SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The 2019 Cheez-It® Bowl will host Air Force from the Mountain West Conference and Washington State from the Pac-12 Conference on Friday, December 27, 2019, at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. This will be the first-ever matchup between the Falcons and Cougars.

Kickoff is scheduled for primetime on Friday night, with an 8:15 p.m. MST start at Chase Field, where the baseball diamond is turned into a football field. Last season, the Cheez-It® Bowl became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter after one of the most memorable bowl games in recent history. Tickets are perfectly-priced for families, starting at $35, and available by visiting cheezitbowl.com.

"Air Force and Washington State bring some of the most explosive offenses in all of college football, representing two great conferences in the Mountain West and Pac-12," said Mike Nealy, Executive Director of the Cheez-It® Bowl. "We've been fortunate to host the Cougars before and are excited to welcome the Falcons and their international fan base into the Cheez-It® Bowl family later this month."

As the representative from the Mountain West Conference, Air Force (10-2, 7-1) enters the postseason bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016. The Falcons will play in the Cheez-It® Bowl for the second time in program history and are the second team from the MWC to play in the game. While still a part of the Western Athletic Conference, Air Force's previous trip came in the 1995 Copper Bowl at Arizona Stadium when the Falcons fell to Texas Tech, 55-41.

Head Coach Troy Calhoun has led the Falcons for 13 seasons. This year's team closed the regular season with a seven straight wins, the program's longest single-season streak since 1998. A first under Calhoun, the 10-win regular season hasn't been accomplished since the team went 11-1 in 1998.

Finishing second in the conference's Mountain Division, Air Force also matched the school's conference record with a 7-1 mark in Mountain West play.

Coming out of the Pac-12 Conference, Washington State (6-6, 3-6) won its last two home games to become bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive year. Redshirt senior Anthony Gordon leads the nation in passing this season with 5,228 yards, becoming the 16th quarterback in NCAA FBS history to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season and the first since Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech) in 2016. The Cougars enter the Cheez-It® Bowl for the second time in program history, previously winning on a fourth-quarter field goal to defeat former Mountain West and current Pac-12 opponent, Utah, 31-28, in 1992.

In his eighth season as WSU's head coach, Mike Leach is no stranger to this game. The prolific offensive mind led the 2006 Texas Tech Red Raiders to the largest comeback in NCAA Division I bowl history and the Bowl's first overtime game. Texas Tech rallied to score 31 unanswered points in regulation and a touchdown in overtime to defeat Minnesota, 44-41, after trailing 38-7 early in the third quarter.

"We know both schools well and it is a great honor to host these two accomplished universities in the Valley for a one-of-a-kind experience in downtown Phoenix on a baseball diamond turned gridiron," said Patrick Barkley, Chairman of the Cheez-It® Bowl Board of Directors. "We are excited to extend Arizona hospitality to these two incredible fan bases for a family-friendly experience, complete with the Oasis Cheez-It® Bowl Pregame Party before the big game."

Starting at 4 p.m., all fans are invited to attend The Oasis Pregame Party, presented by Cheez-It®, located west of Chase Field at Fourth Street and Jackson. Free of charge, the Oasis Cheez-It® Bowl Pregame Party is the perfect way to kick-off gameday, complete with live music, marching bands, cheerleaders, pep rallies, interactive games and jumbotrons.
 
All tickets purchased for the Cheez-It® Bowl support Fiesta Bowl Charities, which has given $15.5 million to the Arizona community in the last nine years through charitable giving, including $3 million for the 2019-20 season, the most of any college football bowl organization.
 
For more information about the Fiesta Bowl organization, the Cheez-It® Bowl or the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl and related events, please visit FiestaBowl.org or follow the organization (@CheezItBowl) on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

ABOUT FIESTA BOWL
The Fiesta Bowl's vision is to be a world-class community organization that executes innovative experiences, drives economic growth and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans. As a nonprofit organization, it believes in the importance of community outreach and service. Through charitable giving, the organization strives to enhance Arizona nonprofit organizations that contribute to the success of communities through youth, sports and education. Since 1971, Fiesta Bowl Charities has worked to increase its footprint across the state and to benefit Arizonans year round, during and outside of bowl season. For more information about its local impact and how to get involved, visit FiestaBowl.org.