Six College Teams Still Waiting for Their First Bowl Appearance This Decade

Akron Zips: Resurgence Halted by Late‑Season Slip

Joe Moorhead entered 2025 with the Zips at 2‑6 and still in bowl contention after four games remaining. Akron won three of its final four contests, but the overtime loss left the team at 5‑7, its best mark since the 2017 campaign. That finish included a .500 conference record for the first time since Terry Bowden’s tenure. A new quarterback, Reese Poffenbarger, arrived after stints at North Texas, Miami, Albany and Old Dominion, aiming to lift a passing attack that ranked near the bottom nationally in completion percentage (51.7%).

Charlotte 49ers: Coaching Turnover Hinders Progress

Charlotte flirted with respectability in 2024, sitting 3‑3 before a four‑game losing streak that included three defeats by over 30 points. Biff Poggi was dismissed, and interim coach Tim Brewster captured the final two victories, leaving the 49ers at 5‑7—tied for the best record since a 2019 Bahamas Bowl run. The 2025 season saw Tim Albin’s first year end in a 1‑11 record, averaging just 11.8 points per game against FBS opponents. Albin’s second season will begin with a daunting non‑conference slate that includes trips to Ole Miss and Appalachian State and a home game against Louisiana.

Louisiana‑Monroe Warhawks: A November Slump That Continues

Late‑season struggles have become a pattern for the Warhawks, who have lost 15 straight games in November dating back to 2022. After a 5‑1 start in 2024, the team went winless in its final five contests, finishing 8‑7 before November and 0‑9 in the month. Bryant Vincent’s squads have shown promise in early months—3‑1 in 2023 before an eight‑game slide—but the November collapse remains a致命 weakness. The 2025 schedule offers opportunities to break that streak, with home games against Southeast Louisiana and FAU plus a road game at UAB, and a first bowl appearance since a 2012 Independence Bowl loss.

Massachusetts Minutemen: Still Searching for a Win‑Column Breakthrough

Since moving to FBS 14 seasons ago, UMass has compiled a 26‑134 record and has never posted a season with five or more victories. The 2024 campaign under Joe Harasymiak ended in a 0‑12 defeat, extending a 24‑game losing streak against FBS foes. The Minutemen’s recent return to the MAC after nine independent years has not yet delivered the desired results on the field. Historically, the program did claim bowl victories in the pre‑1978 era, but those remain the only postseason wins in the modern era. Rebuilding will require improving the win total early in the 2025 season.

Stanford Cardinal: Power Conference’s Longest Bowl Drought

Stanford, the lone power‑conference team on the list, last appeared in a bowl in 2018 and has since posted a 24‑54 record over seven seasons. Interim coach Frank Reich’s 4‑8 mark in 2024 followed four consecutive 3‑9 campaigns, but the program remains far from a return to relevance. Tavita Pritchard, a former Cardinal quarterback and 17‑year coaching veteran, now leads the team after being recruited back by former teammate Andrew Luck, who serves as Stanford’s football general manager. The 2025 schedule begins at home against a high‑flying Hawaii squad and Miami, then ventures to Duke, Wake Forest and Notre Dame, setting up a crucial test for the rebuilding era.

Temple Owls: Bowl Drought Hits Four Seasons

K.C. Keeler’s first season in Philadelphia looked promising, with the Owls sitting at 5‑3 heading into the final month before losing their last four games, including a one‑point defeat at West Point. The American Conference is wide open, offering a chance to end a postseason drought that began with Rod Carey’s 2019 squad, which fell short in the Military Bowl. Temple’s 2025 slate includes early challenges against Penn State and Toledo, plus a short‑week conference opener versus Army, all while a new quarterback takes the reins. Success will likely hinge on securing early wins to build momentum for the rest of the year.