The game was the 12th edition of the New Mexico Bowl and featured the Marshall Thundering Herd of Conference USA and the Colorado State Rams of the Mountain West Conference.
The Marshall Thundering Herd finished the 2017 regular season with a 7–5 (4–4 C-USA) record.
The game was the team's first appearance in the New Mexico Bowl and fourteenth overall.
The Colorado State Rams finished the 2017 regular season with a 7–5 (5–3 MW) record.
The Rams had previously played in the 2013 game, winning against Washington State.