BYU accepts invitation to the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl

PROVO, Utah — BYU officially accepted an invitation to play in the Miami Beach Bowl following the Cougars’ 42-23 win over UNLV on Saturday night. BYU will face a to-be-determined team from the American Athletic Conference at Marlins Park in Miami on Monday, Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. ET. 

The official bowl invitation was presented by Carlos Padilla, II, Executive Director of the Miami Beach Bowl to BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe and BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall.

"We are pleased to welcome BYU with its storied history and program to the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl and we look forward to having one of the American Athletic Conference's top teams play the Cougars," Commissioner Mike Aresco said. "We expect an exciting bowl game in Miami that will be witnessed by a national television audience. Fans and followers of BYU and of our league will thoroughly enjoy the competition in beautiful Marlins Park and will also be able to enjoy the fine weather and the many outstanding attractions of the greater Miami area."       

"It's a great feeling to have BYU officially set to play in our inaugural game," said Padilla, II. "The enthusiasm that BYU's team, administration and fans are showing towards their appearance in our game is exactly what we were hoping for."   

"We are excited for our football team to have the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl against a team from The American," Holmoe said. "Marlins Park is a fantastic facility and we look forward to being in Miami in December."

BYU is currently 6-4 with two games remaining. The Cougars host Savannah State (Nov. 22) and finish the regular season on the road at California (Nov. 28).     

"We are looking forward to being part of the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl," Mendenhall said. "Our team is excited about the opportunity to play in the postseason for a 10th straight season, and anticipate a strong matchup against an American Athletic Conference opponent at Marlins Park in Miami."   

Select the following link for ticket information.

About the Miami Beach Bowl

The Miami Beach Bowl is a college football postseason game that is owned and operated by the American Athletic Conference. The Miami Beach Bowl will match an American Athletic Conference team against an opponent from Conference USA, the Sun Belt Conference or the Mid-American Conference. Institutions from other conferences across the country as well as Independent schools will also have the ability to participate.

The game is played at Marlins Park, a state-of-the-art facility that opened in 2012 and serves as the home of Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins. The stadium features a retractable roof, climate controlled temperatures and a pristine natural grass playing surface. For more information on the bowl game, visit www.MiamiBeachBowl.com.