NMSU heading to the Quick Lane Bowl versus Bowling Green

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- The Quick Lane Bowl has officially announced that the New Mexico State Aggies will be taking on the Bowling Green Falcons at the 2022 Quick Lane Bowl here.

It will be the first time NMSU and Bowling Green will ever play each other.

The Falcons finished their regular season with the same record as the Aggies, at 6-6, and finished third in the MAC East division. Remember 2 of the Aggies wins were against FCS schools and they became bowl eligible off their 5-6 record via a NCAA waiver.

The waiver came after the Aggies were not able to play a 12th game against San Jose State, which was canceled due to the death of a Spartans player.

Playing in a bowl in Jerry Kill's first season as head coach is an achievement neither he or Athletic Director Mario Moccia thought possible.

"I knew 100% we'd be here, no I didn't," Moccia said. "If you look at coaches history traditionally the pop comes in year three."

"For those guys to go 0-4 and not lose faith in a new coaching staff and not turn their backs on us and not you know don't buy into what we were saying, they never did that, they stayed the course," Kill said. "I said the ones that stayed the course shall be rewarded, well everything I said, I've been lucky has come true, except make a bowl game, I didn't promise that."

According to Moccia, the Aggies will receive a $1 million payout for the bowl game.

The game will be the only bowl game on Monday, December 26th. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. MT at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan and will be aired on ESPN.

Tickets go on sale at noon on Monday Dec. 5th. You can either buy tickets online or you can also purchase tickets through the Pan American Center ticket office by calling (575) 646-1420 beginning at the same time. Fans can also visit the NM State box office, located on the north end of the Pan American Center, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. MT.

This is NMSU's first bowl appearance since 2017, when the team beat the Utah State Aggies in the Arizona Bowl and only their 2nd bowl game in 61 years.