A-State, Bowling Green to play in 68 Ventures Bowl
Red Wolves earn 2nd straight bowl bid
From Arkansas State University
astateredwolves.com
JONESBORO – The Arkansas State Athletics Department announced Sunday the Red Wolves have accepted an official invitation to play in the 2024 68 Ventures Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 26, at 8:00 p.m. (CT).
Making its second consecutive bowl-game appearance, the Red Wolves will face Mid-American Conference (MAC) member Bowling Green at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala., in a contest set to be televised by ESPN.
'We're excited about the opportunity to play in the 68 Ventures Bowl, a well-respected bowl game with an outstanding reputation for providing a great experience for teams and fans alike,' said A-State Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Jeff
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Purinton. 'The city of Mobile is well-known for its hospitality, and president Jerry Silverstein and the bowl-game staff do a tremendous job with this event. We look forward to seeing our team take the field again to play in a postseason game for the second straight year.'
Completing the regular season with a 7-5 overall record, AState is currently one of just three programs in the country to increase its win total each year since 2022. Despite being picked to finish fourth in the Sun Belt's West Division, A-State tied for second with a league record of 5-3.
The five conference wins were the most for the Red Wolves since 2019.
'We look forward to continuing our season with a bowl game for the second consecutive year,' said A-State head football coach Butch Jones.
'The 68 Ventures Bowl offers an excellent experience for our players and provides a great bowl destination for our team and fans. We're excited about the opportunity to play for an eighth win and to finish the season strong against a very good opponent.
'Bowling Green has an outstanding football history and will present a great challenge.
My relationship with Scot Loeffler dates back many years, and I have the utmost respect for the program he has created at Bowling Green. Derek van der Merwe, director of athletics, is also a very close friend and confidant.'
A-State will make its 19th alltime bowl appearance (8-9-1 record) and their fifth in Mobile, where it played four consecutive bowl games from 2012-2015. Competing in a bowl game for the 11th time over the last 14 seasons (2011-24), the Red Wolves will face a MAC opponent in the postseason for the sixth time (2-3 record) over that span. Bowling Green completed the regular season with 7-5 overall record and a 6-2 mark in conference action, winning five of their last six games. Led by tight end Harold Fannin Jr., the Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner and MAC Offensive Player of the Year, the Falcons had nine players tabbed All-MAC. The Red Wolves and Bowling Green have met only once on the gridiron. The Falcons defeated A-State 17-0 back on Nov. 9, 1974, in Bowling Green, Ohio.
This year's A-State vs Bowling Green matchup will mark the 26th edition of a bowl game in Mobile. Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase all tickets to the 68 Ventures Bowl through Arkansas State Athletics. Purchasing tickets directly through AState provides many benefits, including sitting with other Red Wolves fans, providing direct revenue back to the university athletic programs, making A-State attractive to future bowl organizations and more.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking HERE or by visiting AStateRedWolves. com/Bowl-Central. The Arkansas State bench will be on the east sideline with Red Wolves' fans designated in sections 121125 ($45), 224-225 ($45) and sections 119-120 ($15). Student tickets will be available by contacting the Student Government Association.
