San Diego’s college football calendar could be getting a big boost. After nearly a decade on the shelf, the Poinsettia Bowl is reportedly on track to return to the postseason lineup in 2026, which would restore a second December bowl weekend in town alongside the Holiday Bowl, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Sources told On3 that the returning Poinsettia Bowl is expected to share the 2026 bowl slate with a new Puerto Rico game. That pair would fill slots vacated by bowls that did not come back last season, including the Bahamas Bowl, the LA Bowl and Detroit’s GameAbove Sports Bowl. On3 reports the San Diego game could match the Mountain West champion against teams from the reconstituted Pac-12, and notes that bowl and conference tie-ins have been extended by an extra year while the future College Football Playoff format gets sorted out. Official dates are not likely to be released until summer, the outlet added.
The San Diego Union-Tribune fills in the local picture, reporting that the revived game would most likely land in mid-December at Snapdragon Stadium. Sports San Diego CEO Mark Neville would neither confirm nor deny the bowl’s comeback, according to the paper. The original Poinsettia Bowl ran from 2005 through 2016 and drew about 387,171 fans in total, an average of roughly 32,264 per game. Snapdragon, home to San Diego State football, is widely viewed as the obvious modern host if the game returns.
Why The Bowl Was Shelved
The Poinsettia Bowl was shut down after the 2016 game. In 2017, the San Diego Bowl Game Association, which is now operating as Sports San Diego, opted to focus its resources on the Holiday Bowl because of mounting sponsorship and attendance pressures, according to Sports Business Journal. Organizers said at the time that keeping two major postseason games afloat in a single market had become increasingly difficult as Poinsettia crowds thinned in its later years.
What A Return Would Mean
If the Poinsettia does come back in 2026, San Diego would join a small group of cities that host multiple bowl games in the same postseason. That setup, On3 notes, could bring a fresh wave of late-season visitors and added revenue into the region. Before fans start circling dates, though, matchups, television windows and a title sponsor all still have to be nailed down, and bowl organizers are closely watching conference decisions and the evolving playoff format.
Next Steps And Timeline
For now, Sports San Diego and bowl officials have not released a formal schedule or named any sponsors, and local leaders say they are waiting on conference and broadcast approvals before going public with plans.
