• The Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field is a postseason collegiate football bowl game sponsored by Ford Motor Company’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center

• The bowl game will air nationally on ESPN2 on Monday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m.

• A press conference with both head coaches and athletic directors will be held Wednesday, Dec. 9 at approximately 10:30 a.m. at the Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park. 

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 6, 2015 – The University of Minnesota and Central Michigan University will play in the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field on Monday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. The game will air nationally on ESPN2.

Tickets start as low as $29 are available at quicklanebowl.com, by phone at (877) 212-8898 and in-person at the Ford Field Ticket Office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Fans can follow the official twitter account of the Quick Lane Bowl @quicklanebowl for the most current game information.

A press conference with both head coaches and athletic directors will be held Wednesday, Dec. 9 at approximately 10:30 a.m. at the Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park. 

Minnesota, which played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, finished the season with a 5-7 record. The Gophers have played four teams with at least 10 wins and that number could raise to six if Wisconsin and Michigan win their bowl games.

The Gophers are coached by Tracy Claeys who took over for former head coach Jerry Kill who resigned his position on Oct. 28 due to health reasons. Claeys led the Gophers against Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin to end the season.

Minnesota is led on offense by quarterback Mitch Leidner. The junior signal-caller started all 12 games and set a program record for a junior with 218 completions. He also tied a program record when he passed for at least 250 yards in four straight games. Leidner’s main target is senior receiver KJ Maye. The Alabama native caught 65 passes for 706 yards and four touchdowns. His 65 catches rank fourth all-time and are the second-most ever for a senior.

On defense, the Gophers are led by senior corners Eric Murray and Briean Boddy-Calhoun. Murray has 64 tackles this year, one interception and has broken up six passes and forced three fumbles. Boddy-Calhoun is tied for the team lead with three interceptions and has broken up four passes. Senior safety Antonio Johnson leads the Gophers with 99 tackles and is followed by linebacker Cody Poock who has 95.

Central Michigan wrapped up the 2015 season with a 7-5 overall record, 6-2 in the MAC and a share of the MAC West Division title. First-year head coach John Bonamego led the Chippewas to a first-place tie in the tough West Division and ended the year by winning their final two games and five of the last six regular season games.

The Chippewas will be making their second consecutive bowl appearance, its third in the last four years and the seventh in the last 10 seasons. In 2012, Central Michigan defeated Western Kentucky, 24-21, in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, while last year Western Kentucky defeated the Chippewas 49-48 in the 2014 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl.

This will be the second year of a multiyear agreement for Ford’s Quick Lane Tire and Auto Center as the title sponsor of an annual college football bowl game at Ford Field.

The Detroit Lions are the only NFL team to own, host and operate a college football bowl game. The team’s entertainment division, DLI Entertainment, has promoted multiple large-scale shows and events at Ford Field including eight consecutive sold-out Kenny Chesney concerts, Taylor Swift, the 2003 Basketbowl, 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Regionals, 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four and the 2010 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Frozen Four.

About The Quick Lane Bowl

• The 2015 Quick Lane Bowl is a postseason collegiate football bowl game sponsored by Ford Motor Company’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers.

• Ford Motor Company’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers offer routine vehicle maintenance such as oil and filter changes, light repair services including brake repair, and tire replacements on all vehicle makes and models. Customers can visit www.quicklane.com  to learn more.

• The annual bowl game will take place at Ford Field Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. ET and air nationally on ESPN2.

• This game has no affiliation with previous Michigan bowl games such as the Little Caesars Bowl or Motor City Bowl.

• For ticket information please visit fordfield.com or call (877) 212-8898.

Accommodations, Activities and Special Events:

• Both teams will arrive in Detroit Dec. 23 and stay at The MGM Grand Detroit (ACC/MAC) and The Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center (Big Ten).

• Punch Bowl Social (Quick Lane Bowl), TAP (ACC/MAC) and Fishbone's Rhythm Kitchen Café (Big Ten) have been named the official restaurants and bars for each team’s fans.

• A welcome reception at the historic Henry Ford Museum will include a private tour of the museum highlighted by a ‘life after football’ panel discussion that includes Detroit Lions alumni.

• Team guests will experience:

  • Shopping outing at Somerset Collection, an upscale, luxury, super-regional shopping mall in Metro Detroit.

  • Five-part tour of the Ford Rouge Factory, including a walking tour above the final assembly where Ford F-150s are produced.

  • Fowling – a local Detroit favorite and increasingly popular hybrid game that combines elements of football, bowling and horseshoes.

  • Ice skating in the iconic downtown Detroit Campus Martius circle on Christmas Day

  • DNR Outdoor Adventure – This Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit brings Michigan’s woods, water and wildlife inside a 3-story, 40,000 square foot building.

  • Detroit Lions v. San Francisco 49ers – The Lions take on the 49ers in the Detroit Lions final regular season home game of the year. Guests will enjoy the game from a suite.

• Additionally, several local PAL (Police Athletic League) football teams will receive new uniforms (jersey and pants) from Nike and a helmet from Riddell.

Participating Coach and Player Gifts:

• Players from each respective school will receive a gift package at a value of $550 to include:

  • Custom decal  graphic of each player with their likeness (Media Swing)

  • Harman JBL Headphones

  • $200 Best Buy Gift Card

  • Quick Lane Bowl merchandise

  • Quick Lane Bowl commemorative football

• The winning team will receive a custom trophy and a $15,000 locker room makeover compliments of Media Swing.

• Each head coach will receive luxury watches from Detroit based company Shinola and a welcome basket featuring Michigan products from Meijer.

Quick Lane Bowl Social Media:

• Website – www.quicklanebowl.com

• Facebook – Quick Lane Bowl

• Twitter – @quicklanebowl

• Instagram – Quicklanebowl

In the inaugural game (2014), the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights defeated the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, 40-21. Detroit Lions rookie FB Michael Burton played a prominent role in the victory, helping to pave the way for 340 team rushing yards for Rutgers.

“It was an awesome experience – definitely first-class,” said Burton who was subsequently drafted by the Lions in the fifth round this year. “Detroit was great, but the thing I probably remember the most is Ford Field. It was unbelievable; just walking throughout the tunnels and throughout the stadium. It was a really nice facility.”

For additional questions or concerns contact Ellen Trudell, Detroit Lions Corporate Communications, Ellen.Trudell@lions.nfl.net, (313) 608-3399.