The Colorado State Rams have accepted an invitation to play in the inaugural NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 29 in Tucson, Ariz. CSU, with a record of 7-5 (5-3 in Mountain West play) will face fellow Mountain West member Nevada (6-6, 4-4), with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. MST at Arizona Stadium.
The game will be televised by the American Sports Network and available in Colorado on KWGN, and streamed globally by Campus Insiders online and on mobile devices.
Colorado State has won four games in a row, and five of its last six, to secure its third consecutive bowl game invitation, something it has only done once before with five consecutive bowl games between from 1999-2003. Head coach Mike Bobo is the first coach in CSU football history to win seven regular season games in his first season, and can become the first to win eight games overall in his first season with a bowl victory.
We're going bowling. GO RAMS!
Posted by Colorado State University on Sunday, December 6, 2015
“Our guys are excited about it,” Bobo said. “I know everybody is excited to get the chance to go to Arizona. We've been looking into the bowl and everything that we're going to be able to do with our players. It's going to be an exciting time for us to have another opportunity to play together with this 2015 team, and we're looking at that as an opportunity to go 8-5.”
Tickets may be purchased now through the CSU Ticket Office either online, by phone at 800-491-RAMS (7267) or in person at the McGraw Athletic Center ticket windows during regular business hours. Fans can best support CSU Athletics by purchasing their tickets, which start at $25, through the Rams ticket office, and purchasing from the official CSU allotment ensures the best seat locations and seating with fellow Rams fans.
CSU students also may purchase their tickets online at the special student price of $10 by logging into their student ticket account. Tickets purchased by students must be picked up in person either at the McGraw Athletic Center ticket office or at the bowl site, by showing student ID. CSU faculty and staff will receive a 20 percent discount on any tickets they purchase through the CSU ticket office.
“We are thrilled to be participating in the inaugural NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl,” said Joe Parker, CSU director of athletics. “Tucson is a great destination for Rams fans and it allows our students to complete their academic obligations before traveling to the bowl.”
"This year was very unusual and challenging with the limited number of teams qualifying with six wins," Parker added. "This situation lead to us facing Nevada, our fellow Mountain West Conference member. It will be a competitive contest and provide our team with a wonderful experience."
New this year, tickets for the CSU Alumni Association pregame tailgate event may also be purchased along with game tickets. More information can be found on the Alumni Association website.
Travel packages to Tucson to see the Rams in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl will be available through Colorado State’s official travel partner New Horizons Travel. Fans may call New Horizons at 970-223-7400 beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 7.
The team will depart for Tucson on Christmas day. Bowl practices will begin Friday, Dec. 11 on campus in Fort Collins.
Colorado State has an all-time of record of 6-8 in its 14 bowl games. The Rams defeated Washington State 48-45 in the 2013 Gildan New Mexico Bowl and fell 45-10 to Utah in the 2014 Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl, in the first two of their three consecutive bowl game appearances. CSU’s first bowl was the 1949 Raisin Bowl in Fresno, Calif., vs. Occidental College. The school endured a 40-year bowl drought until the 1990 Freedom Bowl, which was followed by a run of nine bowl appearances in a 12-season span from 1994-2005 under Sonny Lubick.
This will be the third time that Colorado State will play in the inaugural edition of a bowl game. The Rams played in the first New Orleans Bowl in 2001 vs. North Texas (W, 45-20) and the initial Poinsettia Bowl in 2005 vs. Navy (L, 51-30).
Media who regularly cover Colorado State football may submit their game credential requests to Paul Kirk via email (paul.kirk@colostate.edu) by Friday, Dec. 11. All other media who plan to cover the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl must apply for credentials electronically at this link. The game telecast by American Sports Network will be distributed across a network of stations by Tribune Media, including KWGN in Colorado. Viewers may check American Sports Network website to find the channel in their area.
A media advisory outlining the practice and media schedule for the Rams’ bowl preparation period will be distributed as soon as it is finalized.
