Jun. 5—The 20th Isleta New Mexico Bowl is scheduled to be played Saturday, Dec. 27 (3:45 p.m. Mountain), ESPN announced Thursday.
This marks the second straight year the ESPN Events-operated bowl will be held after Christmas at University Stadium. Last year, TCU beat Louisiana-Lafayette 34-3 at University Stadium in front of a New Mexico Bowl crowd of 22,827 on Dec. 28.
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“As we commemorate our 20th annual game, we reminisce about all the incredible memories while looking forward in anticipation of many, many more,” New Mexico Bowl executive director Jeff Siembieda said in a release. “We are excited about offering a tremendous experience to two great teams and their fans in Albuquerque, while showcasing the beauty and (vibrancy) of New Mexico on a national stage, and hosting our state’s biggest annual party.”
For most of its history, the game had regularly been played on the third Saturday in December, generally regarded as the start of the college bowl season. If it remained that way this year, Siembieda told the Journal the bowl would’ve interfered with ESPN’s prized first round College Football Playoff (CFP) games (Dec. 19-20), and was moved accordingly.
Only two other ESPN Events-operated bowls are scheduled for that weekend: the Myrtle Beach Bowl in Conway, South Carolina and the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida will both be played on Friday, Dec. 19.
“What’s important is obviously fitting into the television schedule, and ESPN is a big part of that,” Siembieda said Thursday. “(Moving away from) the traditional day where we have been, with the way the calendar is this year and last, that’s the biggest factor in going post-Christmas.”
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Siembieda added there were benefits to holding the bowl both before and after Christmas, but said he still “loved” the game’s afternoon time slot and Saturday placement.
“I think we’re fortunate to be in that window … This is showcasing college football on Saturday afternoon on ESPN,” he added. “5:45 p.m. on the East Coast is a great viewing time. 3:45 locally, I think it gives people here a really great opportunity to go out and enjoy the day, and enjoy the entirety of the event.”
While admitting the New Mexico Bowl’s post-Christmas sample size is small, Siembieda added that television ratings for the game were up 44% compared to its 2023 edition, a 37-10 Fresno State win over New Mexico State on Dec. 16. Last year’s attendance also rose to the game’s second-highest figure since 2018, but was lower than Bulldogs-Aggies game.
“I think some people loved it, some people liked it,” he continued. “I didn’t get a lot of negative, as far as locals (regarding) where the game was … overall, it was really a positive. I think it gave people more time to travel (after) the holiday — there was a pretty good excitement around it.”
