12th Annual Gildan New Mexico Bowl Kicks On Saturday, Dec. 16

Albuquerque-based Game set for 2:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. ET start

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The third Saturday in December has become the traditional “opening day” for college football’s bowl season, and once again, the Gildan New Mexico Bowl will have a prominent place in the lineup. The Gildan New Mexico Bowl will play its 12^th edition on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 2:30 p.m. MT/ 4:30 p.m ET. The game will be played in Dreamstyle Stadium at the University of New Mexico and will air on ESPN and ESPN Radio.

“We are very happy to continue what has become a wonderful holiday-time tradition in our State,” said Jeff Siembieda, Gildan New Mexico Bowl executive director. “Showcasing New Mexico and Albuquerque on a beautiful New Mexico afternoon, with the excitement of the first day of bowl-season has produced some tremendous moments. We look forward to another terrific bowl week and the chance to extend hospitality in the Land of Enchantment to two energized fan bases.”

The Gildan New Mexico Bowl has ignited the collegiate bowl postseason on a regular basis over the past decade, playing on the first day since 2008. This is the game’s latest start time since the 2009 game between Fresno State and Wyoming that kicked at 2:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. ET.

The 2017 Gildan New Mexico Bowl is scheduled to feature teams from the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA. The leagues were pitted against each other in last year’s game, as well as the 2014 and 2010 Gildan New Mexico Bowls. The Mountain West has won all three of those matchups.

Tickets for the Gildan New Mexico Bowl range from $25-$40 and are available at the UNM ticket office and at www.gildandreamhousenewmexicobowl.com.

The Gildan New Mexico Bowl is one of 13 games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 31 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 13 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 300-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football
AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl  (Albuquerque); Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff (Montgomery, Ala.); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl(Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Baton Rouge, La.); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida); Texas Bowl (Houston); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Collegiate Basketball

AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Ramstein Air Base, Germany); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic(South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s  Classic presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic presented by Corona (TBD); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); PK80 (Portland, Ore.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago) and Wooden Legacy (Fullerton, Calif.)

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

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