SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah football team is bowl eligible for the first time in three seasons, but who it will play and where is still up in the air. That wait, though, will probably last another week as the 8-4 Utes look ahead to their final game of the season.

The following is a look at all the potential options available to Utah leading up to its invite to a bowl game.

Pac-12 bowl games

The Pac-12 has affiliations with six bowls, including the Alamo Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Foster Farms Bowl, Sun Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl and Cactus Bowl, which are loosely selected off of conference rankings (the Rose Bowl is tied to the College Football Playoffs this year). This year, the Pac-12 has eight teams bowl eligible, with two teams vying for a spot in the College Football Playoff or in the so-called “New Year’s Six” bowl games.

The Pac-12 has designated conference rankings for each of the bowl games it has an affiliation with, but each bowl does not have to follow suit. Also, if one or more teams qualify for the College Football Playoff or the “New Year’s Six,” the conference rankings shift up and become a little more convoluted.

Holiday Bowl (Pac-12 No. 2 vs. Big Ten)

Location: Qualcomm Stadium — San Diego
Date: Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Outlook: A representative from the Holiday Bowl was in attendance for much of Utah’s season at home and was impressed with what he saw from the home team. Had Utah won at least one more game this might have been the destination for Utah, but it’s one of the least likely possibilities left available to Utah. Crazier things have happened, but San Diego is not likely in the future (at least for a Utah bowl game). Arizona State is a likely suitor for this bowl game, but UCLA is a possibility as well.

Foster Farms Bowl (Pac-12 No. 3 vs. Big Ten)

Location: Levi Stadium — Santa Clara, California
Date: Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Outlook: Win or lose, Oregon and Arizona will likely make an appearance in the College Football Playoff and/or in the “New Year’s Six,” which means several teams in the Pac-12 will move up in the pecking order for bowl designations. So instead of taking the Pac-12’s third best team, the Foster Farms Bowl will likely take USC, which finished as the fifth best team in the conference. This bowl is likely not within Utah’s reach, given the conference standings and the teams above Utah, but there is a slim chance.

Sun Bowl (Pac-12 No. 4 vs. ACC No. 4)

Location: Sun Bowl — El Paso, Texas
Date: Dec. 27 at 12 p.m. (CBS)

Outlook: This is where it starts to get a little tricky for Utah. Based off conference rankings and head-to-head matchups, Utah would be the favorite for the Sun Bowl. However, the Sun Bowl may see Stanford as a viable choice in Texas. All this could change, however, if Oregon or Arizona don’t qualify for a “New Year’s Six” bowl game, which would push all the teams above Utah down. The ACC would likely send Louisville, but could send Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State or Miami.

Las Vegas Bowl (Pac-12 No. 5 vs. MWC No. 1)

Location: Sam Boyd Stadium — Las Vegas
Date: Dec. 20 at 1:30 p.m. (ABC)

Outlook: If the Sun Bowl selects Stanford, Utah will play in Las Vegas — a familiar destination from its Mountain West Conference days. While the bowl may not be all that enticing for several Utah fans, it would likely pit Utah against Colorado State. There is a very slim chance Utah could meet up with Utah State, but it would take some work for the two to meet up. Stanford is probably the most likely of all Pac-12 teams to get the bowl invite here. But Washington is another contender, which would bring Chris Petersen back to the Mountain West Conference.

Cactus Bowl (Pac-12 No. 6 vs. Big 12)

Location: Sun Devil Stadium — Tempe, Arizona
Date: Jan. 2, 2015 at 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)

Outlook: Utah could land in the Cactus Bowl if Oregon or Arizona don’t qualify for a “New Year’s Six” bowl game and one of the lower ranked Pac-12 teams jumps Utah. While this is not all that likely, it’s still a possibility. Based on Utah’s finish at Arizona State earlier in the season, the Utes might want to get some redemption in the Sun Devil Stadium, if invited. Washington is the likely suitor for this bowl against a matchup with Texas.

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