HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Bowl has announced the 2017 Hawai‘i Bowl will be played on Sunday, Dec. 24, at Aloha Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN and will feature a new kick-off time of 8:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. HT).

In its 16th year, the Hawai‘i Bowl will feature a team from the Mountain West against a team from the American Athletic Conference. “We are very happy to announce that Hawai‘i’s holiday tradition, the Hawai‘i Bowl, remains on Christmas Eve,” said Daryl Garvin, Hawai‘i Bowl Executive Director. “This will be the tenth straight year the Hawai‘i Bowl is played on December 24th and the game date is a family tradition for many visitors and kama‘?ina.” Last year’s game featured the hometown University of Hawai‘i of the MW against CUSA’s Middle Tennessee. The Rainbow Warriors made their first appearance in the bowl since 2010 and rallied for a 52-35 victory. The Hawai‘i Bowl is known for its high scoring (the winning team has scored 40 or more points 11 times), thrilling offenses and close games with two overtime contests and five 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 charities since the inception of the Hawai’i Bowl Foundation. The bowl game was created in 2002 after the hometown University of Hawai‘i finished the 2001 season with a 9-3 record and was not invited to a bowl game. The Hawai‘i Bowl provides UH an invitation when bowl eligible. The Rainbow Warriors have participated in the bowl seven times. The Hawai‘i Bowl is one of 13 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.   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.