December 7, 2025
For Immediate Release
Kickoff set for Monday, Dec. 22 at noon MT on ESPN
BOISE, Idaho – The 29th Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will feature Utah State from the Mountain West and Washington State from the Pac-12 Conference. The game will be played Monday, Dec. 22, at Albertsons Stadium on the campus of Boise State University. Kickoff is set for noon MT and will be aired on ESPN.
Tickets are on sale now through famousidahopotatobowl.com or the Boise State Athletics Ticket Office. Reservations for premium ticket packages are currently available, which include prime ticket locations, hospitality benefits in tent village and corporate exposure. For more package information contact the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl office at (208) 424-1011.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring these two incredible programs to Boise to host a 29th edition of our game,” said Danielle Brazil, executive director of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. “Every event surrounding bowl week, including the game itself, serves as a celebration of college football and Idaho Potatoes on the national stage and we invite all to join in the fun.”
Utah State (6-6, 4-4 MW) is making its sixth appearance in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, most by any school all-time. The Aggies lost the inaugural edition to Cincinnati (35-19) in 1997. Other trips include 2011 (lost 24-23 vs. Ohio), 2012 (won 41-15 vs. Toledo), 2015 (lost 23-21 vs. Akron) and 2023 (lost 45-22 vs. Georgia State).
The Aggies are 6-11 all-time in bowl games and playing in the postseason for the fourth time in the last five years. Their first appearance came in the 1947 Raisin Bowl, a 20-0 loss to San Jose State.
Washington State (6-6) is playing in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl for the first time. The Cougars are 8-11 all-time in bowl games and making their fourth postseason trip in the last five seasons.
In its first bowl appearance, Washington State defeated Brown 14-0 at the 1916 Rose Bowl. It is seeking its first bowl victory since the 2018 Alamo Bowl (28-26 vs. Iowa State).
John Miller leads the Utah State defense. A first-team All-Mountain West selection, he is tied for third in the conference with 76 tackles and 9.50 tackles per game in eight MW contests.
Fellow graduate student Bryson Barnes was a second-team All-MW honoree after passing for 1,831 yards and added 532 yards on the ground while accounting for 15 touchdowns in conference games.
Washington State is led by senior wide receiver Joshua Meredith and senior safety Tucker Large, both team captains.
Meredith tops the Cougars with 639 yards receiving and has three touchdown catches among his 49 receptions. He is one of seven seniors to spend his entire career with Washington State. Large is a transfer from South Dakota State where he was a first-team All-American last year. He has 70 tackles this season, including a season-high 13 in a win over Toledo.
The matchup is a preview of teams that will be conference opponents beginning with the 2026 season. Washington State is one of the two holdovers in the Pac-12 and Utah State is among six teams joining the league.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2025-26 academic year, the 35-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, two college volleyball events, the premier regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, while reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
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