by Robby Gillespie of The Daily Mustang

The Mustangs will compete against a to-be-determined opponent from the WAC in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

Christmas came early for the Mustang football team when SMU athletic director Steve Orsini and Head Coach June Jones accepted SMU’s invitation to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Tuesday in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center, to officially end the 25-year bowl drought that has plagued the football program.

The Mustangs will likely take on a Western Athletic Conference opponent Dec. 24 in Honolulu, Hawaii on ESPN.

This will be Jones’ first time returning to the state since leaving the University of Hawaii two seasons ago to come coach at SMU. After finishing 1-11 in his first season on the hilltop, Jones completed the biggest turnaround in SMU history by leading the Mustangs to a 7-5 record and a tie for the Conference USA lead.

“Reaching our first bowl game in 25 years is special – not only for our current student-athletes, but also for the guys who came before them and our student body, staff and fans,” Jones said to hundreds of SMU fans and media members. “This bowl has special meaning for me personally, as eight years ago, I was part of the original vision ESPN and Sheraton had for Hawaii and the nation. It is exciting to be a part of one of the best bowl experiences in college football.”

This will be SMU’s 11th all-time bowl appearance. The Mustangs last made a bowl in 1984, when they beat Notre Dame in the Aloha Bowl in Honolulu.

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