Mississippi State football is headed to the Duke's Mayo Bowl

If you thought Mississippi State football's 2025 season has come to an end, think again. The Bulldogs got some unexpected good news on Sunday that a trip to a bowl game was still a possibility, and sure enough, the Bulldogs are bowling.

Mississippi State will play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC on January 2, 2026 against a to-be-named ACC opponent.

Update: Mississippi State will play Wake Forest in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. More info below.

Mississippi State closed out the regular season just over a week ago with a 38-19 Egg Bowl loss to rival Ole Miss in Starkville. That loss dropped State to a 5-7 record, one game short of bowl-eligibility. Under normal circumstances, that would have been the end of the season.

But thanks to bowl game opt outs by Kansas State and Iowa State, there were open bowl spots to be filled. The NCAA turned to 5-7 teams with the top APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores, and with teams ahead of Mississippi State choosing to decline invitations, the Bulldogs got the invite and accepted.

It will be the first bowl appearance for Mississippi State since the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, where the Bulldogs, playing their first game following the passing of head coach Mike Leach, defeated Illinois 19-10. This won't be the first time MSU is bowling thanks to their APR score. They played in the 2016 St. Petersburg Bowl as a 5-7 team, winning 17-16 over Miami (OH).

This will be Mississippi State's second trip to Charlotte for a bowl game. The Bulldogs won the 2015 Belk Bowl against NC State 51-28 in Dak Prescott's final game at QB. The bowl sponsor has since changed to Duke's Mayo, which has turned it into a favorite of college football fans, largely due to the fact that the winning coach gets a tub of mayo dumped on them.

Mississippi State's opponent for the Mayo Bowl has not yet been announced, but it is known that the Bulldogs will take on an ACC team in Charlotte. Regardless of who they play, getting this game is huge for Jeff Lebby's program. The extra practices will be invaluable for player development, especially for freshman phenom QB Kamario Taylor, and it's a chance to gain some momentum going into a critical 2026 season.

Mississippi State to face Wake Forest in Duke's Mayo Bowl

Mississippi State's Mayo Bowl opponent has been announced as the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake Forest enjoyed a successful first season under head coach Jake Dickert. The Demon Deacons posted an 8-4, going 4-4 in ACC play. This will be the second time Mississippi State has played Wake Forest in a bowl game, with the last meeting coming in the 2011 Music City Bowl, a 23-17 Bulldog win. State has played 10 games all-time against ACC opponents, owning a 6-4 record in those games.