HONOLULU – The University of Hawai‘i (Mountain West) and Louisiana Tech (Conference USA) will meet in the 2018 HAWAI‘I BOWL. The Rainbow Warriors (8-5) and Bulldogs (7-5) will play Saturday, Dec. 22 at Aloha Stadium.

Kick-off is 5:30 p.m. HT / 10:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN and ESPN Radio. All games aired on an ESPN network will also be available through the ESPN app, computers, smartphones, tablets and streaming devices to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider.

Tickets are currently on sale with prices ranging from $45 for sideline seating to $20 for general admission end zone seating. Fan may purchase tickets online at www.eTicketHawaii.com and print them on their home computer. They can also visit the Stan Sheriff Center Box Office and Aloha Stadium Box Office (Monday- Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or call (808) 944-2697 during the same hours.

“On behalf of the Hawai‘i Bowl Executive Committee, I’m proud to announce this thrilling match-up between Louisiana Tech University and the University of Hawai‘i and congratulate both teams on successful seasons,” Hawai‘i Bowl Executive Director Daryl Garvin said. “What better location to end a football season than the beautiful and scenic island of O‘ahu.”

UH will make its eighth Hawai‘i Bowl appearance and second in the last three years while Tech will appear in the bowl for the first time and make its 11^thall-time bowl appearance. The Bulldogs are one of only four teams in the country to win four straight bowl games the last four seasons, all under head coach Skip Holtz.

“We could not be more excited to represent Louisiana Tech in the Hawai‘i Bowl,” Holtz said. “I want to thank the Hawai‘i Bowl committee, the people of Hawai‘i and everyone involved for giving us this incredible opportunity to play our final game of the 2018 season in the great state of Hawai‘i. I am very excited for this football team to experience the culture and hospitality of the Hawai‘i Bowl while also having the opportunity to face off against a great opponent in such a historic stadium. This is a once in a lifetime experience for many of our players, coaches and fans.

“I have been to the Hawai‘i Bowl before and it is an unbelievable bowl experience that is second to none as far as the culture, the destination and the people involved are concerned. The beauty and uniqueness of the Hawai‘i Bowl is what makes this bowl so special.”

In his sixth year, Holtz has guided Tech to five straight winning seasons, including this year, in which the Bulldogs were tied for runner-up in C-USA’s West Division. Holtz has a 45-33 record at the Ruston, La., school and a 133-104 overall mark, which includes a five-year stint at East Carolina, where he led the 2007 squad to a Hawai‘i Bowl victory over Boise State.

In just his third season as head coach, Nick Rolovich has directed the Rainbow Warriors to two bowls including a win over Middle Tennessee in the 2016 Hawai‘i Bowl. Rolovich has led UH to a five-win improvement from last year – among the best in the nation – and a runner-up finish in the MW’s West Division. The Warriors, who are assured a winning record for the first time since 2010, will make their 12^thall-time bowl appearance, which includes a 4-3 mark in the Hawai‘i Bowl.

“We’re extremely proud to represent our University in the Hawai‘i Bowl,” Rolovich said. “We’re also very excited to rekindle some old Western Athletic Conference battles against a very talented Louisiana Tech team on December 22. It could very well be one of the more exciting games of the bowl season.”

Tech features the nation’s top sack leader in Jaylon Ferguson (15), who is also No. 2 in tackles-for-loss (23.5) while the Warriors’ prolific Run-and-Shoot offense features Top 10 quarterback Cole McDonald (3,790 yards, 35 TDs) and receiver John Ursua (1,343 yards, 16 TDs).

C-USA teams have appeared in the Hawai‘i Bowl 11 times with a 7-4 record. Mountain West teams have appeared in every Hawai‘i Bowl since 2012, including last year’s participant Fresno State, who defeated Houston of the American Athletic Conference, 33-27. MW teams have won the last three Hawai‘i Bowls.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 32 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 15 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 375-plus hours of live programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg,ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (Houston);AdvoCare Texas Kickoff(Houston); Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl(Atlanta); Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl(Tampa, Fla.); Birmingham Bowl(Alabama); Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl(Florida); Camping World Kickoff(Orlando, Fla.); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl(Boise); DXL Frisco Bowl(Texas);Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff(Montgomery, Ala.); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl(Dallas-Fort Worth); Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl(Nassau); Myrtle Beach Bowl(South Carolina); MEAC/SWAC Challenge(Atlanta);Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl(Nevada);   New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl(Montgomery, Ala.); SERVPRO First Responder Bowl(Dallas-Fort Worth); The Home Depot College Football Awards(Atlanta)

Collegiate Basketball

AdvoCare Invitational(Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic(Fort Bliss, Texas);Charleston Classic(South Carolina); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s(Los Angeles); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic presented by Corona(New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic Presented by Corona(South Bend, Ind.); Myrtle Beach Invitational(Conway, S.C.); NIT Season Tip-Off(Brooklyn, N.Y.); State Farm Champions Classic(Indianapolis) and Wooden Legacy(Fullerton, Calif.)

Collegiate Softball

St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational(Clearwater, Fla.)

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitteror YouTubepages.

About the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is responsible for strategically managing the State of Hawai‘i’s marketing initiatives to support tourism, the leading industry for the Hawaiian Islands. HTA’s goal is to optimize tourism’s benefits for Hawai‘i, while being attentive to the interests of travelers, the visitor industry and general public. HTA annually supports a wide range of Hawaiian cultural celebrations, community festivals and sports events to perpetuate Hawai‘i’s legacy and showcase the islands’ natural resources. 

For more information about HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org. Follow updates about HTA on Facebook, Twitter (@HawaiiHTA) and its YouTube Channel.