming at home against what was a one-loss Miami Hurricane’s team. The win by Syracuse cost the University of Miami a chance to play for the ACC title, and all but surely kept them out of the College Football Playoff as well, the new 12 team format started in 2024 to determine the National Champion.
So while neither of these teams made the 12 team tournament to play for a National Title, Syracuse played a big part in who made the field!
Entrance to Snapdragon Stadium
Will it Be a Good Game?
I will tell you that I’m not a gambler and our site doesn’t endorse gambling. But what I do know is that historically Las Vegas betting lines are often quite close to final scores of college football games and Las Vegas believes the 2024 Holiday Bowl will be a great game!
I recently saw the opening spread, or best guess of how much one of the team’s will win by set at just 4.5 points favoring Syracuse. That means that the odds are the game will be won or lost by less than a touchdown!
They also think the total points scored by both teams will be around 61.5, or that we’re looking at a game in the 30 to 27 range or perhaps 35 to 32. And while Syracuse is favored to win the game, we have college football fans on our team that have said that in NCAAF football, you just never know what will happen!
Having Fun at Snapdragon Stadium
When and Where to Watch the Holiday Bowl
In 2024, the game will be played at Snapdragon Stadium, which is here in San Diego’s Mission Valley. Since it’s so close, I’ll be watching the game in-person with my family. It’s my first time going to the Holiday Bowl (though I’m no stranger to watching San Diego sports like the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park) and we’re all excited!
Kickoff for the 2024 Holiday Bowl is scheduled for Friday, December 27th at 5:00 pm, but there are also lots of events both before and after the game, including a parade!
If you can’t catch the game in person, you can also watch it live on TV. The game will be aired on FOX. But if you can go, I’d really suggest it, as this is a great opportunity to make some awesome family memories right in San Diego!
Don't Miss the Balloon Parade
Experience the nation's largest balloon parade before the Holiday Bowl, and stay for fireworks to make the most of San Diego's festivities.