Georgia Southern will meet Appalachian State in the JLab Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 29 at Protective Stadium, bowl officials announced Sunday.

After several qualified teams opted out of the postseason this year, the Birmingham Bowl was forced to pair two Sun Belt teams in a rematch from the regular season. The Eagles (6-6) accepted the invitation earlier in the day, but several other 5-7 teams reportedly turned down a chance to play in the game before the Mountaineers finally accepted about two hours after all 81 of the other bowl slots were filled.

Georgia Southern won the regular-season meeting with App State 25-23 on Nov. 6 in Boone, N.C. Both teams are making their first trip to the Birmingham Bowl.

“Georgia Southern is proud to accept an invitation to the JLab Birmingham Bowl and we look forward to a matchup against App State,” Georgia Southern athletics director Chris Davis said. “Competing in the postseason is always a special opportunity, and it reflects the hard work and commitment of our student-athletes, coaches and staff. Our team is excited for the chance to represent Eagle Nation, our institution and our alumni on ESPN, and we’re grateful to Executive Director Mark Meadows and the Birmingham Bowl committee for this opportunity.

“Our great fans have always traveled to each of our previous seven bowl games, and I have no doubt they will descend upon Birmingham for this game. Hail Southern!”

Notre Dame (10-2) turned down a bowl bid after being left out of the College Football Playoff, while Iowa State (8-4) and Kansas State (6-6) opted out of the postseason following coaching changes, resulting in a trickle-down effect involving several bowls.

Various bowl officials then made their way through the 5-7 teams by order of their Academic Progress Rate scores, but Mississippi State opted for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and Rice accepted an invitation to the Armed Forces Bowl. Auburn, Florida State, Baylor, Kansas, Central Florida and Temple all turned down a trip to Birmingham, according to a report by On3’s Brett McMurphy.

Georgia Southern and App State are not only Sun Belt rivals, but longtime adversaries dating to their days as FCS powerhouses. In the rivalry known as “Deeper Than Hate,” the Mountaineers lead 22-18-1 all-time.

“We are honored and excited to accept the JLab Birmingham Bowl’s invitation to play Georgia Southern on December 29^th‚” App State AD Doug Gillin said. “Playing postseason football is special. It’s another opportunity to display the App State brand in front of a national audience.

“We are excited for our football program and for App Nation for this opportunity to watch our team compete for a bowl championship.”

Kickoff for the 2025 JLab Birmingham Bowl is set for 1 p.m. Central on Dec. 29, with television coverage on ESPN.

The SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs have secured a first-round bye in this year’s College Football Playoff.

What we know:

Georgia earned its second straight top-four ranking, coming in at No. 3 in the CFP bracket.

Despite a loss on Saturday, Ohio State landed at No. 2. Indiana, still undefeated, holds the No. 1 spot.

2024 College Football Playoff Rankings

Big picture view:

1. Indiana
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Texas Tech
5. Oregon
6. Ole Miss
7. Texas A&M
8. Oklahoma

What’s next:

Georgia will play their first game in the playoffs at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 1, in the Caesars Superdome. The Bulldogs will face the winner of the College Football Playoff First-Round Game between Ole Miss and Tulane. The Allstate Sugar Bowl is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. (Central) and will be televised by ESPN.

The Georgia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 6, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

13-14-26-28-44, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

Midday: 5-0-8

Evening: 1-6-8

Night: 7-2-9

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

Midday: 2-3-5-1

Evening: 2-9-2-5

Night: 7-7-2-2

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

02-06-41-48-52, Cash Ball: 03

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

Early Bird: 01

Matinee: 02

Drive Time: 06

Primetime: 03

Night Owl: 09

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Georgia FIVE numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

Midday: 6-5-7-5-4

Evening: 1-3-9-0-6

Check Georgia FIVE payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

11-22-28-35-36

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

• Prizes under $601: Can be claimed at any Georgia Lottery retail location. ALL PRIZES can be claimed by mail to: Georgia Lottery Corporation, P.O. Box 56966, Atlanta, GA 30343.
• Prizes over $600: Must be claimed at Georgia Lottery Headquarters or any Georgia Lottery district office or mailed to the Georgia Lottery for payment.