Glossary category

College Football Postseason Glossary

Postseason terms explain what happens after the regular season, from bowl tie-ins to playoff qualification.

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Top Postseason Terms

All Postseason Definitions

5 terms

Bowl Game

A postseason college football game usually played after the regular season between bowl-eligible teams or teams selected through conference tie-ins and bowl agreements.

Bowl Opt-Out

A player's decision to skip a bowl game, often to prepare for the NFL Draft or avoid injury.

Bowl Tie-In

An agreement connecting a conference or team group to a specific bowl game.

New Year's Six

The major bowl games historically associated with the top tier of the postseason.

Postseason

The part of the season after the regular season, including conference championship games, bowl games, the College Football Playoff, and national championship games.

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Where does the data for this page come from?

This page uses CFBTrack curated college football datasets; Synchronized CFBD team, game, roster, and stat feeds where available.

What years and refresh cadence does this page cover?

Coverage years: 2026. Update frequency: Updated as curated CFBTrack sync jobs complete.