The Wildcats finished the season 8-5 with their loss to the Buckeyes Saturday
By James Neveau ••
A day after losing the Big Ten Championship Game, the Northwestern Wildcats got a solid consolation prize as they will compete in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
The Wildcats, who went 8-5 this season and won the Big Ten West Division title for the first time in school history, will take on the Utah Utes out of the Pac-12 in the game. The Utes were the runners up in the conference, losing to Washington in their conference title game.
The game will take place on New Year’s Eve at SDCCU Stadium.
James Neveau
The Blackhawks "Hockey House" is a pop-up store located on Michigan Avenue, just south of the team's flagship store.
There are plenty of interactive elements at the store, including locker stalls featuring jerseys and gear from some of the team's biggest stars.
Fans can also take pictures at the team's photo booth, which is placed directly in front of a large "One Goal" display at the back of the space.
There are plenty of other interesting touches as well, including a mural designed by a local artist to capture the flavor of the city and the history of the team.
These may look like decorative boards, but they are actually from the United Center!
Fans can grab a wide variety of Winter Classic gear, including jerseys, hats, t-shirts, scarves, stocking caps (or in hockey lingo, toques), and much more.
The store will be open through the Winter Classic, which will take place on Jan. 1 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.
The store will close on Jan. 4, but the team's flagship store down the street is open year-round.
Under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, the Wildcats are 3-5 in bowl games, but have won three of their last four. Last season, the Wildcats played in the Music City Bowl and beat the Kentucky Wildcats by just one point in a 24-23 thriller.
Northwestern also has the distinction of being ranked in the final College Football Playoff rankings, checking in at number 22.
The game will begin at 6 p.m. Central time, and will air on FS1.
