The Boca Raton Bowl is back in action Wednesday for the 11th straight year, this time featuring the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the James Madison Dukes.
Played at FAU’s Howard Schnellenberger Field in Boca Raton, Florida, the bowl frequently hosts teams from Conference USA, with the league going 6-0 in the game’s 10-year history. That includes two wins for Western Kentucky, which will break a tie for most all-time appearances in the Boca Raton Bowl with its third on Wednesday.
James Madison will be just the second Sun Belt team to appear in the bowl and first since 2021 when Western Kentucky beat Appalachian State. The Dukes are seeking their first bowl win since becoming an FBS program in 2022. The Hilltoppers are going for their fourth straight after winning the New Orleans Bowl in 2022 and Famous Toastery Bowl in 2023.
2024 was James Madison’s first year under head coach Bob Chesney after the departure of Curt Cignetti. The Dukes went 8-4 and 4-4 in conference play to finish third in the Sun Belt. They enter the Boca Raton Bowl on a two-game skid after dropping their final regular season game in two overtimes to Marshall.
Western Kentucky was the C-USA runner-up after losing the championship game to Jacksonville State to finish the regular season at 8-5, including three losses in the last four games.
