For more than three decades, the postseason game now titled the Rate Bowl, still known to many fans as the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, has brought Big Ten and Big 12 programs together in downtown Phoenix, creating one of bowl season’s most unusual scenes: a college football field laid out inside a Major League Baseball park. Lock in Guaranteed Rate Bowl tickets through Event Tickets Center and be there when Big Ten and Big 12 powers trade plays in one of bowl season’s most unusual settings.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl 2025 lines up a first-ever meeting between Minnesota and New Mexico, giving this game a fresh storyline for both fan bases. The 2025 Minnesota Golden Gophers football schedule produced a 7-5 finish and sent the Gophers back to the postseason. For New Mexico Lobos football, a 9-3 record, a share of the Mountain West title, and a six-game win streak delivered the program’s first bowl appearance since 2016, turning this matchup into a clear clash between a bowl-season regular and a resurgent contender.
The Guaranteed Rate Bowl schedule slots the game into a standalone holiday window, kicking off Friday, December 26, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. MST in downtown Phoenix. With an afternoon kickoff, traveling fans can enjoy a slow morning, explore pregame events near the ballpark, and linger at nearby restaurants and bars afterward before refocusing on the rest of the bowl calendar.
Chase Field transforms from the home of MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks into a football venue by sliding the lower-bowl seats closer to the gridiron and laying natural grass across the infield. The retractable roof and air conditioning keep temperatures predictable, a big perk in the desert. Use the Chase Field seating chart to compare sideline, corner, and end-zone options before you lock in your view.
With Minnesota carrying an eight-game bowl winning streak into Phoenix and New Mexico trying to cap a breakout year far from home, the Guaranteed Rate Bowl becomes a clear contrast in stories. Downtown Phoenix adds walkable pregame options and a unique baseball-park backdrop for one of the season’s most intriguing matchups. Secure your Guaranteed Rate Bowl tickets through Event Tickets Center and turn a December afternoon into your bowl-season highlight.
