Guaranteed Rate Bowl to feature Kansas Jayhawks against UNLV Rebels
Dec 3, 2023, 2:44 PM | Updated: 2:44 pm
The Kansas Jayhawks will play the UNLV Rebels in the 34th annual Guaranteed Rate Bowl. It will take place at the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chase Field, at 7 p.m. on Dec. 26. ESPN will air the game.
Kansas (8-4) had its best season since 2008, when it also won eight games. The Jayhawks went 5-4 in the Big 12 Conference this season including an upset victory versus now-No. 12 Oklahoma.
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After ending a 14-year bowl drought last season (the longest streak amongst all Power Five teams), the Jayhawks are playing in a bowl game for the second straight season and the second time overall under coach Lance Leipold. The Jayhawks lost 55-53 in overtime in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Arkansas in 2022.
The only other time Kansas played in bowl games in back-to-back years was in 2007 and 2008 when the Jayhawks last played in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl (then the Insight Bowl) when they beat Minnesota 42-21 in 2008. That game was played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. This will be the 14th time the game will be played at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.
UNLV (9-4, 6-2 in Mountain West Conference) reached their fifth bowl game in program history this year. The Rebels have never played in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. UNLV lost 44-20 against Boise State on Saturday in the Rebels’ first Mountain West title game appearance. UNLV is appearing in its first bowl game since it lost against North Texas 36-14 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Jan. 1, 2014.
Kansas and UNLV also played against each other in 2002 and 2003. UNLV won 31-20 in 2002 in Las Vegas and Kansas won 46-24 in Lawrence in 2003.
