San Diego Bowl Game Association officials announced today the 2012 kickoff dates and times for the local bowl games - the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl and Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl.

Bowl season gets underway in San Diego on Thursday, December 20th at 5 p.m. PT with the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. The 8th annual contest will match a team from the Mountain West against a bowl-eligible Brigham Young University.

One week later the 35th annual Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl will kick off at 6:45 p.m. PT on Thursday, December 27th. Teams from the Pac-12 and Big 12 will square off for the 14th consecutive year.

Both games will be played at Qualcomm Stadium and be televised nationally on ESPN.

“We look forward to bringing thousands of football fans to town yet again and filling hotel rooms during San Diego’s two slowest tourism weeks of the year,” said John Wertz, president of the 2012 non-profit bowl games association. “We are proud of the considerable benefit we provide our community year after year.”

The mission of the two bowl games is to generate tourism, exposure, economic benefit and civic pride for San Diego and its citizens by producing the nation’s most exciting bowl games and festivals of events.

For more information, visit www.BridgepointEducationHolidayBowl.com and www.PoinsettiaBowl.com.