The countdown is on for what is expected to be the largest collegiate football game to ever take place in The Bahamas.
On Christmas Eve at 12 noon, the Mid American Conference's (MAC) Central Michigan Chippewas (7-5) will take on Conference USA's Western Kentucky University (WKU) Hilltoppers (7-5), in the inaugural Popeyes Bahamas Bowl at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
The game will be televised live on the ESPN Network, and will be a rematch of the 2012 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl that saw Central Michigan score a 24-21 win over WKU.
The two teams will be the first to play a postseason National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) game outside of either the United States or Canada since the 1937 Bacardi Bowl between Auburn and Villanova in Havana, Cuba.
It also marks the first time Popeyes has sponsored a collegiate football bowl game.
"Popeyes is honored to partner with the Bahamas Bowl to bring this historic bowl game to college football fans everywhere," said Hector Munoz, Vice President of Marketing for Popeyes. "Like college football, Popeyes enjoys a rich tradition and passionate fans, and we look forward to a great game and a lot of fun in The Bahamas."
Dan Enos has coached Central Michigan for the past five seasons, and they come into the bowl game with the strongest defensive unit in the MAC. The Chippewas led the conference in total defense (331.2 yards per game), rushing defense (119.8 yards per game) and were second in the conference in scoring defense (23.2 points per game).
"I want to thank the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl for the invitation to be a part of its inaugural game," Enos said. "Playing in our sixth bowl game in the past nine seasons is a great accomplishment for this program. WKU is a great team, and I expect a hard fought game when we face off on December 24. I know our players are extremely excited to have this opportunity and can't wait to get going with bowl camp later this week."
On the other side of the field, the Hilltoppers boasts one of Conference USA's top offensive teams. They enter the bowl with a four-game winning streak, including a 67-66 overtime victory in their regular-season finale over then-No. 19 Marshall.
"It is a tremendous reward and opportunity for our players and coaches who have worked incredibly hard this season," said WKU Head Coach Jeff Brohm. "A bowl game is one of our goals at the beginning of every season, and to be able to realize and achieve that goal is a credit to their attitude and willingness to put in the effort to get better each and every week. We look forward to getting back to practice and preparing for our second bowl game in school history."
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr. Daniel Johnson noted that it is a privilege for The Bahamas to be able to host such an event, and he expects an even larger turnout than the one at the HBCUX (Historically Black Colleges and Universities Experience) bowl game between Central State University and Texas Christian University in September.
"This is the first bowl game played outside the United States since 1937, it will be broadcasted on ESPN with 110 million viewers in the United States alone and it gives us the position we always wanted in the sports tourism world," said Minister Johnson. "We will have a bowl week, and I think that's what gives the game a bang at the end of it. It's a week of activities leading up to the event and that's something we will learn and do more about instead of just having one event."
The Popeyes Bahamas Bowl exists to promote the Islands of The Bahamas, and in turn, promote educational and athletic opportunities to the youth of The Bahamas through college football.

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