The University of Toledo has accepted an invitation to play the Pittsburgh Panthers in the 2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 26. The contest will kick off at 2 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPN.
Toledo (7-5, 4-4 MAC) is playing in its eighth bowl game under Head Coach Jason Candle. ACC member Pittsburgh also has a 7-5 record heading into the bowl game.
“We are very excited to accept an invitation to the GameAbove Sports Bowl,” said Toledo Vice-President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair. “Toledo Football has been bowl eligible for 15 consecutive seasons, which is the sixth-longest streak out of over 130 FBS institutions. The GameAbove Sports Bowl provides an incredible platform for the University and Toledo community to be highlighted on ESPN and its viewership of over 72 million households.
“We look forward to playing in a first-class NFL venue and enjoying all the hospitality that the Detroit area has to offer. Being just one hour from Ford Field will also make it convenient for our fans and many of our players’ families to make the trip up I-75, providing a home-field advantage. I know Coach Candle and the coaching staff will have our team ready for what should be a tremendous matchup with ACC foe Pittsburgh.”
“We are excited to be headed to Detroit to compete against Pittsburgh in the GameAbove Sports Bowl,” said Candle, who has a 72-40 record in nine seasons as head coach. “This is a great opportunity to play against an ACC opponent, as well as a chance for us to get better and play one final game with an outstanding group of seniors. We look forward to representing our University and the Toledo community in Detroit.”
Toledo has played in three bowl games in Detroit and another in nearby Pontiac. The Rockets played in the Motor City Bowl at the Pontiac Silverdome in 2001 and played in the same bowl at Ford Field in 2002 and 2004. Their last bowl trip to Detroit came in 2010 in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
Toledo is 1-2 all-time vs. Pitt, including a 35-31 win in the Glass Bowl in 2003 when the Panthers were ranked No. 9 in the country.
Tickets for the 2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl are on sale now at UTRockets.com/bowltix, by phone at 419-530-GOLD (4653) or at the Rocket Ticket Office in Savage Arena during normal business hours.
The deadline for priority seating is Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 5 p.m. After the deadline, assigned seat locations will be based on football season ticket, Rocket Fund and Toledo Athletics giving history. The deadline for all purchases is Monday. Dec. 23, at noon. After that, all purchases must be made through Ford Field or at the gate on game day.
Alumni Pre-Game Events
Information about pre-game alumni events will be announced later this week. For more information and questions, call 419-530-2586.
