Bowl Projections: Where Could Arkansas State Land?
Arkansas State’s wild, come-from-behind 30–29 win over App State on Saturday didn’t just secure a .500 finish — it punched the Red Wolves’ ticket to the postseason for the third straight year. At 6–6, A-State is now one of 82 bowl-eligible programs in the FBS, and with the regular season officially in the books, national outlets are rolling out their final projections.
The official bowl matchups will be revealed Sunday, Dec. 7, but here’s how the national landscape views the Red Wolves heading into selection week — and what each potential destination could mean for the program.
Several outlets project Arkansas State toward the mid-tier Group of Five bowls, many of which would offer familiar storylines.
CBS Sports has the Red Wolves in the Birmingham Bowl, a matchup that would pit A-State against regional rival Memphis. The short travel and historical ties between the programs would make it one of the more intriguing and well-attended possibilities.
Athlon Sports forecasts a trip to Texas for the Frisco Bowl, pairing the Red Wolves with Missouri State, a former FCS power now rising in Conference USA. The Frisco Bowl also appears in ESPN Mark Schlabach’s projection, though he slots Louisiana Tech as the opponent.
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura sends Arkansas State to the Myrtle Beach Bowl, again projecting Missouri State as the opponent.
PFSN College sees the Red Wolves heading to the First Responder Bowl in Dallas to face UTSA, one of the AAC’s toughest and fastest-improving programs. It would be a challenging matchup — but one that would draw national attention.
One of the more notable projections comes from On3’s Brett McMurphy, who places the Red Wolves in the Independence Bowl to face Western Kentucky.
Regardless of the final landing spot, Arkansas State has now positioned itself for a third straight bowl appearance.