Puerto Rico Bowl debuting in 2026 as part of expanded bowl game lineup

The Puerto Rico Bowl will debut this December as part of the expanded 41-bowl lineup, managing partners ESPN Events and Complete Sports Management announced Friday.

The game will feature a team from the Mid-American Conference against an undetermined opponent and kick off at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón. The matchup’s date and time will be set later, and ESPN will televise.

“Through our long-standing bowl partnership with ESPN Events and Complete Sports Management, the Mid-American Conference is pleased to have an opportunity to participate in the inaugural Puerto Rico Bowl,” conference commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a statement. “Having the opportunity to compete in such a special place will make for a memorable event for the student-athletes and fans.”

The bowl game marks the first college football game to be played in Puerto Rico and essentially replaces the Bahamas Bowl, which moved to Frisco, Texas, as a one-year stopgap last December. Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, joins the Hawaii Bowl as one of two bowls held outside the mainland United States.

On3’s Brett McMurphy was the first to report news of the Puerto Rico Bowl.