BOSTON, MA - The Wasabi Fenway Bowl, an annual college football bowl game at Fenway Park, will take place on Saturday, December 17, at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN. The Wasabi Fenway Bowl will mark the return of college football to America's Most Beloved Ballpark and will feature teams from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). It is part of a multi-year partnership between ESPN Events and Fenway Sports Management (FSM), the sales, marketing, and special events arm for Fenway Sports Group's impressive portfolio of sports properties.

"The Wasabi Fenway Bowl will truly be a one-of-a-kind sporting event for fans everywhere," said Wasabi Technologies Vice President of Global Brand and Communications Julie Barry. "Along with our partners at Fenway Sports Management, Wasabi is inspired to create a memorable new sports tradition in New England, and we are so excited to bring this year's game to life at the iconic Fenway Park."

Teams playing in the 2022 Fenway Bowl will be determined by regular season win-loss record, geographic proximity, as well as previous appearances and matchups. FSM and ESPN Events will jointly produce the game, pending final city licensing approval, which will be televised on ESPN. Information on ticket sales is forthcoming.

"We are so proud to be a part of the Wasabi Fenway Bowl which provides an outstanding opportunity for our football student-athletes, coaches, alumni and fans," said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. "Boston is an amazing city and home to the iconic Fenway Park. We appreciate all the amazing work by ESPN Events and Fenway Sports Management."

"We are looking forward to having one of our outstanding teams compete against a respected ACC opponent in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl," said American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco. "Our student-athletes will relish the unforgettable opportunity to play a postseason game at Fenway Park, and our fans will be able to enjoy a rewarding bowl experience in the City of Boston. We appreciate the hard and skillful work done to make this bowl a reality by Sam Kennedy, Fred Olsen, Brett Miller, and their outstanding team at Fenway under the trying circumstances of the past few years."

Although the Wasabi Fenway Bowl will mark the first college football bowl game to be played at Fenway Park, the stadium has hosted football games for nearly a century. The ballpark served as home to the Boston Patriots from 1963-68, and, after a 47-year hiatus, Fenway Park returned as a football venue in 2015 for the Shamrock Series game between Notre Dame and Boston College. Two years later, the Fenway Gridiron Series featured three games among six of New England's major college programs, along with a series of high school football rivalries. In 2018, Fenway Park hosted the 135th edition of "The Game" between Harvard and Yale. Last year, the ballpark hosted a pair of Thanksgiving week doubleheaders, providing an iconic backdrop to local high school football rivalry games featuring East Boston against South Boston, North Andover against Andover, Blackstone Valley Tech against Nipmuc Regional, and Winchester against Woburn.

"We are delighted to have the date of the 2022 Wasabi Fenway Bowl locked in and look forward to welcoming fans on December 17," said Fenway Sports Management President Mark Lev. "We have put a tremendous amount of effort into activating Fenway Park 365 days a year to bring diverse experiences that attract a wide range of audiences. We cannot wait for the return of college football this winter."

Last year, FSM proudly recognized outstanding New England educators through the Honor Roll program. This program recognized 30 educators, administrators and staff across New England as Honor Roll Finalists, including three Monster Finalists: Bowman Elementary School teacher Joshua Curhan, Barnstable Intermediate School custodian Terry Crawley, and The Gilbert School teacher Katie Wood, who each received vouchers to DonorsChoose.org to support their respective schools and classrooms. The 2022 Fenway Bowl will include a similar charitable component that will be announced at a later date. Further details on the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, the Honor Roll and the bowl's mission can be found at the game's website: www.fenwaybowl.com, on Facebook or on Twitter and Instagram @FenwayBowl.