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Miami football to play in Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl for second year in a row

Miami football head coach Chuck Martin celebrates last year's win at the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl in Tucson, Arizona, on Dec. 28, 2024
Miami football head coach Chuck Martin celebrates last year's win at the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl in Tucson, Arizona, on Dec. 28, 2024

The Miami University RedHawks football team is headed back to Tucson, Arizona, to compete in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl for the second year in a row. The RedHawks will face the Fresno State University Bulldogs on Dec. 27 at Arizona Stadium. 

The RedHawks became bowl eligible for the third consecutive year with a win over the University of Buffalo Bulls on Nov. 19. Miami has played in six bowl games since head coach Chuck Martin took his role at the helm in 2014. 

Of those six bowl games, the RedHawks have won twice, including last year’s win at the Arizona Bowl. Miami defeated the Colorado State University Rams 43-17 in the first bowl game sponsored by an alcoholic beverage in the history of college football. 

“These are opportunities that you don’t get back,” Martin said. “We’re so worried about the next opportunity, we forget about what’s right in front of us. We couldn’t be more excited to ride with those guys one last time, those seniors, and be around them, not only coach them but play, be in a hotel with them, be by the pool with them, laugh with them.”

This year’s Arizona Bowl will once again be sponsored by Gin & Juice, a cocktail brand co-owned by Snoop Dogg and rapper and music producer Dr. Dre. Snoop Dogg will do the coin flip before the game and attend the Gin & Juice Tailgate Festival. 

Miami has participated in 16 bowl games and holds a 9-7 all-time record. Last year’s win in Tucson was the first bowl game victory since the 2021 Frisco Football Classic against the University of North Texas Mean Green. 

Under first-year head coach Matt Entz, Fresno State finished the season with an 8-4 record and became bowl eligible on Nov. 1 with a 30-7 win over Boise State University. The Bulldogs finished fifth in the Mountain West Conference.  

Across the program’s 32 bowl game appearances, Fresno State has won 17 of them. The Bulldogs won five of their last six bowl games since 2017, dropping last year’s contest 28-20 against the Northern Illinois University Huskies at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. 

The matchup will be the first meeting between Miami and Fresno State. The RedHawks are looking to close out the 2025 season by defending their Arizona Bowl victory again on Dec. 27. The game will be broadcast on the CW Network. 

@kethanbabu_04

babukc2@miamioh.edu

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