ESPN Events Announces 2016 Bowl Information
Four Bowl Games Kick Off Opening Day
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, has determined the date, time and network for each of the company’s 13 owned and operated bowl games for the 2016 season. Four bowls on Saturday, Dec. 17 kick off ESPN Events’ bowl season – Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, Gildan New Mexico Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl and Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, and will conclude with the Birmingham Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 29. All games will be aired on ESPN with the exception of the Celebration Bowl and Las Vegas Bowl, both to be broadcast on ABC.
Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) will meet in the second-annual Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 17, pitting the conference champion from these two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). The game will be played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, at noon on ABC.
Gildan New Mexico Bowl
The 11th edition of the Gildan New Mexico Bowl will be played Saturday, Dec. 17, from University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. The 2 p.m. game on ESPN will feature a team from the Mountain West against a team from Conference USA.
Las Vegas Bowl
The Las Vegas Bowl is set for Saturday, Dec. 17, on ABC at 3:30 p.m. The 25th annual game will be played at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas featuring the top choice from the Mountain West against a team from the Pac-12 Conference.
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
The third annual Camellia Bowl will be played on Saturday, Dec. 17, from historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. The 5:30 p.m. game on ESPN will match teams from Sun Belt Conference against the Mid-American Conference.
Marmot Boca Raton Bowl
The third edition of the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. on ESPN, from FAU Stadium on the campus of Florida Atlantic University. The Mid-American Conference, Conference USA and American Athletic Conference are the affiliated conferences for the Boca Raton Bowl.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
The 20th annual Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – slated for Thursday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. on ESPN – will be held at Boise State University’s Albertsons Stadium. The game will feature a Mountain West versus Mid-American Conference matchup for the fourth-straight year.
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
In its third year and second as an ESPN Events owned and operated game, the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl will be played on Friday, Dec. 23, at 1 p.m. on ESPN. The game will be played at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau and features teams from the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA and Mid-American Conference.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl will be played on Friday, Dec. 23, on ESPN. The 14th edition of the postseason college football bowl game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. from Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of TCU, in Fort Worth, Texas. This year’s Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl is slated to feature a bowl eligible team from the U.S. Naval Academy versus a school from the Big 12 Conference.
Hawai’i Bowl
The Hawai‘i Bowl will be played on Christmas Eve (Saturday, Dec. 24) for the 12th time from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. In its 15th year, the bowl will be aired on ESPN at 8 p.m. and pits teams from the Conference USA against the Mountain West.
St. Petersburg Bowl
The ninth annual St. Petersburg Bowl will be played Monday, Dec. 26, at 11 a.m. on ESPN. Conference tie-ins for the St. Petersburg Bowl showcase the American Athletic Conference against Atlantic Coast Conference from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl
The seventh annual Heart of Dallas Bowl is set for Tuesday, Dec. 27, at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium on the grounds of Fair Park. This year’s bowl game will air on ESPN at noon and is slated to feature teams from Conference USA and the Big Ten Conference.
AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
The 11th annual AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl is set for Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 9 p.m. on ESPN. The game will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston and marks the third meeting of a six-year agreement between the Big 12 and SEC.
Birmingham Bowl
The 11th annual Birmingham Bowl will be played Thursday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m. on ESPN. Played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., the game will pit a team from the American Athletic Conference against a team from the Southeastern Conference.