Since it's inception in 2006, the New Mexico Bowl has been played on the Saturday afternoon before Christmas at University Stadium on the University of New Mexico campus. The contest has pitted the Mountain West Conference against the Western Athletic Conference in the state's only annually nationally televised sporting event.

The bowl was created through an effort by the New Mexico Sports Council, which met with both conferences in 2005. ESPN Regional Television assumed ownership of the New Mexico Bowl and it was licensed by the NCAA Certification Committee in April 2006.

Memorable moments

• The only overtime game in the bowl's history happened in 2009. Wyoming trailed by 11 points in the fourth quarter. It's quarterback was freshman Austyn Carta-Samuels and its defense was facing the nation's leading rusher, Fresno State's Ryan Mathews. Mathews was stopped three times from the 1-yard line in the first overtime, then Carta-Samuels threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to David Leonard in the second overtime as Wyoming rallied for a 35-28 win.

• The 2012 contest saw Arizona score two touchdowns in the game's final 1:48 to defeat Nevada 49-48. In fact, the only time Arizona led was in the game's final 19 seconds. Wildcat quarterback Matt Scott already had thrown a pair on interceptions in the game, but in those final couple of minutes, he hit a pair of short TD passes, first to Austin Hill, then after an onside kick recovery, to Terrence Miller to tie the game at 48. John Bonano's extra point sealed the win.