Colorado State, Marshall Accept Invitations to 12th Annual Gildan New Mexico Bowl

 The Thundering Herd make first postseason appearance in Albuquerque, Rams return for third stint

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The field is set for the 12^th annual Gildan New Mexico Bowl with the Colorado State Rams and the Marshall Thundering Herd accepting invitations offered today. The game is slated for Saturday, Dec. 16 at 2:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Radio. The matchup pits the Mountain West member against the Conference USA member on the first day of the FBS bowl season.

“I truly believe we have another really good matchup which should result in another fun, entertaining game,” said Jeff Siembieda, Gildan New Mexico Bowl executive director. “To be able to put together two programs with such a strong post-season history is exciting and I’m looking forward to hosting The Thundering Herd and Rams in Albuquerque.”

Colorado State (7-5, 5-3 MW), is bowl-eligible for the fifth straight season after winning its first four league games earlier this season. It is the Rams third appearance in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, having won in both 2008 and 2013. CSU is led by four All-Mountain West First Team honorees including quarterback Nick Stevens, who ranks 11^th in the country in passing yards, and wide receiver Michael Gallup, who is fourth in the nation in reception yards. Mike Bobo is at the helm of the Rams and has led them to a bowl game in each of his three seasons. 

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome CSU and their fans back to the Gildan New Mexico Bowl,” Siembieda said. “The Rams have provided some unforgettable moments in our game in the past, their fans have been terrific and New Mexicans have loved having them here.”

Marshall (7-5, 4-4 C-USA), is bowl-eligible after a red-hot 6-1 start to the season. The Thundering Herd have the top rushing defense in Conference USA and second best scoring defense, allowing just 19.2 points per game. The Herd, who boast a five-game bowl win streak, is making their first appearance in the Albuquerque-based Bowl game. They are guided by Doc Holliday, who is a perfect 4-0 in bowl games as a head coach for The Herd. Marshall is 10-2 overall in bowl games and have won 10 of their last 11 dating back to 1998.

 “We have watched the Marshall football program with admiration from afar for years,” Siembieda said. “We are happy to welcome the Thundering Herd and their fans to New Mexico and we look forward to a great bowl week.  They are an exciting team with a fantastic fan base and we are thrilled to have Marshall in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl.”

 These two programs have never met before. Marshall has also never played in Albuquerque. The Rams won in Dreamstyle Stadium earlier this year, 27-24 on Oct. 20 against the Lobos. CSU is 22-14 overall in Albuquerque, including 2-0 in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl.

Tickets, which are on sale now, range from $25-40 and can be purchased at the University of New Mexico ticket office, located in The Pit, online at www.unmtickets.com, or by calling 505-925-LOBO.

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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; 14 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
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (Houston); AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (Florida); Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); DXL Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas); 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.); The Home Depot College Football Awards Presented by Gildan (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 (Hartford, Conn.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); PK80 presented by State Farm (Portland, Ore.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off; State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago) and Wooden Legacy (Fullerton, Calif.)

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Gildan New Mexico Bowl Contact: RaeAnn McKernan at 505-925-5999 or [email protected]

ESPN Media Contact: Anna Negron at 860-766-2233 or [email protected]; @Anna_ESPN