Bowl Schedule Includes No New Year's Day Games

ARLINGTON, Texas -- College football's bowl schedule has been released for the 2011-12 season, featuring 35 games over 23 days and ending with the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 9 in New Orleans.

The Football Bowl Association says the bowl season will open Dec. 17 with three games -- the New Mexico Bowl, the Humanitarian Bowl and the New Orleans Bowl.

The traditional bowl date of Jan. 1 will have no games since it falls on a Sunday, when the NFL plays a full schedule of games to close its regular season.

The Rose Bowl is Jan. 2, the Sugar is Jan. 3, the Orange is Jan. 4 and the Fiesta is Jan. 5.

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.