Fiesta Bowl leaders pivot, Rate Bowl is New Mexico vs Minnesota

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Minnesota and New Mexico will meet in the Rate Bowl at Chase Field on Dec. 26, the Fiesta Sports Association announced on Sunday, Dec. 7.

It will be the first meeting between the teams. Kickoff, typically late at night in downtown Phoenix, is 2:30 p.m. MT with the game carried live on ESPN.

New Mexico (9-3, 6-2 Mountain West) makes its second-ever Rate Bowl appearance and first since 1997. Minnesota (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) is back in the Rate Bowl for the first time since 2021 and its fifth appearance overall. The Golden Gophers defeated West Virginia 18-6 in 2021.

"I know our guys were having a big team meeting to celebrate where we're headed," Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said. "I know a lot of them under their breaths are like, 'Are we going to Arizona? Are we going to go to Arizona?' I think they were excited that the Rate Bowl picked us."

The game's traditional tie-in is a Big Ten team against a Big 12 opponent, but Iowa State, the Big 12 team invited to play in the Rate Bowl this year, opted out of a bowl game due to a coaching change. Head coach Matt Campbell left the Cyclones to take the Penn State job, and Iowa hired former Washington State head coach Jimmy Rogers.

The situation left Rate Bowl organizers looking for a replacement for Iowa State, and because the Fiesta Sports Association has a backup contract with the Mountain West to provide a team in case a Big 12 team can't be secured, New Mexico got the nod.

From 2006 to 2013, the Rate Bowl matched up Big Ten vs. Big 12 teams. That has also been the case in three of the last four games. In 2023, UNLV, a member of the Mountain West, played the Big 12's Kansas at Chase Field.

Another Big 12 team, Kansas State, declined its bowl bid with the retirement of head coach Chris Kleiman. The Wildcats filled their head coaching position with former K-State quarterback Collin Klein, who played in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl.

The conference fined both Iowa State and Kansas State $500,000 for opting out of the conference's bowl pool. In doing so, the Rate Bowl had to pivot and invite New Mexico.

Fiesta Sports Association leaders found out on their Dec. 7 flight back from the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis about the opt-outs.

"The reason we have two primary contracts, one with the Big 12 and one with the Big Ten, and a backup contract with the Mountain West is just for these kinds of situations," said Erik Moses, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Fiesta Sports Association. "Even when we thought that there might be a very slim chance of the Big 12 not being able to fulfill all of its contractual obligations to its bowl partners, we put out feelers to the Mountain West just to put them on alert that if something went sideways, we would be coming to them."

In choosing New Mexico, geography was considered. Albuquerque is within comfortable driving distance of Phoenix, 6½ hours or so.

"We feel very fortunate to play in such a great bowl game that usually is for two Power Four teams," Lobos head coach Jason Eck said. "I know this year, there was a little less Power Four teams bowl-eligible. We're excited to be the team that gets this opportunity to move up."

Rate Bowl tickets are available by visiting ratebowl.com/tickets or calling (480) 350-0911.

Fiesta Bowl preparation

Moses was asked about getting ready for the Jan. 8, 2026, Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal at State Farm Stadium, set for 5:30 p.m. MT. Any two of the six possible teams could be in the game.

He said from a logistical standpoint, the Fiesta Sports Association will reach out to all six programs to set up hotels and practice sites so all will be ready with those when the two teams qualify.

"It does make the promoter in me a bit skittish, right, I mean, we'll have a week to know the two teams that are playing in our game," Moses said. "We'll have to hope that those teams have a rabid fan base and those fans are inspired to want to follow them out to Phoenix, especially this time of year.

"We've got lots of football fans here, and they should take advantage of the fact that they may have a chance to see the ultimate national champion play in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New Mexico takes place of Big 12 team in Rate Bowl

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