Central Michigan to face Boise State in 2021 Arizona Bowl

For the second time in as many postseasons, the Central Michigan Chippewas (8-4, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) will head out West, as they will set up to face the Boise State Broncos (7-5, 5-3 Mountain West Conference) in the 2021 edition of the Arizona Bowl.

The news was first reported by Central Michigan Life football reporter Christian Booher via Twitter on Sunday afternoon.

The Chippewas’ last trip west of the Mississippi River for the postseason was in 2019, fresh off winning the MAC West division, when they were selected for the New Mexico Bowl as an opponent for the San Diego State Aztecs.

CMU will continue to try for their first bowl victory since 2012, when they defeated then-FBS newcomer Western Kentucky in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Their selection to the Arizona Bowl will be CMU’s fifth appearance in six opportunities since 2014 (all bowl-eligible teams who did not play in the MAC title game stayed home in 2020 due to COVID.)

CMU clinched at least a share of the MAC West division title for the second time in three seasons under head coach Jim McElwain this season, but were left to watch at home as NIU was the West representative due to head-to-head record.

Boise State had an 18-year streak of being selected to bowl games prior to the 2020 season (2018’s First Responder Bowl game was declared a no-contest), and will be looking for their first bowl win since the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl against Oregon. This is the Broncos’ first season under Andy Avalos, who took over for Bryan Harsin after the latter’s departure for Auburn.

The game is set for a 2 p.m. Eastern time kickoff, with exclusive online coverage on Barstool Sports. Adam Jaksa and Brock Gutierrez will be on the call for the Chippewa Radio Network on eligible terrestrial radio stations (with flagship WUPS-FM 98.5), while the radio stream is available on all streaming services.