The 2026 NBA trade deadline is right around the corner (Feb. 5, 3 p.m. ET) and teams are hitting the midseason mark as the pace is starting to pick up around the league.

The biggest name to kick off this trade season was Trae Young, as the four-time All-Star is now a Washington Wizard after eight seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. But the trade buzz doesn’t stop there, as Ja Morant, star guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, is officially available as the team is entertaining trade offers, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

As for the actual standings, keep your eyes on the race for the top six seeds and the play-in in both conferences, as teams have just over 40 games left in the regular season and only a few clear runaways for the top spots.

With 23 days left until the trade deadline and just about three months left in the regular season, here are where our NBA insiders rank all 30 teams in this week’s power rankings.

Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Kevin Pelton, Michael C. Wright, Bobby Marks, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 29 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 12 | Nov. 19 | Nov. 26 | Dec. 3 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 17 | Dec. 24 | Dec. 31 | Jan. 7

Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS

Positive news: Nikola Topic, the Serbian guard drafted No. 12 by the Thunder in 2024, announced that he’s back on the court after completing a recent round of chemotherapy treatment. Topic was diagnosed with testicular cancer just before the regular season, stepping away from basketball right when it appeared his NBA career was about to begin. Topic sat out his rookie season rehabbing an ACL tear but had been cleared for his preseason debut in early October, scoring 10 points in 31 minutes. Days later, the cancer diagnosis was announced. — Anthony Slater

The injury bug has hit the Pistons. Cade Cunningham has sat out the past two games, and Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris were out because of injuries. But Detroit is now riding a robust four straight days off to recover before playing Phoenix on Thursday. The Pistons’ 30-point beatdown of the Knicks sent shockwaves around the league about their postseason prospects. Important to note before the deadline: The Pistons have a $14 million trade exception they can use before it expires in July — they should be looking for shooting help and perhaps a secondary scorer next to Cunningham. If there’s a short-term impact player they can acquire who can keep their books in order for the future, they will certainly explore it. — Vincent Goodwill

The dog days of the NBA season have fallen upon San Antonio and its trio of guards in De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper, who have struggled in recent games. When the Spurs defeated Oklahoma City on Christmas Day, they had already traveled more than 13,000 miles (more than twice the leaguewide average at that point), spending 26 of 34 days on the road, only to start January with three consecutive back-to-back sets. San Antonio knows a break is on the horizon, but it must continue to fight to maintain its standing near the top of the West. — Michael C. Wright

• 2025-26 record: 27-13

• Previous ranking: 7

• Next games: @ DAL (Jan. 14), vs. WAS (Jan. 17), vs. CHA (Jan. 18), vs. LAL (Jan. 20)

Tim Hardaway Jr. has been a tremendous bargain on a veteran’s minimum deal, averaging 13.8 points while shooting career bests of 46.3% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range. Hardaway has benefited from playing with NBA assists leader Nikola Jokic, who has fed Hardaway on 18.7% of his buckets this season. But Hardaway has also been a huge factor in the Nuggets remaining competitive during Jokic’s absence, averaging 16.7 points and shooting 42.6% on 3s since the three-time MVP injured his knee. — Tim MacMahon

Rudy Gobert is having a great season and is once again making himself a contender to finish high in Defensive Player of the Year voting. But Gobert sat out Tuesday night’s game against the Bucks because of a one-game suspension for flagrant foul points, and will sit out more time this season for suspensions for every additional flagrant foul he accrues — something that could become a problem for a Minnesota team that relies on his defensive impact. — Tim Bontemps

• 2025-26 record: 25-14

• Previous ranking: 6

• Next games: @ SAC (Jan. 14), @ GS (Jan. 15), vs. PHX (Jan. 17), vs. DAL (Jan. 19)

The Knicks were relieved when they welcomed back Josh Hart after he sat out eight games because of an ankle injury that occurred on Christmas Day. During his absence, the Knicks went 3-5 and sported the third-worst defensive rating. Hart’s 18 points and six rebounds in their 123-114 win over Portland signaled a return to normalcy — somewhat. Owner James Dolan stated last week that he expects a Finals run with this roster. But over the past few weeks, sources say the Knicks are looking for a backup big and takers for free agent signing Guerschon Yabusele. — Goodwill

On Saturday, it was Jaylen Brown expressing frustration with the referees after losing to the Spurs. On Monday, it was Joe Mazzulla just repeating “illegal screen” in response to every question after a close loss to the Pacers. The result, though, is the same. And now Boston has dropped three of its past four games and has gone from having a chance to secure second place in the East to being in third, with the Raptors and Sixers closing in quickly. — Bontemps

• 2025-26 record: 24-16

• Previous ranking: 10

• Next games: @ DET (Jan. 15), @ NYK (Jan. 17), @ BKN (Jan. 19), @ PHI (Jan. 20)

Phoenix guard Jalen Green, who has been limited to only two games all season because of a right hamstring strain, is nearing a return. He announced as much while replying to Devin Booker‘s Instagram story this week, writing “we right there” in regard to his comeback. The Suns have been a Cinderella story so far, starting the season 24-15 (ESPN Bet set their over/under win total at 31.5 in the preseason). — Dave McMenamin

• 2025-26 record: 23-14

• Previous ranking: 5

• Next games: vs. OKC (Jan. 15), vs. MIN (Jan. 16), vs. NO (Jan. 18), vs. SA (Jan. 20)

Rockets coach Ime Udoka made a salient point after a recent loss, pointing out the team’s overreliance on superstar forward Kevin Durant. “You take a 37-year-old out of the game for [three] minutes, and you lose a 13-point lead, 11-0 run. [We] don’t play with any aggression or confidence. [We were] mentally weak.” Call that Udoka’s way of lighting a fire under supporting cast players such as Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, who is back in the lineup after a three-game absence, along with Reed Sheppard. — Wright

• 2025-26 record: 24-17

• Previous ranking: 12

• Next games: @ IND (Jan. 14), vs. LAC (Jan. 16), @ LAL (Jan. 18), @ GSW (Jan. 20)

Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles were the surprise standouts over the weekend in a comeback win over Philadelphia. But that victory was sandwiched between losses to Boston and Philadelphia — the two teams closest to Toronto in the standings — which helped reaffirm the Raptors’ place in the Eastern Conference hierarchy. Barring an improvement before the trade deadline, they profile as fringe contenders but still a step below the conference’s top teams. — Zach Kram

• 2025-26 record: 22-16

• Previous ranking: 11

• Next games: vs. CLE (Jan. 14), vs. CLE (Jan. 16), vs. IND (Jan. 19), vs. PHX (Jan. 20)

The next couple of weeks could be pivotal for the 76ers, who play nine of their next 10 games at home beginning Wednesday. Philadelphia will then have only 13 of its final 34 games at home after that, meaning this is an opportunity to try to pull into the top four in the East and is a necessary stretch to capitalize on before spending a lot of time away from home late in the season. — Bontemps

The Cavs are coming off a disappointing loss to the Jazz at home, where De’Andre Hunter, their prized acquisition from last year’s trade deadline, was benched for the fourth quarter. He scored two points in 17 minutes, both season lows, and coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game that Hunter was going through a prolonged slump. It has resulted in one of the worst starts to a season in his seven-year career — averaging 13.9 points on 42.5% shooting, both his lowest marks since his rookie season, while shooting a career-worst 30% from 3. — Jamal Collier

• 2025-26 record: 24-14

• Previous ranking: 9

• Next games: vs. CHA (Jan. 15), @ POR (Jan. 17), vs. TOR (Jan. 18), @ DEN (Jan. 20)

With JJ Redick declaring that Rui Hachimura will come off the bench upon his return from a right Achilles issue, wading back into action on a minutes restriction, the question is whether he’ll stay there. Jake LaRavia has enjoyed his best month as a Laker in January with Hachimura out. In his first six games of 2026 — all as a starter — LaRavia averaged 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 51.7%, including 37.8% from 3. — McMenamin

• 2025-26 record: 22-19

• Previous ranking: 16

• Next games: vs. NYK (Jan. 15), vs. CHA (Jan. 17), vs. MIA (Jan. 19), vs. TOR (Jan. 20)

Offseason signing De’Anthony Melton is beginning to take a firm grip of the Warriors’ shooting guard position. Melton sat out the first six weeks of the season while completing the later stages of his ACL rehab. He was on a strict 20-minute limit upon his return and hasn’t been cleared for back-to-backs. But Steve Kerr recently bumped Melton’s limit up to 25 minutes and has been regularly closing games with him on the court. Stephen Curry recently called Melton a “prototypical” starting shooting guard after he had 22 bench points in a win. Kerr said the expectation is Melton will get cleared for 30-plus minutes and, once he does, Kerr said he planned to use all 30 — an indication that he will be the eventual starter. — Slater

The Magic head to Berlin and London for a pair of games against Memphis, and although Berlin is 4,900 miles from Orlando, the game is essentially home for brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner. After tearing his left ACL last December, Moritz returned in the team’s win Sunday against New Orleans, scoring eight points. Meanwhile, after sitting out 16 games because of a sprained left ankle, Franz is nearing a return. With its loss to Philadelphia last week, Orlando is now 10-12 against teams above .500. — Bobby Marks

Before losing Tuesday against the Lakers, the post-Trae Young era had seen Atlanta win three straight games, including victories over Denver and Golden State on the road. The addition of CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert should help a roster that has been hit hard with injuries.

In the Lakers loss, the Hawks were without Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, Zaccharie Risacher and had just 10 active players. An area of concern that could get addressed closer to the trade deadline is a lack of size in the frontcourt. Atlanta has allowed the eighth-most points in the paint and rank 25th in rebounding percentage. — Marks

• 2025-26 record: 21-19

• Previous ranking: 13

• Next games: vs. BOS (Jan. 15), vs. OKC (Jan. 17), @ GS (Jan. 19), @ SAC (Jan. 20)

Tuesday’s win against Phoenix ended a three-game losing streak for Miami, and all three of those losses (Minnesota, Indiana, Oklahoma City) were by double digits. Before scoring 127 against the Suns, the Heat ranked second to last in offensive efficiency since Dec. 1. They ranked 13th in the first six weeks of the season. Bam Adebayo‘s offensive production is worth watching. Since Dec. 1, Adebayo has ranked fifth on the team in scoring (14.5) and is shooting 28% on 3-pointers. — Marks

The Blazers’ five-game winning streak, which was ended Sunday by the Knicks, was the team’s second longest since February 2021. During the run, Portland produced impressive wins at San Antonio and back-to-back at home against Houston. The bigger loss Sunday was Deni Avdija, who left late in the game because of back soreness and was sidelined Tuesday at Golden State. Avdija told reporters he was optimistic that he won’t miss long after feeling his back “give up on me” while landing on the rebound. On the plus side, Jrue Holiday played Sunday for the first time since suffering a hamstring strain in mid-November. — Kevin Pelton

• 2025-26 record: 16-23

• Previous ranking: 17

• Next games: vs. WAS (Jan. 14), @ TOR (Jan. 16), @ WAS (Jan. 19), @ CHI (Jan. 20)

Don’t look now, but the Clippers have won 10 out of 12 games since mid-December, including two against the East-leading Pistons. Third-year guard Jordan Miller, a 2023 late second-round pick out of the University of Miami, has been a bright spot during that stretch. He has averaged 6.2 points on 55.1% shooting (45% from 3) in 14.2 minutes off the bench, giving the injury-riddled Clips a lift so Kawhi Leonard and James Harden don’t have to do everything. — McMenamin

Since Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from injury, the Bucks are 5-4, a solid but unspectacular mark for a team trying to dig itself out of a massive hole. Milwaukee still hasn’t recorded a three-game winning streak this season, one of only six teams in the league (Pacers, Hornets, Kings, Wizards and Jazz) that have failed to do so, according to ESPN Research. And as a result, the Bucks still haven’t gained any ground in the standings. They begin another week stuck in 11th place and outside of the play-in tournament. — Collier

• 2025-26 record: 18-21

• Previous ranking: 19

• Next games: vs. UTAH (Jan. 14), @ BKN (Jan. 16), vs. BKN (Jan. 18), vs. LAC (Jan. 20)

Matas Buzelis has proved to be Chicago’s biggest bright spot so far this season. With Josh Giddey injured and Coby White playing in only two of the past six games, Buzelis has stepped into more of a scoring role and flourished. Since Dec. 31, Buzelis is averaging 19.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.8 blocks on 47.9% shooting. Chicago does have a favorable schedule over the next week, with games against Utah, Brooklyn (twice) and the Clippers. After their loss against the Rockets on Tuesday, the Bulls have now been 18-21 through 39 games for the fourth consecutive season. — Collier

Losers in six of their plast eight games, the Grizzlies are hoping recent news of their willingness to trade star guard Ja Morant won’t cause too much of a distraction. Memphis initiated a soft reset of the franchise last March when it fired longtime coach Taylor Jenkins and traded Desmond Bane three months later to Orlando. And with the Grizzlies now entertaining potential offers for Morant, a full roster teardown could be on the menu with the team shifting its focus to developing younger players such as Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward and Cam Spencer to play alongside Jaren Jackson Jr.. — Wright

On Thursday, LaMelo Ball came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season in the second game of a back-to-back and responded well, topping 30 points for only the third time all season. But Saturday’s 55-point blowout win over the Jazz overshadowed that, as it was a historically lopsided outcome. Per the Dunc’d On Daily Duncs, only three teams in NBA history have won by so many points in a season in which they won fewer than 36 games. The Hornets are on pace for 29 losses, though their minus-0.6 point differential is now better than the 24-14 Lakers. — Pelton

• 2025-26 record: 15-25

• Previous ranking: 23

• Next games: vs. DEN (Jan. 14), vs. UTAH (Jan. 15), vs. UTAH (Jan. 17), @ NYK (Jan. 19)

Forward Naji Marshall has been one of the bright spots of a difficult season in Dallas. He’s averaging career bests of 13.6 points and 54% shooting, and his production has increased to 16.9 points on 58.6% shooting in his 17 starts. He has been especially productive attacking off the dribble, shooting 60.7% off of drives. According to NBA Advanced Stats, only Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have a higher field goal percentage among the players who rank in the top 50 in points off of drives. — MacMahon

• 2025-26 record: 14-25

• Previous ranking: 25

• Next games: @ CHI (Jan. 14), @ DAL (Jan. 15), @ DAL (Jan. 17), @ SA (Jan. 19), vs. MIN (Jan. 20)

Lauri Markkanen‘s availability is a pretty strong indication of how competitive the Jazz will be on a night-to-night basis. Utah is 8-6 with its star in the lineup since Dec. 1, and Markkanen is averaging 27.9 points on .507/.383/.856 shooting splits in that span. The Jazz lost all six games that Markkanen sat out. — MacMahon

• 2025-26 record: 11-26

• Previous ranking: 26

• Next games: @ NO (Jan. 14), vs. CHI (Jan. 16), @ CHI (Jan. 18), vs. PHX (Jan. 19)

All of the good vibes from December seem to have dissipated for the Nets, who have lost seven of eight since Dec. 29. After being the best defense in December, Brooklyn slipped to 26th in January (118.8 defensive rating). The rumors will continue to swirl around Michael Porter Jr‘s availability before February’s trade deadline, but there’s a bright spot amid the slide: Egor Demin has been hot from 3-point range this month, shooting 53% on over six attempts a game. — Goodwill

• 2025-26 record: 10-30

• Previous ranking: 28

• Next games: vs. NYK (Jan. 14), vs. WAS (Jan. 16), vs. POR (Jan. 18), vs. MIA (Jan. 20)

After an extended stretch outside Doug Christie’s rotation, reserve guard Malik Monk has reappeared in the past three games and produced to a great degree. Monk played 26 and 32 minutes against the Rockets and Lakers, respectively, scoring 15 and 26 points in a pair of surprising upset wins. This is happening at a potentially useful time for Sacramento. The Kings explored Monk’s trade market this past summer and offered him to the Warriors in a variety of constructions for Jonathan Kuminga, league sources said. Golden State has continually declined. There’s no indication that will change, but Monk is expected to remain available to the rest of the league in the lead-up to the deadline, and this recent mini-surge could provide a tiny boost to his value. — Slater

• 2025-26 record: 9-31

• Previous ranking: 30

• Next games: vs. TOR (Jan. 14), vs. NO (Jan. 16), @ DET (Jan. 17), @ PHI (Jan. 19)

Last week was the best of Indiana’s season so far, with wins over Charlotte, Miami (by 24 points) and Boston (holding them under 100 points for the first time this season). Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam both averaged 21 points in that stretch, while youngsters Jarace Walker and Johnny Furphy also added positive contributions. Excellent 3-point shooting helped as well, as Indiana has made at least 40% of its 3s in six games in a row. — Kram

• 2025-26 record: 10-28

• Previous ranking: 27

• Next games: @ LAC (Jan. 14), @ SAC (Jan. 16), @ DEN (Jan. 17), vs. LAC (Jan. 19)

Don’t expect Trae Young to play for Washington anytime soon, despite joining the Wizards in a trade last week. The four-time All-Star remains sidelined because of a leg injury, and ESPN’s Marc Spears reported that the Wizards don’t yet have a return timeline scheduled. Given that the Wizards have been surprisingly competitive of late — with a 7-8 record since a 3-20 start — and are focused on ensuring they keep their top-eight-protected pick in the 2026 draft, there’s an incentive to keep Young out a while longer. — Kram

The Pelicans ended their second nine-game losing streak of the season Friday against a Washington team playing without newly acquired Trae Young, getting 30-plus points from both Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson, plus a triple-double from Derik Queen against his hometown team. New Orleans was competitive again in a loss Sunday at Orlando but has still sunk to the bottom of the NBA standings with just nine wins at the midpoint of a schedule that has done the Pelicans no favors. The Wizards were the only team New Orleans has played since Christmas that is currently outside the play-in. — Pelton

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced the schedule of Australia’s tour of Pakistan, comprising three T20 internationals (T20I) matches set to be played towards the end of this month.

All three matches will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on January 29, January 31 and February 1. Australia’s T20I squad will arrive in Lahore on January 28, the cricket board announced.

The PCB said that toss for each match will take place at 5:30pm (local time), with play set to begin at 6pm.

“The series serves as crucial game time for both sides ahead of the all-important ICC Men’s T20I World Cup 2026, where Pakistan are placed in Group A and Australia in Group B,” it added.

This will be Australia’s third tour of Pakistan since March-April 2022, when they played Tests, ODIs and a T20I in the country. The side also played three matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan. Their only previous T20I at the Gaddafi Stadium came on April 5, 2022, when they won by three wickets.

PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmed Syed said the board was looking forward to hosting Australia in Lahore.

“We are excited and look forward to hosting Australia for the three-match T20I series here in Lahore. The tour marks a blockbuster beginning of the year for Pakistan cricket fans, and I urge them to turn out in numbers during the series to support both the teams as they put the final touches to their T20 World Cup preparations,” he said.

He added that the Gaddafi Stadium has become a familiar venue for Australia, having hosted a Test, five ODIs and a T20I involving the visitors since March 2022.

Series schedule:

1st T20: Thursday, January 29 — 6pm

2nd T20I: Saturday, January 31 — 6pm

3rd T20I: Sunday, February 1 — 6pm

After five months of college football, the season is down to two teams and one game. But as we wait for Miami and Indiana to meet in their College Football Playoff title throwdown, it is time for our annual lookback on the postseason contests that led up to this one.

All of them.

Since Dec. 13, when the Cricket Celebration Bowl and Bucked Up LA Bowl kicked off 2,200 miles apart, this great nation has been covered up in bowl games. And those bowl games have been covered up in mayonnaise, eggnog, baked beans and Frosted Flakes.

If you don’t like fun, stop reading now. If you don’t love college football, stop reading now. And if you are one of those Ebenezer Scrooge/mall-parking-lot-road-rage Karens who spent their holidays trying to convince the rest of us that bowl games are outdated, stop … well, OK, you probably already stopped reading anyway. And that’s cool with us. Because it’s time for our annual celebration of all that is right with this greatest of sports at a time when so many are so obsessed with what is wrong.

Welcome to the 2025-26 edition of Best of the Bowls.

Best Performance by a Game Winner: Hawai’i’s two-headed QB

In the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl, Rainbow Warriors starting quarterback Micah Alejado threw for 274 yards and three TDs, and rushed for another 33 yards, but suffered a hard hit in the closing seconds of the game with his team trailing Cal 31-28. Backup QB Luke Weaver, who hadn’t played since mid-September, came off the bench and threw a 22-yard TD pass with 10 seconds remaining to win the game 35-31.

Timmy Chang. Loyal to the soil. #BRADDAHHOOD x @CoachTimmyChang pic.twitter.com/9nRmqJpsEy

— Hawaii Football (@HawaiiFootball) December 25, 2025

The Tigers QB threw for 267 yards and three TDs, and nearly saved the day in the fourth quarter, but the team playing out the pre-Kiffin era string blew an early 14-point lead and lost to Houston 38-35 in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl.

Best Finish You Might’ve Missed: Rate Bowl

You might remember the Rate Bowl as the Artist Formerly Known as the Copper Bowl, but now you’ll know it as the Game Forever Known as the Golden Gophers’ Last-Second Dagger Bowl.

MINNESOTA WALKS OFF THE RATE BOWL ON A GAME-WINNING TD 🤯

THE GOLDEN GOPHERS WIN THEIR 9TH-STRAIGHT BOWL GAME 🔥 pic.twitter.com/da2gMvOcwM

— ESPN (@espn) December 27, 2025

Best Float: Prince Cheddward’s Dragon

OK, OK, yes, we know that nothing will supplant the Rose Parade when it comes to rolling street artistry. However, those flower-and-seed covered floats never come close to the Rose Bowl itself. Prince Cheddward rode into the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl atop a smoking dragon slathered entirely in Cheez-Its.

THE TRUE PRINCE OF CHEESE HAS RETURNED

Prince Cheddward is back on the throne here at the @CitrusBowl pic.twitter.com/5NQECCm0VW

— Daren Stoltzfus WESH (@DarenStoltzfus) December 31, 2025

Best Sideline Interview: Snoop Dogg

Dude doesn’t just sponsor a game, the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, he broke off the pregame interview of the game with his name because he looked up and saw he was game for making an actual play in the game with his name, fielding a kick in the end zone adorned with, yes, his name.

Snoop Dogg jumped out of the interview to catch the kickoff in his OWN bowl game 😂

(via @BleacherReport)

pic.twitter.com/XClGvEZFGO

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 28, 2025

Best Trophy You Already Know About: Pop-Tarts Bowl

What could possibly top a giant toaster that cooks human-sized Pop-Tarts, so giant that we all held our breath when one of those tarts leapt for its life? How about a trophy that is also a toaster (even if the coaches can’t figure out how to operate it)? If you don’t know about the Pop-Tarts Bowl accolade/kitchen appliance, then you need to read this story by the great Dave Wilson.

A Pop-Tart jumped off the toaster to escape its fate shortly after this. You can’t tell me this sport isn’t perfect. pic.twitter.com/4Jy2RSFDHH

— Michael Katz (@MichaelLKatz) December 28, 2025

Best Trophy You Need to Know About: Isleta New Mexico Bowl

During the first sunrise of September, on the sacred ground of the Zia Pueblo, Elizabeth and Marcellus Medina’s family gathers clay from the land their family has occupied for centuries, which is used to craft the pot that is awarded to the winner of the New Mexico Bowl every December. It is hand-painted except for one blank space reserved for the name of the winning team, carefully inscribed as soon as the game is over. One part history, one part art and all parts glory.

The New Mexico Bowl trophy is so freaking cool. A couple in Zia Pueblo hand crafts a new design every single year.

Here’s four of the designs we’ve seen between CSU and UNM the last few days pic.twitter.com/ohzKLWNOlc

— GFed (@GfedGoCrazy) October 8, 2025

Best Trophy the Coach Didn’t Want: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

Miami’s Mario Cristobal, like Kirby Smart and others from the Saban coaching tree, has taken on his mentor’s model of postgame celebration following any win that isn’t a national championship. In his defense, Cristobal’s focus was to get his players on the stage instead of “all these extra people,” but when he was handed the golden football from atop the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl trophy he looked at it like he’d just opened a Christmas present that he thought was going to be a PlayStation but ended up being socks.

This entire sequence is incredible.

No notes.

Cristobal: “Can we get our players up here instead of all these extra people?”

VRBO lady: *Awkward speech that has way too many pauses and it’s clear she doesn’t know ball.*

Cristobal: *has zero interest in trophy*

Cinema. pic.twitter.com/q9bhWQhAef

— Adam Spencer (@AdamSpencer4) January 9, 2026

Still the Best Bowl Perk: NASCAR Ride-Alongs

No matter the name of its game, from Continental Tire and Meineke Car Care to Belk and Duke’s Mayo, Charlotte’s bowl game continues to both electrify and terrify its participants by taking them to Charlotte Motor Speedway for some 180 mph hot laps via the NASCAR Racing Experience.

Boogity, boogity, boogity 🏎️💨 pic.twitter.com/oRkzlXlQni

— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) December 30, 2025

Best Educational Experience: Is this where the dentist lost his tooth?

No doubt Nebraska was bummed to lose the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl to Utah, but at least they were able to get in some great learning opportunities. Isn’t that right, Huskers wideout Dane Key?

Nebraska WR Dane Key may be prepping for a game in Vegas, but the highlight so far?

Seeing where The Hangover was filmed!😂 @KETV pic.twitter.com/YX0PTJuPT5

— Lauren Michelson (@LaurenMichelson) December 27, 2025

Best Surprise Game Tweeter: Steven Van Zandt

Social media can be the worst. But when Bruce Springsteen’s righthand man, aka Miami Steve, aka Little Steven aka Silvio Dante starts randomly live-tweeting about the Go Bowling Military Bowl because he likes East Carolina’s logo because it wears a bandana like he does, well, then social media can be the best. Especially when he kept on tweeting all the way through bowl season and into the CFP.

East Carolina Pirates! My new favorite team! My kind of logo!(and just got screwed on that bad call!) pic.twitter.com/edng7hTKIx

— 🇺🇸🇮🇱🇺🇦🕉Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) December 27, 2025

The ‘Hang It In the Louvre’ Award: Duke WR Que’Sean Brown

Brown did what Arizona State’s Jalen Moss had done earlier, taking a post-TD dive into a giant bowl of Frosted Flakes at the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, but the image that emerged from Brown’s backward flop was pure art.

This is an all-time bowl game picture pic.twitter.com/vHS6wz3Llt

— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) December 31, 2025

The ‘Isn’t This Actually in the Louvre?’ Award: The Beaneater by Annibale Carracci

After Louisville defeated Toledo in the Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans, the Cardinals partook of said beans … and legendary social media follow @ArtButSports partook of some art education.

The Beaneater, by Annibale Carracci, 1580s pic.twitter.com/MtqaQvUOX6

— ArtButMakeItSports (@ArtButSports) December 24, 2025

The ‘Is There Something Opposite of the Louvre We Can Hang This In?’ Award: Holiday Bowl

The Trust & Will Holiday Bowl is an underrated classic, from BYU’s 1984 national title game to Kevin from “The Office” slinging eggnog over the coach’s head and onto photographers (which he did on purpose). But this year’s end zone paint jobs were like some sort of wintertime beach Rorschach test.

💪 POWER 💪 FOOTBALL 💪

📺 @CFBONFOX x @SMUFB pic.twitter.com/4qt5SlD25D

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) January 3, 2026

Best Odd Couple: Butch Jones and Master Chief

The Xbox Bowl made its debut this year, played at The Star in Frisco, Texas. If you’re going to be an Xbox game then who else should present the trophy but the hero of THE Xbox game, Master Chief from Halo, who handed over the hardware to Arkansas State and coach Butch Jones. I can’t accurately explain why that juxtaposition is so funny, but you have to admit that it totally is.

Brand new sentence: Halo presents Arkansas State’s Butch Jones with the @XboxBowl game trophy. pic.twitter.com/gL8Fg45sFG

— Kara Richey (@Kara_Richey) December 19, 2025

Best Gatorade Bath Chase Won by Players: UTSA

As the Roadrunners finished off Florida International in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, head coach Jeff Traylor responded by dashing more than 50 yards to try to avoid getting doused in the cold December Dallas air, but the plastic sideline thingy did him in.

UTSA forced its coach to take a Gatorade bath after winning the ServPro First Responder Bowl 😂 pic.twitter.com/BK4AxymeQL

— ESPN (@espn) December 27, 2025

Best Gatorade Bath Chase Almost Won by Coach: Army

As the Black Knights put away UConn in the much-colder New England air of the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, Army head coach Jeff Monken ran a bazillion yards zigzagging like Barry Sanders before a definite should-have-been holding penalty against D-lineman Jack Bousum did the frozen deed.

Army coach Jeff Monken was juking his team to get out of the Gatorade shower 🤣 pic.twitter.com/pz2TTQdJom

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 27, 2025

Best Season: Bowl Season

The ratings were up, the fun was up, and transfer portal be damned, the football was up … especially for those who knew their time together was up, too.

This is why I love bowl games. The weirdness and all that is awesome, but really it’s about guys who’ve been through so much having one last game together. And for SO many it’s the final time they’ll wear a uniform. Call me a softie. But it’s true. pic.twitter.com/ktEZrkrHbW

— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) December 23, 2025