FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Boca Raton Bowl

December 3, 2017

AKRON TO TAKE ON FLORIDA ATLANTIC IN THE 2017 CHERIBUNDI TART CHERRY BOCA RATON BOWL

BOCA RATON, Fla. (December 3, 2017) – This year’s Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl will feature The University of Akron from The Mid-American Conference and Florida Atlantic University from Conference USA, as announced by the conferences and the bowl today.

The 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m. ET, at FAU Stadium. The game will be aired on ESPN.

Akron football finished the season 7-6 overall and 6-3 in the MAC under sixth-year head coach Terry Bowden. Senior quarterback Thomas Woodson leads the Zips on offense along with senior wide receiver Tra’von Chapman. On the defensive side of the ball, junior linebacker Uylsees Gilbert III is ranked No. 15 nationally in total tackles (9.8), while junior defensive back Jordan George is No. 19 in interceptions. Akron is No. 7 in defensive touchdowns (4), No. 25 in turnover margin (.58) and No. 31 in red zone defense (0.791).

FAU finished the season 10-3 overall and a perfect 8-0 in the conference under head coach Lane Kiffin. The Conference USA champion is making its third bowl game appearance. FAU brings a strong offense that ranks tenth in the nation in scoring offense behind the nation’s leading scorer in running back Devin “Motor” Singletary. The Owls are ranked first in ten conference statistical categories. They bring a balanced defense led by linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and safety Jalen Young, that ranks first in passes intercepted (18).

Both teams’ rosters are composed of high-talent athletes, many who received pre-season and post-season accolades. For Akron, three student-athletes earned all-conference honors: junior linebacker Ulysees Gilbert earned first team honors. Defensive back Alvin Davis received second team honors while wide receiver Tra’Von Chapman earned honorable mention. For FAU, running back Devin “Motor” Singletary leads the nation in total touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and total points scored. Quarterback Jason Driskel earned Offensive Player of the Week honors while safety Jalen Young earned multiple Defensive Player of the Week honors.

This is both team’s first-ever appearance in the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl.

The Cheribundi Tart Chery Boca Raton Bowl is also currently accepting media credential applications. Credential applications will be accepted until Monday, Dec. 8. Media can access the application by clicking here.

For additional information about the Boca Raton Bowl, please visit CheribundiTartCherryBocaRatonBowl.com or e-mail [email protected]

ABOUT CHERIBUNDI

Cheribundi is a not-from-concentrate tart cherry juice made from a proprietary juicing process developed by scientists at Cornell University to yield peak antioxidant levels. 200 NCAA and professional sports teams, plus thousands of elite and amateur athletes, are using Cheribundi for faster muscle recovery, better sleep, and increased stamina. Teams that use Cheribundi include the New England Patriots, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Yankees, University of Alabama, University of Texas, Chicago Blackhawks, and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.

Regular consumption of tart cherry juice is reported to reduce post-exercise muscle soreness and speed up recovery after exercise. Tart cherries also contain significant levels of melatonin that is believed to promote deeper, more restful sleep.

Cheribundi tart cherry juice products are available nationwide in grocery, natural, and specialty retailers, including Publix, Safeway, Kroger, Target, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, HEB, Meijer, Costco, Rite Aid, Food Lion, and online at Amazon.com.

For more information, visit Cheribundi.com. Or you can discover the benefits for yourself by taking the Cheribundi 7-Day Challenge.

ABOUT ESPN EVENTS

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 31 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; FCS opening-weekend game; 14 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 300-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (Houston); AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (Florida); Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); DXL Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff (Montgomery, Ala.); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Baton Rouge, La.); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Collegiate Basketball

AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Ramstein Air Base, Germany); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s  Classic presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic presented by Corona (Hartford, Conn.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); PK80 presented by State Farm (Portland, Ore.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago) and Wooden Legacy (Fullerton, Calif.)

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

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ESPN Media Contact: Anna Negron at 860-766-2233 or [email protected]; @Anna_ESPN