Boise State will face Utah in MAACO Bowl Las Vegas

By Case Keefer (contact)

Published Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 | midnight

Updated Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 | 6:17 p.m.

One of the best teams in the nation is headed to Las Vegas for the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas on Dec. 22.

Boise State has accepted a bid to face Utah in the game. The Broncos ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation in the nation this season and as recently as three weeks ago had dreams of making the BCS National Championship Game.

"Our committee just put together one of the top matchups of the entire bowl season,” MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Executive Director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said in a statement. “This is the one everyone wanted and we expect a full house later this month to see two ranked teams playing their final game as members of their respective conferences."

Utah, of course, is bolting the Mountain West for what will become the Pac 12 next year. Boise State will jump into the Mountain West, where they will play in Las Vegas more frequently. The Broncos have only played in Las Vegas three times ever, with the most recent coming in 1976.

No. 11 Boise State (11-1) finished in a three-way tie at the top of the Western Athletic Conference standings with No. 17 UNR and Hawaii. The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl has the first WAC selection and extended a bid to UNR Saturday evening.

After the Wolf Pack accepted, it opened the door for Boise State to wind up in Las Vegas. When it became clear Boise State's BCS bowl dreams were dashed, their players and administrators began lobbying to wind up in the Las Vegas Bowl. They got their wish.

"The MAACO Bowl Las Vegas committee and the city of Las Vegas have a reputation for hosting great bowl games and we are look forward to experiencing their hospitality firsthand," said Boise State Athletics Director Gene Blaymaier. "Boise State has been fortunate to attend several different bowl games over the past decade, and we know this will be another outstanding bowl experience for our team and fans.”

Both Boise State and Utah were ranked in the top 10 for a stretch this season. They've been two of the best teams from non-automatic qualifying conferences in recent years, both winning two BCS games. The Broncos won the Fiesta Bowl in 2007 and 2010, while the Utes took the Fiesta Bowl in 2005 and the Sugar Bowl in 2009.

Our team is looking forward to another great bowl experience and the opportunity of finishing our season against another nationally ranked opponent," said Boise State coach Chris Petersen. "Utah has one of the top programs in the country and has proven that again this season."

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.