Miami Hurricanes to play Washington State Cougars in 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
The University of Miami and Washington State University will play in the 88th Annual Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Dec. 31.
The two teams were announced on Sunday afternoon in a press conference at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.
"It's a great matchup," said Sun Bowl Executive Director Bernie Olivas. "We're excited to be back this year after missing last year due to the pandemic."
Last year the Sun Bowl was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Miami and Washington State met in the 2015 Sun Bowl, and the Cougars won 20-14. The Cougars also won the 2001 bowl game against Purdue, 33-27.
Miami played in the 2010 Sun Bowl and lost to Notre Dame, 33-17.
"Both teams really wanted to be here and it's an exciting matchup," Olivas said. "Both teams are playing really well coming into the game. We feel good about the teams coming here."
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Washington State is 7-5 on the season and has wins against Oregon State, Stanford, Arizona State, and Washington. The Cougars have won six of their last eight games coming into the game.
Miami is 7-5 this season and has won five of its last six games. Miami's top games this year include wins against North Carolina State, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech.
"The Sun Bowl means a lot to people in El Paso and we're glad to be back," said John Folmer, who is the Sun Bowl Football Selection Committee Chairman. "Both teams have a lot of tradition and both of them want to be here."
The Sun Bowl will start two hours earlier than usual this year and kickoff at 10 a.m. on CBS. The Sun Bowl will be played before the college football semifinal games between Alabama and Cincinnati and Georgia and Michigan.
"We had two options with CBS, one was to move the game from the Dec. 31 date or move the game up to earlier kickoff and we chose to move the game up," Olivas said. "The Dec. 31 date is our date and it'll work out fine. People can come to our game and then go home and watch the two national semifinal games. It'll be a great day of football."
Felix F. Chavez may be reached at 915-546-6167; fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter.
88th Annual Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl
Who: The University of Miami vs. Washington State University
When: 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 31
Where: Sun Bowl Stadium
Tickets: Tickets are available by calling 915-533-4416, going by the Sun Bowl Association Office or through Ticketmaster at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0C00596BE70C22E7. Tickets range from $22-$62.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl 2021: University of Miami vs. Washington State
