Louisiana Tech accepts invitation to Hawai’i Bowl

RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech has accepted a bid to play in the Hawai’i Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 22 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. The game will air nationally on ESPN and ESPN Radio at 9:30 p.m. CT on Dec. 22 as the Bulldogs face off against the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors of the Mountain West.

This marks the fifth straight season Louisiana Tech will make a bowl appearance with the Bulldogs having won the previous four bowl games dating back to 2014.

“On behalf of the Hawai‘i Bowl Executive Committee, I’m proud to announce this thrilling match-up between Louisiana Tech University and the University of Hawai‘i and congratulate both teams on successful seasons,” Hawai‘i Bowl Executive Director Daryl Garvin said. “What better location to end a football season than the beautiful and scenic island of O‘ahu.”

Louisiana Tech (7-5, 5-3 C-USA) enters the bowl matchup as the only team in Conference USA to compete in five straight bowl games. LA Tech is also the only team in the league to win seven or more games in each of the last five seasons.

“We are excited about taking the Louisiana Tech brand and the Bulldog football program back to the islands,” said Louisiana Tech Athletics Director Tommy McClelland. “We have an obvious history with the University of Hawaii and the people of that great state from our days as members of the Western Athletic Conference. It will be fun to reunite with some old friends and get an opportunity to showcase our football program for a fifth straight year in postseason bowl game.”

The Bulldogs will face a Hawai’i team that posted an 8-5 overall record this season with a 5-3 mark in the Mountain West. The Rainbow Warriors have notched wins over Colorado State, Navy, Rice, Duquesne, San Jose State, Wyoming, UNLV and San Diego State.

“We could not be more excited to represent Louisiana Tech in the Hawai‘i Bowl,” head coach Skip Holtz said. “I want to thank the Hawai‘i Bowl committee, the people of Hawaii and everyone involved for giving us this incredible opportunity to play our final game of the 2018 season in the great state of Hawaii. I am very excited for this football team to experience the culture and hospitality of the Hawai‘i Bowl while also having the opportunity to face off against a great opponent in such a historic stadium.

“This is a once in a lifetime experience for many of our players, coaches and fans. I have been to the Hawai‘i Bowl before and it is an unbelievable bowl experience that is second to none as far as the culture, the destination and the people involved are concerned. The beauty and uniqueness of the Hawai‘i Bowl is what makes this bowl so special.”

The Bulldogs earned their fourth straight bowl victory a season ago after defeating SMU, 51-10, in the inaugural DXL Frisco Bowl in Frisco, Texas.

This will be the 11th meeting all-time between the two schools with Louisiana Tech winning twice in the previous 10 contests. The Rainbow Warriors have won two straight over the Bulldogs with the last meeting coming in 2011 when both teams were members of the Western Athletic Conference. The last time LA Tech traveled to Honolulu was in 2010, while the Bulldogs have made the trek to the Hawaiian Islands a total of five times dating back to 2000.

The Hawai’i Bowl enters its 17th year and this will mark the 12th time that Conference USA will be a part of game. This year’s Dec. 22 date marks the first time the game has not been played on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Conference USA teams have won six of their last seven appearances in the game and are 7-4 all-time. Ten different schools have played in the game with Middle Tennessee being the most recent.

For complete coverage of Bulldog Football, please follow Louisiana Tech on social media at @LATechFB (Twitter), /LATechFootball (Facebook) and @LATechFB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Louisiana Tech Athletics at LATechSports.com.