After the Boise State football program was forced to withdraw from participating in the Arizona Bowl due to COVID-19 protocols, the MAC will release Central Michigan from its obligation to the bowl game, sources tell Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger.
The Chippewas are expected to play in the Sun Bowl instead against Washington State. Both games are scheduled for New Year’s Eve. Central Michigan is currently in Tucson, which is a little over 300 miles away from El Paso.
The Sun Bowl is carried by CBS, with a payout of $4.55 million. The Arizona Bowl, which is sponsored by Barstool Sports and streamed exclusively on its website, has a payout of $350,000, per Dellenger.
Central Michigan began the season 4–4 but won its last four games by an average margin of victory of 19.3 points. Its offense has averaged 41 points per game during the winning streak. Washington State began the year 1–3 but won six of its last eight games.
Central Michigan has not won a bowl game since the 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, and has never beaten a Power 5 opponent in a bowl game. Washington State has two bowl wins in the last 18 years, most recently winning the 2018 Alamo Bowl against Iowa State.
