The 2019 New Mexico Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 21, 2019, with kickoff at 2:00 p.m. EST (12:00 p.m. local MST) on ESPN. It was the 14th edition of the New Mexico Bowl, and one of the 2019âÂÂ20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season.
The 2019 edition of the New Mexico Bowl did not have a corporate naming sponsor. The game was going to be sponsored by DreamHouse, an Albuquerque-based company focused on the film industry. However, the company was found to be a fraudulent enterprise, operating without a business license, and the sponsorship agreement was cancelled.
This was the first time that Central Michigan and San Diego State played each other, and the first time either played in the New Mexico Bowl.
Central Michigan entered the game with an 8âÂÂ5 record (6âÂÂ2 in conference). The Chippewas finished atop the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), before losing the MAC Championship Game to Miami (Ohio), 21âÂÂ26.
San Diego State entered the game with a 9âÂÂ3 record (5âÂÂ3 in conference). They finished even with Hawaii atop the West Division of the Mountain West Conference, with the division title going to the Rainbow Warriors due to their 14âÂÂ11 defeat of the Aztecs during the regular season.