DUKE TO FACE UCF IN 2022 MILITARY BOWL PRESENTED BY PERATON

The Military Bowl Foundation today announced that Duke will play UCF in the 2022 Military Bowl presented by Peraton, benefiting the USO on Wednesday, December 28 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on ESPN.

Tickets are on sale now at militarybowl.org/tickets.

“What an exciting matchup! UCF has been nationally ranked for the past month and advanced to the American Athletic Conference championship game, while Duke certainly is on the rise led by Coach Mike Elko, the ACC Coach of the Year in his first season leading the Blue Devils,” Military Bowl Foundation President & Executive Director Steve Beck said. “We look forward to another great Bowl Week in Washington, D.C., and a sensational gameday in Annapolis.”

This will be the first meeting between the teams.

Duke (8-4) enjoyed a successful season that resulted in the team’s first bowl bid since 2018. Led by a balanced offense, the Blue Devils finished second in the ACC Coastal Division, capped by a 34-31 victory over Wake Forest in the regular season finale. Nine Duke players received all-conference honors, including All-ACC first-team offensive tackle Graham Barton and honorable mention quarterback Riley Leonard.

“It is an honor to be selected to participate in the Military Bowl and sincere appreciation goes to Steve Beck and the entire bowl staff for their dedication and commitment to providing a first-rate bowl experience for both programs,” Elko said. “Our team has worked extremely hard over the past 11 months to achieve this goal, and we are excited for the opportunity to prepare and play against a terrific UCF squad.”

UCF (9-4) closed the regular season with four victories in its final five games, including wins over two top-25 opponents, Tulane and Cincinnati, to secure a bowl bid for the seventh consecutive season. The Knights lost to Tulane in the AAC conference championship on Saturday, 45-28. UCF also had nine players receive all-conference honors, including wide receiver Ryan O’Keefe and offensive lineman Lokahi Pauole, who were named All-AAC first-team for the second consecutive season, part of an offensive unit that ranks among the national leaders.

“Last year we gained great momentum for our UCF program with our bowl win over Florida” UCF Coach Gus Malzahn said. “Our goal is to do the same thing this year in the Military Bowl against a very good Duke team.”

Proceeds from the Bowl benefit the USO and Patriot Point, the Military Bowl Foundation’s retreat for wounded, ill and injured service members, their families and caregivers.