Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl

Arizona Stadium

Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl Noon Friday, December 31 • Arizona Stadium, 1 N. National Championship Drive, Tucson

By Ron Sanzone

The Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl is welcoming two newcomers to this year’s game. The Boise State Broncos (7-5) of the Mountain West Conference will meet the Mid-America Conference’s Central Michigan Chippewas (8-4) in Arizona Stadium at noon Friday, December 31.

This year’s contest is the bowl’s seventh game, and the second since it was aligned to pit a Mountain West team against an opponent from the MAC. Ball State defeated San Jose State 34-13 in last year’s contest.

Boise State’s last appearance in a bowl was a 38-7 loss to Washington in the 2019 Las Vegas Bowl. Central Michigan lost to San Diego State 48-11 in the 2019 New Mexico Bowl.

“We are beyond thrilled with this matchup,” says Kym Adair, executive director of the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. “These are two powerhouse teams playing each other for the first time in 20 years.”

This iteration will have a very different feel than last year’s. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, fans were not allowed to attend last year’s contest and all ancillary events were canceled. All events will resume this year and fans will return to the stadium.

The night before the game, a pep rally will kick off at 5 p.m. at Jacome Plaza. From 8 to 11:30 a.m. on the morning of the game, a tailgate festival will get fans in the mood for gameday fun.

At 6 p.m. New Year’s Eve, the Plain White T’s will headline a free party at Congress and Fifth. The evening will also feature a giant taco dropping at midnight.

Fans attending the game will witness a flyover by A-10 jets before kickoff. Former Creed lead singer Scott Stapp will perform at halftime.

For those who prefer to watch the game at home, this year’s broadcast represents a break with tradition. A linear TV network is not airing the game. Instead, Barstool Sports, the game’s new sponsor, will livestream the contest through its website, app and social media channels. Barstool Sports, the third-largest sports media publisher in the country behind ESPN and Turner Sports, is the intended medium for broadcasting future editions of the game as well.

As the country’s viewing habits shift in the direction of digital broadcasting, Adair says she believes the Arizona Bowl is at the vanguard of how other bowls might one day be watched.

“We feel like we’re at the tip of the spear,” she says. “This is the way most people are consuming content.”

Information about purchasing tickets to the game can be found at seatgeek.com or by clicking the tickets tab at thearizonabowl.com. Alternatively, tickets can be purchased by phone by calling 520.AZBOWL1 (292.6951).