New Mexico State and Fresno State selected to face-off in 18th Annual Isleta New Mexico Bowl

Aggies and Bulldogs will meet Dec. 16 on ESPN for 18^th annual Bowl in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico State and Fresno State have been selected to participate in the 18^th annual Isleta New Mexico Bowl. The game will be played Saturday, Dec. 16 at 3:45 pm MT at University Stadium in Albuquerque and will be televised nationally on ESPN and broadcast on Bowl Season Radio.

The Aggies (10-4, 7-1 Conference USA) enter the game having won eight of their last nine, with the only loss coming at No. 24 Liberty in the Conference USA Championship game last Friday. This will mark the first appearance in the New Mexico Bowl for NMSU and only the program’s third bowl game since 1960.

“In the midst of their best season in more than sixty years, we are excited to welcome New Mexico State to the Isleta New Mexico Bowl for the first time,” said New Mexico Bowl Executive Director Jeff Siembieda. “Coach Kill and his team have provided this passionate fan base something quite special and we are looking forward to wrapping it up when we host the Aggies in Albuquerque.”

Fresno State (8-4, 4-4 MW) returns to the New Mexico Bowl for a record tying fourth time in program history, most recently defeating UTEP 31-24 in 2021. The Bulldogs took down both Purdue and Arizona State in early season play and beat both Mountain West Conference Championship teams while averaging nearly 30 points and almost 400 yards per game.

“It’s great to welcome Fresno State back to the Isleta New Mexico Bowl,” said Siembieda. “Having appeared in the national polls this season with wins over the Mountain West champion and runner-up, as well as victories over a Big Ten and PAC-12 team the Bulldogs had an impressive season.”

The Isleta New Mexico Bowl is one of 17 college football bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2023, the 33-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, nine college basketball events, a college softball event and the inaugural Band of the Year National Championship, in addition to a new a college gymnastics event coming in 2024. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, while reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

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