Colorado State accepts bid to New Mexico Bowl
December 7, 2008
Rams make first bowl appearance since 2005
The Colorado State Rams have accepted an invitation to the third annual New Mexico Bowl, Director of Athletics Paul Kowalczyk announced Sunday. The bowl will be the 10th postseason appearance for the Rams in 15 seasons.
Colorado State vs. Fresno State on Dec. 20
The Rams (6-6, 4-4 Mountain West) will meet old conference foe Fresno State (7-5, 4-4 Western Athletic) in the bowl, Saturday, Dec. 20, at 12:35 p.m. MST at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M.
ESPN and ESPN HD will televise the contest.
Ticket and travel information
The best seats are available through the CSU ticket office. The office will begin selling tickets - all of which are excellent sideline seats priced at only $30 - at 8 a.m. Monday morning. Fans can purchase tickets one of three ways:
1) In person at the McGraw Athletic Center ticket office (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. MST)
2) Via telephone at 1-800/491-RAMS (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. MST); or
3) At http://CSURams.com (24-hours a day)
Ram Club priority seating
Ram Club members should order their tickets before Wednesday at 5 p.m. MST to ensure priority seating. The athletic department already has started contacting the nearly 1,000 individuals who expressed interest in purchasing tickets over the last two weeks, since CSU launched its bowl website and began accepting inquiries from fans.
Tickets purchased this week are expected to be mailed Friday. All others will be left at University Stadium "will call" on game day.
Special bowl packages - Albuquerque only a six-hour drive from Denver
For more information, including links to hotels, fans can visit the bowl website: http://csurams.com/bowl. New Horizons Travel (970/663-0663) also is offering special bowl packages, including game tickets. Albuquerque is only a six-hour drive from Denver.
Pre-game tailgate
The CSU Alumni Association will be hosting a pre-game tailgate at University Stadium in Albuquerque beginning at 9 a.m. It will be the place to be prior to kickoff!
Register for your spot at the tailgate today by visiting http://www.csualum.com/bowl.
Donate tickets
If you are unable to make it to the game in person, you can still support the effort by purchasing tickets that will be donated to either the CSU Band or a bowl-designated charity. Donation opportunities are tax-deductible are available at https://advancing.colostate.edu/Modules/giving_a.asp?1095.
Unprecedented first-year success for Coach Fairchild
Fairchild, a former Albuquerque resident, is the first head coach in CSU history to lead his team to a bowl game in his inaugural season. Fairchild also has won more games than any previous first-year head coach.
Only two other first-year head coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision - Ole Miss' Houston Nutt and Northern Illinois' Jerry Kill - have improved their program's win total more in comparison to 2007. The Rams (6-6 this year) were 3-9 last season.
Bowl notes and quick facts
CSU, picked to finish eighth in the Mountain West's preseason media poll, has earned a bowl invitation for the first time since the 2005 Poinsettia Bowl.
In the 60th anniversary of its first bowl season - the Raisin Bowl on Jan. 1, 1949, in Fresno - CSU makes its 12th bowl appearance. The Rams all-time are 4-7 in bowl games.
Tremendous reward for 17 seniors
CSU's 17 seniors can end their careers with their first winning record. That list includes inspirational safety Mike Pagnotta, whose college career was previously thought to be over after a shoulder injury. Now, with the bowl trip, Pagnotta is hopeful to play one final game.
Fellow starting safety Klint Kubiak (knee injury), a junior, also could return to the field after his season was thought to be over.
Colorado State and Fresno State will meet for the 12th time. The Rams earned a 35-23 triumph in the teams' last meeting, in 2006 at Bulldog Stadium.
MWC coach with shortest tenure vs. WAC coach with longest tenure
The coach with the longest tenure in the WAC, Pat Hill, meets the coach with the shortest tenure in the MWC, Steve Fairchild.
ESPN will air a Rams game for the 25th time overall, and the seventh time in a bowl. CSU's first appearance on the network was in 1987.
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For the latest information, visit http://csurams.com/bowl.
Visit the New Mexico Bowl website at http://www.newmexicobowl.com.
Contact: Zak Gilbert
Email: Zak.Gilbert@colostate.edu
Phone Number: (970) 491-RAMS
