The Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion Ball State football Cardinals will fly west to Arizona Stadium in Tucson to take on Mountain West Conference champions, #25 San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl on New Years Eve at 2 p.m. EST.  CBS will broadcast the game. No tickets will be available to the public, due to the pandemic.

Coach Mike Neu’s Cardinals won the school’s first MAC Championship since 1996, Friday night, at Ford Field in Detroit by beating Buffalo, 38 to 28.  The win avenged a loss to the Bulls in the 2008 MAC championship game.

In a news release, Neu said, “We are thrilled for the honor to represent the MAC at the Arizona Bowl against an incredibly talented team in San Jose State. Our team has worked so hard and persevered through so much to become champions and to earn the chance to play on a stage like this. We are thankful to CBS, the Arizona Bowl and the MAC for their work in making this game happen despite the obstacles of this year. It’s a tremendous opportunity for this special group to continue an amazing ride, and we can’t wait to play in Tucson.”

Ball State enters the Arizona Bowl with a 6-and-1 record.  San Jose State is 7-and-0, coming off a Mountain West Championship Game victory over Boise State.  Should the Cards prevail, it would be their seventh consecutive win of the season, and Ball State’s first bowl victory.