Sun Bowl

Sun Bowl. The Sun Bowl is an annual NCAA college football bowl game traditionally played in late December in El Paso, Texas. It is the second-oldest bowl game in the United States, predated only by the Rose Bowl, and has been held continuously since its inception in 1935. The game is historically associated with teams from the former Border Conference, WAC, and later agreements with the ACC and Pac-12.

History

The game was first conceived by Dr. Charles A. Bassett, a local sports enthusiast, and was initially known as the "Sun Carnival Football Classic." The inaugural contest in 1935 featured El Paso High School against a team from New Mexico, but it quickly transitioned to an exclusively collegiate event. For many decades, the matchup often pitted a team from the Border Conference against an at-large opponent, with notable early participants including Hardin–Simmons University and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The game's continuity was only interrupted by World War II, resuming in 1946. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, it forged conference tie-ins with the WAC and later the Big 12 and C-USA, solidifying its place in the postseason landscape. A landmark moment occurred in 2019 when it became the first bowl game to be sponsored by a breakfast cereal brand, Tony the Tiger.

Game results

The Sun Bowl has featured numerous memorable contests and dramatic finishes. The 1974 game saw the University of Missouri defeat the Auburn Tigers with a last-second field goal. In 1986, Alabama secured a victory over Washington in a defensive struggle. The 2009 edition, a high-scoring affair, was won by the Oklahoma Sooners over the Stanford Cardinal in a game featuring future NFL stars Toby Gerhart and Ryan Broyles. More recently, the 2022 game was a defensive battle where the Pittsburgh Panthers edged the UCLA Bruins. The all-time series is closely contested, with the Pac-12 holding a slight edge over its various opponent conferences historically.

Notable participants

Many players and coaches who later achieved fame in the NFL or College Football Hall of Fame have competed in the Sun Bowl. Legendary coaches such as Bear Bryant, Don James, and Barry Switzer have led their teams in El Paso. Prominent NFL players who appeared in the game include Terrell Davis, Drew Bledsoe, Marshawn Lynch, and Christian McCaffrey. The 1998 game featured a Purdue team quarterbacked by future Super Bowl champion Drew Brees. Additionally, the 2005 contest included future Green Bay Packers star Greg Jennings playing for Western Michigan.

Venue and timing

Since 1963, the game has been held at Sun Bowl Stadium, a 51,500-seat facility carved into the foothills of the Franklin Mountains on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso. The stadium offers a distinctive scenic backdrop and is one of the highest elevated FBS stadiums in the nation. For most of its history, the Sun Bowl was played on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, but in recent years it has typically been scheduled for December 31st or a date in late December, often serving as one of the premier non-New Year's Six bowl games. The high-desert climate of El Paso generally provides clear, sunny conditions for the event.

Broadcasting

The Sun Bowl has a long history of national television coverage. It was broadcast on CBS for nearly six decades, from 1968 through 2023, making it one of the longest continuous broadcast relationships in bowl history. Notable announcers like Pat Summerall, John Madden, and Verne Lundquist have called the action. Starting with the 2024 edition, the game's television rights moved to CBS Sports Network. National radio coverage has been provided by the Westwood One network for many years, bringing the game to a wide audience across the United States.

Sponsorship

The bowl has had several naming rights sponsors throughout its history, which has influenced its official title. From 1986 to 1988, it was known as the John Hancock Bowl. Norwest Corporation (later Wells Fargo) sponsored the game from 1995 to 2003. Helen of Troy held the sponsorship from 2006 to 2009. A significant shift occurred in 2019 when Kellogg's brand Tony the Tiger became the title sponsor, renaming it the "Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl." This partnership, a first for a food mascot in bowl sponsorship, has continued into the 2020s, providing significant financial underwriting for the event.