The Dec. 31 Arizona Bowl won't be open to fans, but everybody can watch on television.
And we mean everybody.
The game has been moved to noon and will air on CBS, bowl organizers announced Thursday. The Arizona Bowl will take the place of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, which has traditionally occupied the rare over-the-air television spot on New Year's Eve but was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Arizona Bowl was initially slated for a mid-afternoon kickoff on the CBS Sports Network.
The Arizona Bowl is one of just four bowl games that will air on over-the-air television, and the only one airing on CBS.
“Over the course of the last five years, the Arizona Bowl has worked hard to create a game that would not only bring a first-class college football matchup to Southern Arizona, but also shine a national spotlight on our incredible community. This year, we will be able to shine the biggest spotlight of them all when CBS Sports broadcasts our game on New Year’s Eve," Arizona Bowl executive director Kym Adair said.
This year's game will be a major step up, featuring top teams from the Mountain West and Mid-American Conferences. The leagues are in the first year of a six-year contract with the Tucson game.
The game is almost certain to invite either Nevada, Boise State or San Jose State, the three top teams in the MWC.
Already, one cancellation has further improved Arizona's chances of landing an elite team. The inaugural LA Bowl, which was supposed to have featured the Mountain West champion, was called off earlier this week because of the pandemic.
The Arizona Bowl will take a participant in the Mountain West championship game. Whichever team the Arizona Bowl doesn't take will play in either the Dec. 22 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl or the Dec. 24 New Mexico Bowl, which has been moved from Albuquerque to Frisco, Texas, because of the virus.
