On December 26, the Miami Hurricanes announced that they would not be able to play in the game, due to COVID-19 issues; organizers stated that they would try to secure a replacement team to face the Washington State Cougars.[4]
On December 27, the Central Michigan Chippewas were named as the Sun Bowl replacement team.[5] The Chippewas had originally been scheduled to face the Boise State Broncos in the Arizona Bowl, until Boise State withdrew from that bowl due to COVID-19 issues.[6]
Teams
The bowl has tie-ins with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Pac-12 Conference. The originally planned matchup featured teams from those conferences. The withdrawal of the Miami Hurricanes, an ACC team, led to Central Michigan, a team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC), being selected to face Washington State of the Pac-12. This was the first time Central Michigan and Washington State played each other.[7]
Washington State finished their regular season with a 7–5 record, 6–3 in Pac-12 play. After losing three of their first four games, the Cougars won six of their final eight games. They faced one ranked opponent during the season, losing to Oregon in mid-November. Washington State had previously appeared in two Sun Bowls, winning the 2001 and 2015 editions.[8]
Central Michigan finished their regular season with an 8–4 record, 6–2 in MAC play. After losing three of their first five games, they had only a single loss in their final seven games. They did not face any ranked opponents during the season. This was the first Sun Bowl appearance for Central Michigan.[8]
Game summary
The bowl's attendance was the lowest for a Sun Bowl since the 1982 edition.
