When Is The Gator Bowl? Date, Time, TV, Channel, How To Watch ...

Thanks to a stunning change of events caused by Texas A&M pulling out of the game, Rutgers is expected to face Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl on Friday, December 31, 2021 (12/31/21) at TIAA Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.

Fans who want to watch the game in person can get tickets at StubHub.

Fans can see the game from home can watch for free via a trial of fuboTV.

Here’s what you need to know:

What: Gator Bowl

Who: Wake Forest vs. Rutgers

When: Friday, December 31, 2021

Time: 11 a.m. ET

Where: TIAA Bank Field

TV: ESPN

Channel finder: Verizon Fios, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling.

Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)

***

RELATED STORIES ABOUT SPORTS ON TV

How to watch 2021 college football with ESPN Plus

How to watch NFL RedZone for free during 2021 football season

How to watch NHL during 2021-22 season: Live streams options

Here is why Texas A&M, the team Rutgers is replacing, pulled out of the game, via the Associated Press:

No. 23 Texas A&M won’t play in the Gator Bowl against No. 20 Wake Forest on Dec. 31 because of COVID-19 issues and season-ending injuries, the team announced Wednesday.

“It is unfortunate, but we just don’t have enough scholarship players available to field a team,” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said in a news release.

The Aggies (8-4) were scheduled to leave for Jacksonville on Sunday. The team did not provide any details on the COVID-19 issues or injuries on the team.

“It is heartbreaking for our players, coaches, staff and fans that we are not able to play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl,” athletic director Ross Bjork said. “Postseason football is the pinnacle of the season and when the opportunity is lost, it hurts on many levels.

“As we have learned in the last 21 months of this health challenge, the well-being and safety of our student-athletes is paramount,” he continued. “Our players poured their heart and soul into this season and we appreciate their dedication as Aggies. Aggie football is on track for long-term success and we know that the best is yet to come.”

Wake Forest (10-3) is holding out hope of finding another team to play in the Gator Bowl to cap a 10-win season that included winning an Atlantic Coast Conference division title.

Athletic director John Currie said Wednesday that he was “heartened” that at least five teams had reached out to express potential interest in playing, including one team that has already played in a bowl game.

Coach Dave Clawson met with the team captains earlier Wednesday for them to decide whether they wanted to play. The answer was yes, but with a “qualifier” that they didn’t want to work out and practice through the holidays if the game was unlikely to come together.

“I think for our players, in fairness to them, if we’re going to keep them over the Christmas holiday, we probably need to know something fairly early Friday,” Clawson said. “We wanted to give it enough time so there was an opportunity to find an opponent. But again, our players – and you can understand this – if they’re not going to be playing in a bowl game, they wanted to be able to spend the holidays with their families.”

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust.

Brian Fonseca may be reached at [email protected].