HONOLULU – The 19^th annual Hawai‘i Bowl returns this Christmas Eve and will be played at the brand-new Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa campus. This year’s contest will pit the Mountain West versus the American Athletic Conference. Kick-off time is 8 p.m. ET (3 p.m. HT) on ESPN. “We look forward to the 2021 Hawaiʻi Bowl and the opportunities the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex will provide our fans to continue their holiday tradition of cheering for their favorite teams in person,” executive director Daryl Garvin said. The Ching Athletics Complex will serve as the temporary home of the Hawai‘i Bowl while the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District is completed. The Hawai‘i Bowl was held at Aloha Stadium every year from 2002-2019. The new stadium is projected to open in 2024. The University of Hawai‘i won the last Hawai‘i Bowl played in 2019 with a thrilling 38-34 victory that featured a high-scoring first half with 55 combined points. A Mountain West team has played in the Hawai‘i Bowl every year since 2012. The American will send a representative for the third time in Hawai‘i Bowl history. The Hawai‘i Bowl is known for its high scoring, thrilling offenses, and close games with two overtime contests and seven games decided by one touchdown or less. In addition to promoting the island way of life by sponsoring events intrinsic to Hawai‘i, the bowl supports many non-profit organizations through the Hawai‘i Bowl Foundation. More than $1 million has been awarded to local charities since the inception of the Hawai‘i Bowl Foundation. The bowl game was created in 2002 after the hometown Rainbow Warriors finished the 2001 season with a 9-3 record and was not invited to a bowl game. UH has participated in the bowl a record nine times. The 2020 game was canceled due to the pandemic. ESPN Events  ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.