Military Bowl Announces Match-Up For College Football Postseason Game At Navy Stadium

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Boston College (6-6) will play East Carolina University (7-5) in the 2021 Military Bowl. This will be the schools' first-ever meeting.

The college football postseason game will be played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis on Monday, Dec. 27. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., and ESPN will air the match-up nationwide.

"East Carolina has enjoyed a terrific season and is back in college football’s postseason," Military Bowl Foundation President and Executive Director Steve Beck said in a Dec. 5 press release announcing the opponents. "We are excited to welcome Boston College for its first Military Bowl appearance, with a roster that features so many players with ties to this area."

The Boston College Eagles have 13 players from the National Capital Region. Associate Head Coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim is from the District of Columbia. He founded the football program at Friendship Collegiate Academy in Northeast Washington.

Offensive lineman Zion Johnson is from Bowie. Johnson and his fellow lineman Alec Lindstrom won first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors this season. Ten other Eagles were also named to the All-ACC team.

The East Carolina Pirates have six players from the DMV. ECU Head Coach Mike Houston has his own local ties. The DC Touchdown Club named him the College Coach of the Year in 2017 after leading the James Madison University Dukes to the Football Championship Subdivision national title game.

Houston brought that winning spirit to ECU. This was the Pirates' best season since 2014, which was the last time they had a winning record and went to a bowl game.

A four-game winning streak padded East Carolina's record this year. One of those victories came last month in Annapolis when the Pirates outlasted the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen in a 38-35 nail-biter.

This will be ECU's second appearance in the Military Bowl. The Pirates lost to the University of Maryland Terrapins 51-20 in the 2010 game. That contest was played in front of 38,062 fans, which is still the Military Bowl's record attendance.

"We can’t wait for a great Bowl Week in Washington, D.C. and another sensational Military Bowl in Annapolis," Beck said.

This year's tickets, which are all mobile, run from $40 to $100. Fans can buy theirs by visiting militarybowl.org/tickets or calling (470) 639-8241.

The bowl benefits the United Service Organizations. This nonprofit, also known as the USO, supports the military community.

Proceeds additionally help Patriot Point. This is the Military Bowl Foundation's organization for wounded, ill and injured servicemembers.

The match-up is presented by Peraton, which is a national security technology company.

The game always includes one team from the Atlantic Coast Conference and another from the American Athletic Conference.

More information on the contest is posted at militarybowl.org.

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• Tickets On Sale For Military Bowl At Navy Stadium In Annapolis

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