Sun Bowl

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Sun Bowl
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
StadiumSun Bowl
LocationEl Paso, Texas, U.S.
Previous stadiums
Operated1935–present
Championship affiliationBowl Coalition
(19921994)
Conference tie-insPac-12, ACC
Previous conference tie-ins
PayoutUS$4.55 million (2019)[1]
Sponsors
Former names
  • Sun Bowl (1936–1985)
  • John Hancock Sun Bowl (1986–1988)
  • John Hancock Bowl (1989–1993)
  • Sun Bowl (1994–1995)
  • Norwest Bank Sun Bowl (1996)
  • Norwest Sun Bowl (1997–1998)
  • Wells Fargo Sun Bowl (1999–2003)
  • Vitalis Sun Bowl (2004–2005)
  • Brut Sun Bowl (2006–2009)
  • Hyundai Sun Bowl (2010–2018)
2022 matchup
Pittsburgh vs. UCLA (Pittsburgh 37–35)
2023 matchup
Oregon State vs. Notre Dame
(Notre Dame 40–8)

The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl. Usually held near the end of December, games are played at the Sun Bowl stadium on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso. Since 2011, it has featured teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Pac-12 Conference.

From 2019 to 2022, the game was sponsored by Kellogg's; when Kellogg's spun off its North American cereal division in October 2023, the sponsorship transferred to WK Kellogg Co.[2][3] The game is officially known as the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl,[4] after the mascot for Kellogg's[a] Frosted Flakes cereal. Previous sponsors include John Hancock Financial, Norwest Corporation, Wells Fargo, Helen of Troy Limited (using its Vitalis and Brut brands) and Hyundai Motor Company.

History[edit]

The first Sun Bowl was the 1935 edition, played on New Year's Day between Texas high school teams;[5] the 1936 edition, played one year later, was the first Sun Bowl contested between college teams.[6] In most of its early history, the game pitted the champion of the Border Conference against an at-large opponent.[7] The first three editions were played at El Paso High School stadium (1935–1937), then switched to Kidd Field until the present stadium was ready in 1963.[8] Through the 1957 season, the game was played on January 1 or January 2; since then, with the exception of the 1976 season, the game has been played in late December, with a majority of games played on or near New Year's Eve and on several occasions played on or after Christmas Day (1982, 1986 & 1987 on Christmas Day) as well as on or before Christmas Eve.[6]

Notable games[edit]

The 1940 game set the record for fewest points scored, when the Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe Bulldogs played the Catholic University Cardinals to a scoreless tie, the only 0–0 result in Sun Bowl history.

In advance of the 1949 game, Lafayette College turned down an invitation from the Sun Bowl Committee because the committee would not allow an African American player to participate. This bid rejection led to a large student demonstration on the Lafayette campus and in the city of Easton, Pennsylvania, against segregation.

Due to a freak snowstorm before the 1974 game,[9] followed by warming temperatures as the sun created a rising steam from the field during the first half, the game was nicknamed the "Fog Bowl."[7]

The 1992 game was the final head coaching appearance of 2001 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Grant Teaff of Baylor; his Bears won 20–15 over Arizona.[10]

The 1994 game was voted the greatest Sun Bowl ever played, and included four touchdowns by Priest Holmes, as Texas defeated North Carolina, 35–31.[7]

The 2005 game set the record for most points scored (88), as UCLA defeated Northwestern, 50–38.

The 2011 game is the only Sun Bowl decided in overtime (the NCAA started the use of overtime in Division I bowl games in 1995);[11] Utah defeated Georgia Tech, 30–27.[6]

The 2020 edition of the bowl was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]

On December 26, 2021, the Miami Hurricanes announced they would not be able to play in the 2021 edition due to COVID-19 issues so organizers stated they would try to secure a replacement team to face the Washington State Cougars.[13] The following day, the Central Michigan Chippewas were named as the Sun Bowl replacement team.[14] The Chippewas had originally been scheduled to face the Boise State Broncos in the Arizona Bowl, until Boise State withdrew from that bowl due to COVID-19 issues.[15]

Sponsorship[edit]

Hyundai signage in the foreground in 2014
El Paso is located in the United States
El Paso
El Paso
El Paso is located in Texas
El Paso
El Paso

The bowl's first title sponsor was John Hancock Financial, who entered a three-year, $1.5 million partnership in June 1986.[16] This came at a time that corporate sponsorship was not common for bowl games,[17] and followed the Fiesta Bowl entering a sponsorship agreement that had made its January 1986 edition the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl.[18] In March 1989, with Sun Bowl organizers and John Hancock Financial negotiating a renewal of the sponsorship agreement, it was reported that an extension might involve renaming the bowl.[19] That came to pass in June 1989, with the annual game changing its name to John Hancock Bowl.[20] Cited as the reason for the change was that, under the prior agreement, the sponsor's name "wasn't mentioned enough in national media to justify the expense."[20][21] Even after the formal name change, some newspapers continued to refer to it as the Sun Bowl.[22] Five editions of the game were staged as the John Hancock Bowl, from 1989 through 1993. After the 1993 playing, John Hancock Financial reduced its support of the bowl game, to dedicate more of its promotional budget to the 1996 Summer Olympics.[23] The name reverted to Sun Bowl, and to ensure the game would continue, the El Paso city council allocated $600,000 to cover expenses in case of a shortfall.[24]

Subsequent title sponsorship came from Norwest Corporation (1996–1998), which then merged into Wells Fargo (1999–2003), El Paso–based Helen of Troy Limited—using its brand names of Vitalis (2004–2005) and Brut (2006–2009)—and Hyundai Motor Company (2010–2018).[25] In August 2019, it was announced that Kellogg's had been named the new title sponsor, and that the game would be branded as the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl—referencing Tony the Tiger, the mascot of the company's cereal brand Frosted Flakes.[26]

Conference tie-ins[edit]

Starting with the 2011 edition, the bowl has been contested between teams from the Pac-12 Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Sun Bowl is part of the ACC's pool arrangement where the Duke's Mayo (formerly Belk), Pinstripe, Music City, and Gator bowls each share choice of the conference's eligible teams following the College Football Playoff (CFP) and the Pop-Tarts Bowl (formerly known by several other names). The Sun Bowl can take any team ranked fourth through eighth in the ACC.

The Pac-12 currently[when?] employs the Sun Bowl as its fifth choice, behind the CFP and the Alamo Bowl and Holiday Bowl.

Game results[edit]

Three editions of the bowl ended in a tie—1936, 1940, and 1985—they are denoted by italics in the below table; overtime has been used in bowl games since the 1995–96 bowl season. The inaugural game in 1935 was contested between high school teams.[5] For sponsorship reasons, the 1989 through 1993 editions were known as the John Hancock Bowl.

Rankings are based on the AP poll, prior to game being played.

No. Date played Winning team Losing team Attnd. Notes
1 January 1, 1935 El Paso All-Stars 25 Ranger (Texas) 21  3,000 notes
2 January 1, 1936 Hardin–Simmons 14 New Mexico A&M 14 12,000 notes
3 January 1, 1937 Hardin–Simmons 34 Texas Mines 6  8,000 notes
4 January 1, 1938 West Virginia 7 Texas Tech 6 12,000 notes
5 January 2, 1939 Utah 26 New Mexico 0 13,000 notes
6 January 1, 1940 Arizona State 0 Catholic 0 13,000 notes
7 January 1, 1941 Western Reserve 26 Arizona State 13 14,000 notes
8 January 1, 1942 Tulsa 6 Texas Tech 0 14,000 notes
9 January 1, 1943 Second Air Force 13 Hardin–Simmons 7 18,000 notes
10 January 1, 1944 Southwestern 7 New Mexico 0 18,000 notes
11 January 1, 1945 Southwestern 35 UNAM 0 13,000 notes
12 January 1, 1946 New Mexico 34 Denver 24 15,000 notes
13 January 1, 1947 Cincinnati 18 Virginia Tech 6 10,000 notes
14 January 1, 1948 Miami (Ohio) 13 Texas Tech 12 18,000 notes
15 January 1, 1949 West Virginia 21 Texas Mines 12 13,000 notes
16 January 2, 1950 Texas Western 33 Georgetown 20 15,000 notes
17 January 1, 1951 West Texas State 14 Cincinnati 13 16,000 notes
18 January 1, 1952 Texas Tech 25 Pacific 14 17,000 notes
19 January 1, 1953 Pacific 26 Mississippi Southern 7 11,000 notes
20 January 1, 1954 Texas Western 37 Mississippi Southern 14  9,500 notes
21 January 1, 1955 Texas Western 47 Florida State 20 14,000 notes
22 January 2, 1956 Wyoming 21 Texas Tech 14 14,500 notes
23 January 1, 1957 No. 17 George Washington 13 Texas Western 0 13,500 notes
24 January 1, 1958 Louisville 34 Drake 20 13,000 notes
25 December 31, 1958 Wyoming 14 Hardin–Simmons 6 13,000 notes
26 December 31, 1959 New Mexico A&M 28 North Texas State 8 14,000 notes
27 December 31, 1960 No. 17 New Mexico State 20 Utah State 13 16,000 notes
28 December 30, 1961 Villanova 17 Wichita 9 15,000 notes
29 December 31, 1962 West Texas State 15 Ohio 14 16,000 notes
30 December 31, 1963 Oregon 21 SMU 14 18,646 notes
31 December 26, 1964 Georgia 7 Texas Tech 0 23,292 notes
32 December 31, 1965 Texas Western 13 TCU 12 24,598 notes
33 December 24, 1966 Wyoming 28 Florida State 20 17,965 notes
34 December 30, 1967 UTEP 14 Ole Miss 7 28,630 notes
35 December 28, 1968 Auburn 34 Arizona 10 27,062 notes
36 December 20, 1969 No. 14 Nebraska 45 Georgia 6 26,668 notes
37 December 19, 1970 No. 13 Georgia Tech 17 No. 19 Texas Tech 9 26,188 notes
38 December 18, 1971 No. 10 LSU 33 No. 17 Iowa State 15 29,377 notes
39 December 30, 1972 No. 16 North Carolina 32 Texas Tech 28 27,877 notes
40 December 29, 1973 Missouri 34 Auburn 17 26,108 notes
41 December 28, 1974 Mississippi State 26 North Carolina 24 26,035 notes
42 December 26, 1975 No. 20 Pittsburgh 33 No. 19 Kansas 19 30,272 notes
43 January 2, 1977 No. 10 Texas A&M 37 Florida 14 31,896 notes
44 December 31, 1977 Stanford 24 LSU 14 30,621 notes
45 December 23, 1978 No. 14 Texas 42 No. 13 Maryland 0 30,604 notes
46 December 22, 1979 No. 13 Washington 14 No. 11 Texas 7 30,124 notes
47 December 27, 1980 No. 8 Nebraska 31 No. 17 Mississippi State 17 31,332 notes
48 December 26, 1981 Oklahoma 40 Houston 14 29,985 notes
49 December 25, 1982 North Carolina 26 No. 8 Texas 10 29,055 notes
50 December 24, 1983 Alabama 28 No. 6 SMU 7 41,412 notes
51 December 22, 1984 No. 12 Maryland 28 Tennessee 27 50,126 notes
52 December 28, 1985 Arizona 13 Georgia 13 50,203 notes
53 December 25, 1986 No. 13 Alabama 28 No. 12 Washington 6 48,722 notes
54 December 25, 1987 No. 11 Oklahoma State 35 West Virginia 33 43,240 notes
55 December 24, 1988 No. 20 Alabama 29 Army 28 43,661 notes
56 December 30, 1989 No. 24 Pittsburgh 31 No. 16 Texas A&M 28 44,887 notes
57 December 31, 1990 No. 22 Michigan State 17 No. 21 USC 16 50,562 notes
58 December 31, 1991 No. 22 UCLA 6 Illinois 3 42,281 notes
59 December 31, 1992 Baylor 20 No. 22 Arizona 15 41,622 notes
60 December 24, 1993 No. 19 Oklahoma 41 Texas Tech 10 43,684 notes
61 December 30, 1994 Texas 35 No. 19 North Carolina 31 50,612 notes
62 December 29, 1995 Iowa 38 No. 20 Washington 18 49,116 notes
63 December 31, 1996 Stanford 38 Michigan State 0 42,721 notes
64 December 31, 1997 No. 16 Arizona State 17 Iowa 7 49,104 notes
65 December 31, 1998 TCU 28 USC 19 46,612 notes
66 December 31, 1999 Oregon 24 No. 12 Minnesota 20 48,757 notes
67 December 29, 2000 Wisconsin 21 UCLA 20 49,093 notes
68 December 31, 2001 No. 13 Washington State 33 Purdue 27 47,812 notes
69 December 31, 2002 Purdue 34 Washington 24 48,917 notes
70 December 31, 2003 No. 24 Minnesota 31 Oregon 30 49,864 notes
71 December 31, 2004 No. 21 Arizona State 27 Purdue 23 51,288 notes
72 December 30, 2005 No. 17 UCLA 50 Northwestern 38 50,426 notes
73 December 29, 2006 No. 24 Oregon State 39 Missouri 38 48,732 notes
74 December 31, 2007 Oregon 56 No. 23 South Florida 21 49,867 notes
75 December 31, 2008 No. 24 Oregon State 3 No. 18 Pittsburgh 0 49,037 notes
76 December 31, 2009 Oklahoma 31 No. 19 Stanford 27 53,713 notes
77 December 31, 2010 Notre Dame 33 Miami (Florida) 17 54,021 notes
78 December 31, 2011 Utah 30 Georgia Tech 27 (OT) 48,123 notes
79 December 31, 2012 Georgia Tech 21 USC 7 47,922 notes
80 December 31, 2013 No. 17 UCLA 42 Virginia Tech 12 47,912 notes
81 December 27, 2014 No. 15 Arizona State 36 Duke 31 47,809 notes
82 December 26, 2015 Washington State 20 Miami (Florida) 14 41,180 notes
83 December 30, 2016 No. 16 Stanford 25 North Carolina 23 42,166 notes
84 December 29, 2017 NC State 52 Arizona State 31 39,897 notes
85 December 31, 2018 Stanford 14 Pittsburgh 13 40,680 notes
86 December 31, 2019 Arizona State 20 Florida State 14 42,212 notes
87 December 31, 2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [27]
88 December 31, 2021 Central Michigan 24 Washington State 21 34,540 notes
89 December 30, 2022 Pittsburgh 37 No. 18 UCLA 35 41,104 notes
90 December 29, 2023 No. 15 Notre Dame 40 No. 21 Oregon State 8 48,223 notes

Note: the bowl's game programs indicate that organizers consider the unplayed 2020 game to have been the 87th edition, as the 2021 game is referred to as the 88th edition, the 2022 game as the 89th edition, etc.[28]

Source:[29]

Awards[edit]

C. M. Hendricks Most Valuable Player Trophy[edit]

Awarded since 1950; named after the first Sun Bowl Association president, Dr. C. M. Hendricks.[30]
Two players have been two-time MVPs; Charley Johnson (1959, 1960)[31] and Billy Stevens (1965, 1967).[32]

Source:[39]: 26 [40][41][42][43]

Jimmy Rogers Jr. Most Valuable Lineman Trophy[edit]

Awarded since 1961; named after former Sun Bowl president Jimmy Rogers Jr.[44]

Game Player Team Position
1961 Rich Ross Villanova G
1962 Don Hoovler Ohio G
1963 Dun Hughes SMU G
1964 Jim Wilson Georgia T
1965 Ronny Nixon TCU T
1966 Jerry Durling Wyoming MG
1967 Fred Carr UTEP LB
1968 David Campbell Auburn T
1969 Jerry Murtaugh Nebraska LB
1970 Bill Flowers Georgia Tech LB
1971 Matt Blair Iowa State LB
1972 Ecomet Burley Texas Tech DT
1973 John Kelsey Missouri TE
1974 Jimmy Webb Mississippi State DT
1975 Al Romano Pittsburgh MG
1977 (Jan.) Edgar Fields Texas A&M DT
1977 (Dec.) Gordon Ceresino Stanford LB
1978 Dwight Jefferson Texas DT
1979 Doug Martin Washington DT
1980 Jimmy Williams Nebraska DE
1981 Rick Bryan Oklahoma DT
1982 Ronnie Mullins Texas DB
1983 Wes Neighbors Alabama C
1984 Carl Zander Tennessee LB
1985 Peter Anderson Georgia C
1986 Steve Alvord Washington MG
1987 Darren Warren West Virginia LB
1988 Derrick Thomas[45] Alabama LB
1989 Anthony Williams Texas A&M LB
1990 Craig Hartsuyker USC LB
1991 Mike Ploskey Illinois DT
1992 Rob Waldrop Arizona NT
1993 Shawn Jackson Texas Tech DE
1994 Blake Brockermeyer[46] Texas OT
1995 Jared DeVries Iowa DL
1996 Kailee Wong Stanford DE
1997 Jeremy Staat Arizona State DT
1998 London Dunlap TCU DE
1999 Dyron Russ Minnesota DT
2000 Oscar Cabrera UCLA OG
2001 Akin Ayodele Purdue DE
2002 Shaun Phillips Purdue DE
2003 Junior Siavaii Oregon DT
2004 Brandon Villareal Purdue DT
2005 Kevin Mims Northwestern DT
2006 Xzavie Jackson Missouri DE
2007 Fenuki Tupou Oregon OT
2008 Greg Romeus Pittsburgh DE
2009 Gerald McCoy Oklahoma DE
2010 Zach Martin Notre Dame OT
2011 Star Lotulelei Utah DT
2012 Jay Finch Georgia Tech C
2013 Kenny Clark UCLA DT
2014 Marcus Hardison Arizona State DE
2015 Hercules Mata'afa Washington State DE
2016 Nazair Jones North Carolina DT
2017 Kentavius Street NC State DE
2018 Thomas Booker Stanford DE
2019 Robert Cooper Florida State DT
2021 Ron Stone Jr. Washington State DE
2022 Jay Toia UCLA DL
2023 Jordan Botelho Notre Dame DL

Source:[39]: 27 [40][41][47]

John Folmer Most Valuable Special Teams Player Trophy[edit]

Awarded since 1994; named after former Sun Bowl president John Folmer.[48]
Positions: P=Punter, K=Kicker, PR=Punt returner, KR=Kickoff returner

Game Player Team Position Statistics Ref.
1994 Marcus Wall North Carolina KR/PR 3 returns, long 82 [49]
1995 Brion Hurley Iowa K/P 3/3 FG, 0/0 XP [50]
1996 Troy Walters Stanford PR 5 returns, long 24 [51]
1997 Tim Dwight Iowa KR/PR 6 returns, long 26 [52]
1998 Adam Abrams USC K 2/2 FG, 1/1 XP [53]
1999 Ryan Rindels Minnesota P 7 punts, avg. 46.1 [54]
2000 Michael Bennett Wisconsin KR 2 returns, long 54 [55]
2001 Drew Dunning Washington State K 4/4 FG, 3/3 XP [56]
2002 Anthony Chambers Purdue KR/PR 3 returns, long 51 [57]
2003 Jared Siegel Oregon K 3/3 FG, 3/3 XP [58]
2004 Dave Brytus Purdue P 8 punts, avg. 48.9 [59]
2005 Brandon Breazell UCLA KR 2 TD returns [60]
2006 Jeff Wolfert Missouri K 1/1 FG, 5/5 XP [61]
2007 Matt Evensen Oregon K 2/2 FG, 5/5 XP [62]
2008 Johnny Hekker Oregon State P 10 punts, avg. 45.0 [63]
2009 Ryan Broyles Oklahoma PR 4 returns, long 42 [64]
2010 David Ruffer Notre Dame K 3/4 FG, 3/3 XP [65]
2011 DeVonte Christopher Utah KR 2 returns, long 68 [66]
2012 Jamal Golden Georgia Tech KR/PR 3 returns, long 56 [67]
2013 Ka'imi Fairbairn UCLA K 0/1 FG 6/6 XP [68]
2014 Kalen Ballage Arizona State KR 3 returns, long 96 [69]
2015 Erik Powell Washington State K 2/2 FG, 2/2 XP [70]
2016 Conrad Ukropina Stanford K 4/5 FG, 1/1 XP [71]
2017 Kyle Bambard NC State K 1/1 FG, 7/7 XP [72]
2018 Alex Kessman Pittsburgh K 2/2 FG, 1/1 XP [73]
2019 Cristian Zendejas Arizona State K 4/4 FG, 0/0 XP [74]
2021 Marshall Meeder Central Michigan K 3/5 FG, 1/1 XP [75]
2022 Ben Sauls Pittsburgh K 5/5 FG, 2/2 XP [76]
2023 Spencer Shrader Notre Dame K 1/2 FG, 5/5 XP

Most appearances[edit]

Updated through the December 2023 edition (89 games, 178 total appearances), excluding the unplayed 87th edition of December 2020.

Teams with multiple appearances
Teams with a single appearance

Won (12): Baylor, Central Michigan, George Washington, Louisville, Miami (Ohio), NC State, Oklahoma State, Second Air Force, Tulsa, Villanova, Western Reserve, Wisconsin
Lost (19): Army, Denver, Drake, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, North Texas State, Northwestern, Ohio, Ole Miss, South Florida, Tennessee, UNAM, Utah State, Wichita
Tied (1): Catholic

Notes
  • UTEP's record includes appearances when it was known as Texas Mines and Texas Western.
  • New Mexico State's record includes appearances when it was known as New Mexico A&M.
  • As of 2023, California and Colorado are the only current Pac-12 members that have not appeared in the Sun Bowl.
  • Northern Arizona (now in the FCS) is the only former member of the Border Conference that has not appeared in the Sun Bowl.

Appearances by conference[edit]

Updated through the December 2023 edition (89 games, 178 total appearances), excluding the unplayed 87th edition of December 2020.

Conference Record Appearances by season
Games W L T Win pct. Won Lost Tied
Pac-12 34 19 14 1 .574 1977, 1979, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 1986, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 1985
Independents 31 18 11 2 .613 1936*, 1937*, 1942*, 1946*, 1947*, 1948*, 1952*, 1957*, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1975, 1989, 2010, 2023 1943*, 1944*, 1949*, 1951*, 1952*, 1953*, 1954*, 1957*, 1966, 1987, 1988 1935*, 1939*
Border 21 8 11 2 .429 1945*, 1949*, 1950*, 1951*, 1953*, 1954*, 1959, 1960 1936*, 1937*, 1938*, 1940*, 1941*, 1942*, 1947*, 1948*, 1955*, 1956*, 1958 1935*, 1939*
ACC 17 6 11 0 .353 1972, 1982, 1984, 2012, 2017, 2022 1974, 1978, 1994, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019  
SEC 15 7 7 1 .500 1964, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1983, 1986, 1988 1967, 1969, 1973, 1976*, 1977, 1980, 1984 1985
SWC 15 4 11 0 .267 1976*, 1978, 1992, 1994 1963, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1989, 1993  
Big Ten 12 5 7 0 .417 1990, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005  
Big Eight 8 6 2 0 .750 1969, 1973, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1993 1971, 1975  
Mountain States 5 3 2 0 .600 1938*, 1955*, 1958 1945*, 1960  
WAC 3 2 1 0 .667 1966, 1998 1968  
MVC 3 1 2 0 .333 1941* 1959, 1961  
MAC 3 1 2 0 .333 2021 1950*, 1962  
Texas Conference 2 2 0 0 1.000 1943*, 1944*  
Big 12 2 1 1 0 .500 2009 2006  
SoCon 2 1 1 0 .500 1956* 1946*  
High school teams 2 1 1 0 .500 1934* 1934*  
Big East 2 0 2 0 .000 2007, 2008  
Big Four (Ohio) 1 1 0 0 1.000 1940*  
  • Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
  • The first edition of the game, played in January 1935, was contested between high school teams.
  • Records are based on teams' conferences at the time each game was played.
  • Conferences that are defunct or not currently active in FBS are marked in italics.
  • The American Athletic Conference (The American), retains the conference charter of the Big East following the 2013 split of the original Big East along football lines. Big East appearances: South Florida (2007) and Pittsburgh (2008).
  • The Pac-12's record includes appearances by teams when the conference was the Pac-8 and Pac-10.
  • The Mountain States Conferences was popularly known as the Skyline Conference from 1947 through 1962.
  • Independent appearances (30): Army (1988), Catholic (1939*), Cincinnati (1946*), Drake (1957*), Florida State (1954*, 1966), Georgetown (1949*), Georgia Tech (1970), Hardin–Simmons (1935*, 1936*), Louisville (1957*), Miami (OH) (1947*), New Mexico (1943*), Notre Dame (2010, 2023), Oregon (1963), Pacific (1951*, 1952*), Pittsburgh (1975, 1989), Second Air Force (1942*), Southern Miss (1952*, 1953*), UNAM (1944*), UTEP (1965, 1967), Villanova (1961), West Texas State (1962), and West Virginia (1937*, 1948*, 1987).

Game records[edit]

Team Record, Team vs. Opponent Year
Most points scored (one team) 56, Oregon vs. South Florida 2007
Most points scored (both teams) 88, UCLA (50) vs. Northwestern (38) 2005
Most points scored (losing team) 38, most recent:
Missouri vs. Oregon State

2006
Fewest points allowed 0, most recent:
Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh

2008
Largest margin of victory 42, Texas (42) vs. Maryland (0) 1978
Total yards 561, Missouri vs. Oregon State 2006
Rushing yards 455, Mississippi State vs. North Carolina 1974
Passing yards 419, Purdue vs. Washington State 2001
First downs 33, Northwestern vs. UCLA 2005
Fewest yards allowed (-21), Southwestern vs. UNAM 1945
Fewest rushing yards allowed (-23), TCU vs. USC 1998
Fewest passing yards allowed (-50), Southwestern vs. UNAM 1945
Individual Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent Year
All-purpose yards 282, Jonathan Stewart, Oregon vs. South Florida
253 rush, 29 return
2007
Touchdowns (all-purpose) 4, shared by:
Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia
Priest Holmes, Texas vs. North Carolina
Demario Richard, Arizona State vs. Duke
 
1987
1994
2014
Rushing yards 253, Jonathan Stewart, Oregon vs. South Florida 2007
Rushing touchdowns 4, shared by:
Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia
Priest Holmes, Texas vs. North Carolina
 
1987
1994
Passing yards 419, Kyle Orton, Purdue vs. Washington 2002
Passing touchdowns 4, shared by:
Matt Moore, Oregon State vs. Missouri
Justin Roper, Oregon vs. South Florida
 
2006
2007
Receiving yards 200, Samie Parker, Oregon vs. Minnesota 2003
Receiving touchdowns 3, Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma vs. Stanford 2009
Tackles 24, Carl Zander, Tennessee vs. Maryland
14 solo, 10 assist
1984
Sacks 4.5, Reggie McKenzie, Tennessee vs. Maryland 1984
Interceptions 3, shared by:
Buddy McClinton, Auburn vs. Arizona
Harrison Smith, Notre Dame vs. Miami (FL)
 
1968
2010
Long Plays Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent Year
Touchdown run 94, Hascall Henshaw, Arizona State vs. Western Reserve 1941
Touchdown pass 91, James Blackman to Tamorrion Terry, Florida State vs. Arizona State 2019
Kickoff return 100, Peter Panuska, Tennessee vs. Maryland 1984
Punt return 82, Marcus Wall, North Carolina vs. Texas 1994
Interception return 91, Don "Skip" Hoovler, Ohio vs. West Texas 1962
Fumble return
Punt 78, Scott Blanton, Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech 1993
Field goal 62, Tony Franklin, Texas A&M vs. Florida 1977
Miscellaneous Record, Teams Year
Largest attendance 54,021, Notre Dame vs. Miami (FL) 2010

Source:[39]: 28–32 [77]

Media coverage[edit]

NBC broadcast the Sun Bowl nationally in 1964 and 1966.[78] From 1968 until the present, the game has been broadcast by CBS Sports.[78] The Sun Bowl's contract with CBS Sports is the longest continuous relationship between a bowl game and one TV network.[79][80]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Kellogg's remains a brand name for both successors to the original Kellogg's: Kellanova and WK Kellogg.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. ^ Kellogg Co completes split into two, independent companies – Kellanova and WK Kellogg Co Battle Creek Enquirer October 2, 2023
  3. ^ Kellogg’s cereal business begins trading as stand-alone company WK Kellogg CNBC October 2, 2023
  4. ^ Bedoya, Aaron A. (August 20, 2019). "The Sun Bowl takes on Tony the Tiger as sponsor after agreement with Frosted Flakes". USA Today. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Ken Heineman - Legends of the Sun Bowl - Hyundai Sun Bowl - December 29, 2017 - El Paso, Texas". www.sunbowl.org.
  6. ^ a b c "Bowl/All Star Game Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2017-01-03 – via archive.org.
  7. ^ a b c "History - Hyundai Sun Bowl - December 29, 2017 - El Paso, Texas". www.sunbowl.org.
  8. ^ "From the Sun Bowl Vault: A History of the Sun Bowl :: A History of the Sun Bowl". www.cstv.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017.
  9. ^ "Felker directs late drive as Bulldogs win Sun Bowl". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 29, 1974. p. 1, sports.
  10. ^ "Grant Teaff - Legends of the Sun Bowl - Hyundai Sun Bowl - December 29, 2017 - El Paso, Texas". www.sunbowl.org.
  11. ^ "Adopting overtime has built 20 years of thrills into college football: An oral history". 13 October 2016.
  12. ^ "Sun Bowl Association Cancels Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl". sunbowl.org (Press release). Sun Bowl Association. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  13. ^ Adelson, Andrea (December 26, 2021). "Miami out of Sun Bowl against Washington State due to COVID-19 issues in football program". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  14. ^ Sallee, Barrett (December 27, 2021). "Central Michigan to play Washington State in Sun Bowl after Miami pulls out due to COVID-19 issues". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  15. ^ Glasspiegel, Ryan (December 27, 2021). "Dave Portnoy announces Boise State out of Barstool Bowl due to COVID-19". New York Post. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  16. ^ Nissenson, Herschel (June 27, 1986). "Sponsorships: A new way to pay". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. AP. p. 3B. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Ross, Kenneth (December 31, 1986). "Corporations playing ball as year ends". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. p. B8. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Young, Bob (September 27, 1985). "Sunkist agrees to sponsor Fiesta Bowl". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. G1. Retrieved December 24, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Henry, Don (March 2, 1989). "Sun Bowl may get new name". El Paso Times. p. 1. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  20. ^ a b "Sun Bowl renamed John Hancock Bowl". Kerrville Times. Kerrville, Texas. AP. June 20, 1989. p. 8. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Modoono, Bill (December 17, 1989). "John Hancock puts signature on Sun Bowl". The Daily Item. Sunbury, Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh Press. p. 9D. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Pitt wins 31-28 with 44-yard touchdown pass". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. AP. December 31, 1989. p. 5E. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Henry, Don (June 3, 1994). "Hancock name could stay for '94 game". El Paso Times. p. 1E. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
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