Eastern Michigan will play Old Dominion in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl

The Eastern Michigan Eagles (7-5) have been selected to represent the MAC in the 2016 Popeye’s Bahamas bowl to play the Old Dominion Monarchs (9-3) of Conference USA.

The Eagles will be playing in their first bowl game since winning the 1987 California Bowl over San Jose State. In his third season at head coach, Chris Creighton brought the Eagles to their first-winning season since 1989.

For the third-straight year, a Michigan-MAC team will be a participant in the lone bowl game outside of the United States. Central Michigan lost to Western Kentucky in the first annual Bahamas Bowl despite completing a miracle Hail Mary play and Western Michigan defeated Middle Tennessee in last year’s edition.

Old Dominion is playing for its first bowl game in school history. The Monarchs completed the transition to the FBS level in 2014 and are looking to capitalize on their most successful season since joining Conference USA. The Monarchs revived the program in 2009 after discontinuing football in 1942.

The game kicks off in Nassau on December 23 at 1 p.m. EST at Thomas Robinson Stadium.