The first edition of the Cure Bowl featured the San Jose State Spartans of the Mountain West Conference against the Georgia State Panthers of the Sun Belt Conference.
It was the one of the 2015–16 bowl games that concluded the 2015 FBS football season.
The Spartans ranked fourth among such teams, after Nebraska and Missouri and together with Minnesota.
After finishing 6–6 in their regular season, bowl director Alan Gooch extended an invitation for the Panthers to play in the game, which they accepted.
This ties the record for a team going from conception to a bowl berth, set the season prior by South Alabama.