The full 2018-19 bowl schedule won’t be set until this weekend, but bits and pieces of the postseason are already being put in place.
The latest bit and/or piece involves Arkansas State, with the Sun Belt school confirming Tuesday that it has accepted an invitation to play in the fourth annual NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. ASU will face an undetermined team from the Mountain West Conference Saturday, Dec. 19 at 1:15 p.m. ET.
This will mark the eighth straight bowl appearance for the Red Wolves, which finished the 2018 regular season 8-4 and tied for first in the SBC’s West division. Prior to this current streak, ASU had appeared in just one bowl game in the football program’s 37-year history as an FBS school.
“This is another excellent opportunity for our guys to experience a great bowl setting against a strong opponent,” said athletic director Terry Mohajir in a statement. “In addition, it gives our alumni and fans attending the game more time to plan their trip to an outstanding destination.”
“We’re excited to continue our season at the Arizona Bowl,” head coach Blake Anderson said in his statement. “This will obviously be our first appearance in this bowl game, so it will give our team a new experience at a beautiful destination and a stadium where we haven’t played before. We know we will face a great opponent that will present a tough challenge, but we’re looking forward to the opportunity to win our ninth game of the season.”
It had previously been announced that Toledo will square off with Florida International in the 2018 Bahamas Bowl Dec. 21. Additionally, the Dec. 22 Hawaii Bowl will feature Hawaii vs. a school from Conference USA.