This year’s Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl will feature a new conference participating in it: the Big 12.

And Iowa State will be the first representative in the 6-year-old bowl, which will be played on Dec. 31 at 11 a.m. Central Time at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho.

“Talking to the executive director [Sunday], he was very excited. They wanted a Big 12 team,” ISU head coach Dan McCarney said. “They wanted Iowa State. We’re very proud to go out there and represent our conference.”

Their opponent, Boise State, will be playing in the bowl for the third time in the last four years. They enter the game ranked No. 18 in The Associated Press poll and finished the regular season 11-1 and the WAC conference at 8-0.

The first time the Broncos played in the bowl was in 1999 whey they edged Louisville 34-31. Both teams combined for 10 lead changes, 956 offensive yards and 54 first downs. Redshirt freshman and running back Brock Forsey was Boise State’s MVP as he contributed with 269 total yards, 152 of them on the ground. Louisville’s quarterback Chris Redman earned MVP as he threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns.

Boise State made a return trip in 2000 as they defeated current WAC opponent UTEP 43-38. The Broncos’ senior quarterback earned MVP honors as he scored three touchdowns and threw another in the win. UTEP’s Chris Porter rushed for a career-high 134 yards in the losing effort.

Last year’s game featured Clemson easily handling Louisiana Tech, winning 49-24. Clemson put the game away in the third quarter by scoring 28 points. Clemson’s quarterback Woodrow Dantzler earned team MVP.

In the inaugural game in 1997, Cincinnati outrushed Utah State 225-63 and went on to win 35-19. Cincinnati took control in the game in the first quarter as they led 21-0. Cincinnati’s MVP went to Chad Plummer who had a combined 179 total yards while Utah State’s MVP went to Steve Smith.

Idaho stunned Southern Mississippi 42-35 in the 1998 game as they led 28-21 at halftime before holding on to a late rally by Southern Mississippi. Idaho quarterback John Welsh passed for four touchdowns. Southern Mississippi’s MVP went to Lee Roberts, as he set two bowl records with 342 yards passing and completing 30 passes.

There have been five players that have had 100 or more receiving yards with Delwyn Daigre receiving the most yards with 178 in last year’s game.

The most tackles in the bowl game came in 1998 when Idaho’s Ryan Skinner recorded 20.

As far as the stadium in which the Cyclones will be playing, Bronco Stadium was built in 1970. The stadium cost $2.2 million when it was constructed and seated 14,500. With development of the stadium since then, the seating capacity is now 30,000 and the total cost of the stadium is estimated at more than $13 million.

The largest attendance happened this season as 30,924 spectators witnessed the Boise State-Fresno State contest on Oct. 18. This summer, the old blue Astroturf was replaced with blue Astroplay turf. Currently, Bronco Stadium is the only football field in the world with a blue field.

And as for Dec. 31, the Cyclones would like to make a little history for themselves: becoming the first Big 12 team to win the Humanitarian Bowl.