Delay on selections unlikely for New Mexico Bowl
Jeff Siembieda’s analysis: There will be no paralysis for the Gildan New Mexico Bowl in announcing the participating teams this weekend for the 11th annual contest.
But that’s an analysis, not a promise.
The concern is this: Entering the weekend, Western Michigan and Navy were the leading contenders for the automatic Cotton Bowl berth that goes to the Group of Five conference champion ranked highest by the College Football Playoff selection committee. So, what’s the problem? Western Michigan (13-0) defeated Ohio (8-5) 29-23 Friday night for the Mid-American Conference championship. But far more important to this scenario is today’s game between Temple (9-3) and Navy (9-2) for the American Athletic Conference title.
Here’s the rub: Navy plays its annual game against Army on Dec. 10. If Western Michigan and Navy were to come out of this weekend neck and neck, the Cotton Bowl selection could be delayed. As a result, selections for other bowls could be affected.
The worst-case scenario for the bowl industry was Western Michigan losing to Ohio, Navy
beating Temple, then Navy losing to Army. Might the committee under those circumstances select the Mountain West champion — Wyoming or San Diego State — for the Cotton Bowl berth, creating nearchaos as the bowl season approached? Western Michigan’s victory on Friday would appear to take that scenario off the table.
Still, pending the NavyTemple outcome, uncertainty remains.
The New Mexico Bowl’s annual team introduction luncheon and news conference is scheduled for Wednesday. Will its participating teams be identified by then?
Siembieda, the New Mexico Bowl’s executive director since its inception, can’t and won’t say a delay is impossible.
He’ll just say he finds it highly unlikely.
And he’ll say he still expects the participating teams to be announced no later than Sunday, as scheduled.
“I’m still in a place where I expect that announcement,” he said. “I wouldn’t tell you 100 percent that there’s no chance (of a snarl), but we are acting accordingly.”
As for who those teams will be, Siembieda isn’t saying.
The New Mexico Bowl is contracted to match a Mountain West team against a Conference USA team, though that didn’t happen last year. C-USA didn’t have enough qualifying teams, and Arizona of the Pac-12 came to Albuquerque to play New Mexico. The Wildcats won a wild one, 45-37.
This year, Conference USA does have enough teams to fill its six bowl commitments. The Mountain West, with seven bowleligible teams, also is able to meet its six commitments. This does not guarantee a Mountain WestConference USA pairing for the New Mexico Bowl, but makes it highly likely.
Speculation online favors a New Mexico-UTSA matchup. The Lobos are 8-4, the Roadrunners 6-6.
The teams played a home-and-home series in 2013-14. The Roadrunners won in Albuquerque in the first of the two games; the Lobos then won at the Alamodome.
College Football News is projecting a UNM-Southern Mississippi matchup in the New Mexico Bowl. CBS Sports is virtually alone in predicting a trip for UNM to the Arizona Bowl, against Idaho, on Dec. 30 in Tucson. CBS’ Jerry Palm has UTSA facing Air Force in the New Mexico Bowl.
After a decade in the bowl business, Siembieda says he and ESPN Regional Television — the New Mexico Bowl’s owner — know not to assume anything until the match is made.
He would be far more concerned, though, he said, if the New Mexico Bowl had tie-ins with the American Athletic or the Mid-American.
“We’ve talked about a lot of scenarios,” he said. “But I think we’re gonna be clean.”