The New Mexico football team fell just short of winning the Rate Bowl but returns to Albuquerque with a promising future.

USA TODAY is covering all the action from kickoff to trophy ceremony, but there's still time to experience the game in-person. Here's everything you need to know about the Rate Bowl before the Lobos and Golden Gophers take the field.

The Gophers’ current revenue-sharing contracts with player include a payment for when they appear on the active roster for the bowl game. While some players will still opt out and forgo this money, the clause in their contract can be seen as an attempt to incentive players to remain with the program for the final game of the season.

The matchup between Minnesota and New Mexico marked the start of a lucrative holiday sports stretch fueled by the Fiesta Sports Foundation.

Although the University of New Mexico Lobos didn’t get a win Friday night at the Rate Bowl, they did get a lot of support from their New Mexico fans, who came to cheer them on in Phoenix, Arizona. “I’m sad because it was within our grasp.