Western Kentucky and Western Michigan Selected for 2019 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
DALLAS, Texas (Dec. 8, 2019) – The Western Kentucky (WKU) Hilltoppers and Western Michigan Broncos have officially accepted invitations to play in the 2019 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.
The 10th edition of the bowl game will be played Monday, Dec. 30, at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CT (12:30 p.m. ET). It is the first time that that game will be held at the SMU Mustangs’ home field.
“We’re excited to announce WKU and Western Michigan as the two programs playing in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl this year,” Executive Director Brant Ringler said. “We congratulate both the Hilltoppers and Broncos on their seasons. Fans from both programs are in for a special time in Dallas.”
WKU (8-4, 6-2 Conference USA) finished second in the C-USA East Division and ended the regular season with victories in its last three games. Nationally, the Hilltoppers rank 21st in scoring defense, allowing just 20.1 points per outing.
This marks the Hilltoppers’ sixth bowl appearance since joining the Division I ranks, and its fifth in the last six years. WKU is 3-2 in its previous bowl contests and last played in the 2017 Cure Bowl. Head coach Tyson Helton has guided his squad to a bowl appearance in his first-ever year as a college head coach.
Western Michigan (7-5, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) closed the regular season with wins in three of its last four games, and finished as the runner up in the MAC West Division. Offensively, the team ranks 25th in rushing yards per game (212.7) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (35).
Western Michigan is participating in its 10th-ever bowl game, a resume that includes an invitation to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic following the 2016 season. Head coach Tim Lester is 20-17 in three seasons as head coach. He guided the Broncos to an appearance in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl last year.
This is the debut appearance in the First Responder Bowl for both teams. The teams have played each other 15 times previously, but not since 1947. Western Michigan leads the series 11-3-1.
Tickets range from $25 to $125 and may be purchased through the bowl’s web site at www.firstresponderbowl.com.Complimentary tickets are also available to first responders and their families via signup at the bowl’s website. These tickets are made possible by generous underwriting from North Texas businesses and bowl corporate partners.
First responders to be honored include police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, correctional officers, search and rescue, dispatchers, security guards, federal agents, border patrol agents and military personnel who have specialized training and are the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency.
This year’s SERVPRO First Responder Bowl will again be televised on ESPN, and will be aired in both English and Spanish on GameDay Radio.
The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is one of 16 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games, the FCS opening-weekend game, 16 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 375-plus hours of live programming, reaches nearly 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 Tampa, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
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