ESPN Events 2016 Bowl Matchups Announced

The 2016 matchups for the 13 owned and operated ESPN Events bowl games has been set, kicking off the bowl season on Saturday, Dec. 17, with the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, Gildan New Mexico Bowl, LAS VEGAS BOWL presented by GEICO and Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. The games will conclude with the BIRMINGHAM BOWL on Thursday, Dec. 29. All games will air on ESPN with the exception of the CELEBRATION BOWL and Las Vegas Bowl, both to be broadcast on ABC.

All games will also be available through WatchESPN, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and streaming devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.

Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl
North Carolina Central of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will face Grambling State of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in the second-annual Air Force Reserve CELEBRATION BOWL on Saturday, Dec. 17. Pitting these conference champions from the 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 feature New Mexico of the Mountain West against UTSA of Conference USA on Saturday, Dec. 17. The 2 p.m. kick on ESPN and ESPN Radio will be played from University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M.

Las Vegas Bowl presented by GEICO
The LAS VEGAS BOWL presented by GEICO - showcasing Houston of the American Athletic Conference and San Diego State from the Mountain West - is set for Saturday, Dec. 17, on ABC. The 25th annual game will be played at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas at 3:30 p.m.

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
The third annual Raycom CAMELLIA BOWL will be played on Saturday, Dec. 17, from historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. The 5:30 p.m. game on ESPN and ESPN Radio will match Appalachian State from Sun Belt Conference against Toledo of the Mid-American Conference.

Boca Raton Bowl
The third edition of the BOCA RATON BOWL - featuring Memphis of the American Athletic Conference against Western Kentucky of Conference USA - is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Radio, from FAU Stadium on the campus of Florida Atlantic University.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
The 20th annual FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL - slated for Thursday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Radio - will be held at Boise State University's Albertsons Stadium. The game will feature Colorado State of the Mountain West versus Idaho of the Sun Belt Conference.

Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
The Popeyes BAHAMAS BOWL - pitting Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference against Old DOMINION of Conference USA - will be played on Friday, Dec. 23, at 1 p.m. on ESPN. The game will be held at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
The 14th edition of the Lockheed Martin ARMED FORCES BOWL will showcase No. 25 Navy of the American Athletic Conference against Louisiana Tech of Conference USA on Friday, Dec. 23, on ESPN. The game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. from Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of TCU, in Fort Worth, Texas.

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 and ESPN Radio at 8 p.m. and pits Middle Tennessee of Conference USA against Hawaii of the Mountain West.

St. Petersburg Bowl
The ninth annual St. Petersburg Bowl - featuring Miami (OH) of the Mid-American Conference against Mississippi State of the Southeastern Conference - will be played Monday, Dec. 26, at 11 a.m. on ESPN and ESPN Radio. The game will be played 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 will feature Army against North Texas of Conference USA.

AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
The 11th annual AdvoCare V100 TEXAS BOWL matches up Texas A&M of the Southeastern Conference against Kansas State of the Big 12 on Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 9 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Radio. The game will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Birmingham Bowl
The 11th annual BIRMINGHAM BOWL will be played Thursday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Radio. Played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., the game will pit University of South Florida of the American Athletic Conference against South Carolina from the Southeastern Conference.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 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 250-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.

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