Middle Tennessee and Toledo Accept 2021 Bahamas Bowl Invitations

Middle Tennessee will represent Conference USA and Toledo will represent the Mid-American Conference as both institutions accepted bids today to the 2021 Bahamas Bowl, set for Friday, Dec. 17 in Nassau’s Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

The Bahamas Bowl will be played at noon ET, and will be televised on ESPN and broadcast on Bowl Season Radio.

Middle Tennessee (6-6, 4-4 C-USA) and Toledo (7-5, 5-3 MAC) will play for The Prime Minister’s Trophy, awarded to the champion of the Bahamas Bowl. It will be a return to The Bahamas for both schools, as Middle Tennessee participated in the 2015 game, and Toledo played in the 2018 edition.

The Bahamas Bowl, which will kick off the 2021 Bowl Season, is the longest-running international bowl game in college football history. It debuted in 2014.

The early invitation allows both Middle Tennessee and Toledo additional time to prepare to play in an international destination, including obtaining passports for those who still need them to travel to the Bahamas as well as giving extra time for fans to make their travel plans to Nassau for bowl week.

Tickets to the 2021 Bahamas Bowl can be purchased through the ticket offices of the participating institutions. A reminder that all U.S. citizens who wish to attend the game must have a valid U.S. Passport to enter the Bahamas, and a Bahamas Travel Health Visa (travel.gov.bs) is required prior to travel to the Bahamas.

Fans wishing to purchase rooms at the host resort for the Bahamas Bowl, the Atlantis Bahamas, can do so by clicking the Bowl Travel tab at BahamasBowl.com.

This will be the first meeting between Middle Tennessee and Toledo. The all-time Bahamas Bowl series between Conference USA and the MAC is tied 3-3.

Middle Tennessee will play in its 13th bowl game, while Toledo will participate in its 18th bowl game.

Middle Tennessee (6-6 overall, 4-4 Conference USA) is led by head coach Rick Stockstill, who is in his 16th season (100-98) as a college head coach, all with the Blue Raiders. Stockstill leads Middle Tennessee to a bowl game for the ninth time in his career. The 2021 Bahamas Bowl will be the first bowl game for Middle Tennessee since the 2018 R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

Toledo (7-5 overall, 5-3 MAC) is led by head coach Jason Candle, who is in his sixth full season (45-26) as a collegiate head coach, all with the Rockets, Candle coaches Toledo in a bowl game for the fifth time in his career. The 2021 Bahamas Bowl will be the first bowl game for the Rockets since the 2018 Bahamas Bowl.

“Congratulations to Middle Tennessee and Toledo, along with their student-athletes, coaches, staffs and fans on their invitation to the 2021 Bahamas Bowl,” said Richard Giannini, Executive Director of the Bahamas Bowl. “Both schools had very successful seasons, and we are very excited about the matchup of the Blue Raiders and Rockets on December 17. We know everyone involved with Middle Tennessee and Toledo will have a wonderful experience during bowl week in the Bahamas and at the Atlantis Bahamas resort.”

For more information on the 2021 Bahamas Bowl, visit BahamasBowl.com. The game is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.

About The Bahamas Bowl
The Bahamas Bowl will provide student-athletes, conference partners, alumni, fans and sponsors a first-class international bowl experience while promoting The Bahamas and highlighting the educational and athletic opportunities for the youth of The Islands through college football. The seventh-annual Bahamas Bowl, the longest-running international bowl game in college football history, will take place in Nassau, Bahamas on December 17 at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium between Middle Tennessee from Conference USA and Toledo from the Mid-American Conference. The game will be televised nationally in the United States on ESPN.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 12 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

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

Media Contacts:
Bahamas Bowl: Chris Pika at 678-908-4853 or [email protected]
ESPN Events: Bill Hofheimer at 860-766-9589 or [email protected]