Northwestern Wildcats Bowl Game History
Big Ten- Bowl Record
- 8-9
- Appearances
- 17
- Wins
- 8
- Losses
- 9
Every Bowl Appearance
Bowl results complete through 2025.
| Season | Played | Bowl | ResultR | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Jan 1949 | Rose Bowl | W | California | 20-14 |
| 1963 | Dec 1963 | Eastern Bowl | L | East Carolina | 27-6 |
| 1995 | Jan 1996 | Rose Bowl | L | USC | 41-32 |
| 1996 | Jan 1997 | Citrus Bowl | L | Tennessee | 48-28 |
| 2000 | Dec 2000 | Alamo Bowl | L | Nebraska | 66-17 |
| 2003 | Dec 2003 | Motor City Bowl | L | Bowling Green | 28-24 |
| 2005 | Dec 2005 | Sun Bowl | L | UCLA | 50-38 |
| 2010 | Dec 2010 | Heart of Dallas Bowl played as the TicketCity Bowl | L | Texas Tech | 45-38 |
| 2011 | Dec 2011 | Texas Bowl played as the Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl | L | Texas A&M | 33-22 |
| 2012 | Jan 2013 | Gator Bowl | W | Mississippi State | 34-20 |
| 2015 | Jan 2016 | Outback Bowl | L | Tennessee | 45-6 |
| 2016 | Dec 2016 | Pinstripe Bowl | W | Pittsburgh | 31-24 |
| 2017 | Dec 2017 | Music City Bowl | W | Kentucky | 24-23 |
| 2018 | Dec 2018 | Holiday Bowl | W | Utah | 31-20 |
| 2020 | Jan 2021 | Citrus Bowl | W | Auburn | 35-19 |
| 2023 | Dec 2023 | Las Vegas Bowl played as the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl | W | Utah | 14-7 |
| 2025 | Dec 2025 | Motor City Bowl played as the GameAbove Sports Bowl | W | Central Michigan | 34-7 |