TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo has accepted an invitation to play the Pittsburgh Panthers in the 2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 26. The contest will kick off at 2:00 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPN. 
  
Toledo (7-5, 4-4 MAC) is playing in its eighth bowl game under Head Coach Jason Candle. ACC member Pittsburgh also has a 7-5 record heading into the bowl game. 
  
"We are very excited to accept an invitation to the GameAbove Sports Bowl," said Toledo Vice-President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair. "Toledo Football has been bowl eligible for 15 consecutive seasons, which is the sixth-longest streak out of over 130 FBS institutions. The GameAbove Sports Bowl provides an incredible platform for the University and Toledo community to be highlighted on ESPN and its viewership of over 72 million households. 
 
"We look forward to playing in a first-class NFL venue and enjoying all the hospitality that the Detroit area has to offer. Being just one hour from Ford Field will also make it convenient for our fans and many of our players' families to make the trip up I-75, providing a home-field advantage. I know Coach Candle and the coaching staff will have our team ready for what should be a tremendous matchup with ACC foe Pittsburgh."   
   
"We are excited to be headed to Detroit to compete against Pittsburgh in the GameAbove Sports  Bowl," said Candle, who has a 72-40 record in nine seasons as head coach. "This is a great opportunity to play against an ACC opponent, as well as a chance for us to get better and play one final game with an outstanding group of seniors. We look forward to representing our University and the Toledo community in Detroit." 
 
Toledo has played in three bowl games in Detroit and another in nearby Pontiac. The Rockets played in the Motor City Bowl at the Pontiac Silverdome in 2001, and played in the same bowl at Ford Field in 2002 and 2004. Their last bowl trip to Detroit came in 2010 in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. 
 
Toledo is 1-2 all-time vs. Pitt, including a 35-31 win in the Glass Bowl in 2003 when the Panthers were ranked No. 9 in the country. 
 
Ticket Information  
Tickets for the 2024 GameAbove Sports  Bowl are on sale now at UTRockets.com/bowltix, by phone at 419-530-GOLD (4653) or at the Rocket Ticket Office in Savage Arena during normal business hours. 
 
The deadline for priority seating is Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 5:00 p.m. After the deadline, assigned seat locations will be based on football season ticket, Rocket Fund and Toledo Athletics giving history. The deadline for all purchases is Monday. Dec. 23 at 12 noon. After that, all purchases must be made through Ford Field or at the gate on game day.  
 
Alumni Pre-Game Events  
Information about pre-game alumni events will be announced later this week. For more information and questions, call 419-530-2586.   
  
Toledo's Bowl History  
Bowl Record: 12-9  
  
1969 Tangerine Bowl  
Toledo 56, Davidson 33  
  
1970 Tangerine Bowl  
Toledo 40, William & Mary 12  
  
1971 Tangerine Bowl  
Toledo 28, Richmond 3  
  
1981 California Bowl  
Toledo 27, San Jose State 25  
  
1984 California Bowl  
UNLV 30, Toledo 13*  
  
1995 Las Vegas Bowl  
Toledo 40, Nevada 37 (OT)  
  
2001 Motor City Bowl  
Toledo 23, Cincinnati 16  
  
2002 Motor City Bowl  
Boston College 51, Toledo 25  
  
2004 Motor City Bowl  
Connecticut 39, Toledo 10  
  
2005 GMAC Bowl  
Toledo 45, UTEP 13  
  
2010 Little Caesars Bowl  
FIU 34, Toledo 32  
  
2011 Military Bowl  
Toledo 42, Air Force 41  
  
2012 Famous Idaho Bowl  
Utah State 41, Toledo 15  
  
2015 GoDaddy Bowl (2014 season)  
Toledo 63, Arkansas State 44  
  
2015 Marmot Boca Raton Bowl  
Toledo 32, Temple 17  
  
2016 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl  
Appalachian State 31, Toledo 28  
  
2017 Dollar General Bowl  
Appalachian State 34, Toledo 0  
  
2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl  
FIU 35, Toledo 32  
  
2021 Bahamas Bowl  
Middle Tennessee 31, Toledo 24  
  
2022 Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl  
Toledo 21, Liberty 19  
 
2023 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl  
Wyoming 16, Toledo 15 
 
2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl  
Toledo vs. Pittsburgh
  
* Toledo claimed victory by forfeit