Aggies get bid for New Mexico Bowl vs. Fresno State
Dec. 3—New Mexico State is getting the staycation it deserves.
After a 10-win regular season that saw the Aggies reach the championship game of Conference USA, NMSU has accepted a bid to participate in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 16 in Albuquerque. The Aggies (10-4) will face Fresno State (8-4) out of the Mountain West Conference in a game to be nationally televised on ESPN.
"In the midst of their best season in more than 60 years, we are excited to welcome New Mexico State to the Isleta New Mexico Bowl for the first time," said New Mexico Bowl executive director Jeff Siembieda in a release. "Coach Kill and his team have provided this passionate fan base something quite special and we are looking forward to wrapping it up when we host the Aggies in Albuquerque."
It's the second bowl appearance in as many years for NMSU, and third since 2017. It's the program's first back-to-back bowl bids since 1959 and 1960.
The Aggies have never lost in the postseason, going 4-0-1 in their previous five appearances. They won the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit last year, getting bypassed by the New Mexico Bowl when the matchup for an ABC broadcast was BYU and SMU.
New Mexico State won in University Stadium in September, beating the Lobos in a game that drew the largest crowd of the season in the facility. A large crowd is anticipated for this game, as well.
It also marks the return of NMSU quarterback Diego Pavia, a graduate of Albuquerque's Volcano Vista High School who made headlines by allegedly urinating on the UNM logo inside the stadium's indoor practice facility. Pavia has been kept away from most media press conferences ever since.
This will be Fresno State's fourth appearance in the New Mexico Bowl, tying the record established by UNM. The Bulldogs are one of seven teams from the MWC to make it to a bowl game after a regular season in which they beat a pair of Power 5 teams but lost to New Mexico late in the season.
"It's great to welcome Fresno State back to the Isleta New Mexico Bowl," said Siembieda. "Having appeared in the national polls this season with wins over the Mountain West champion and runner-up, as well as victories over a Big Ten and PAC-12 team the Bulldogs had an impressive season."
Tickets begin tag $25 for the general public. Fans of either team may purchase tickets through that school's ticket portal to ensure their fan groups remain seated together.
