The
Sun Bowl is an annual
college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in
El Paso, Texas. The 75th Anniversary of the Sun Bowl was played on December 31, 2008. The Sun Bowl, along the
Sugar Bowl and the
Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the
Rose Bowl (first played 1902, played annually since 1916). In most of its early history, the game pitted the champion of the
Border Conference against an at-large opponent. Games are now played at
Sun Bowl Stadium on the campus of the
University of Texas at El Paso. The first three were played at El Paso High School Stadium (1935–1937), then switched to
Kidd Field until the present stadium was ready in 1963. For its first 24 years of existence the game was played on January 1 (
New Year's Day) or January 2; since then, with the exception of a January 2 game in 1977, the game has been played in December with the last 15 games played on or near December 31.
The game's current full title is the Hyundai Sun Bowl, which became the name after Hyundai Motor Company's American subsidiary bought naming rights to the bowl from Helen of Troy Limited on June 24, 2010. Hyundai becomes the fourth title sponsor of the Sun Bowl, after Helen of Troy (through its Vitalis and Brut brands), Norwest/Wells Fargo, and John Hancock Insurance; the bowl was known as the John Hancock Bowl for the last five years of the firm's contract with the bowl. Hyundai signed a four year contract with the Sun Bowl committee, which runs through the 2013 game.
Beginning in 2010, the Sun Bowl matches the Pac-10 Conference against the ACC. The Sun Bowl will have the third selection after the BCS from the Pac-10 and either the ACC Championship Game runner-up or the third pick after the BCS from the ACC. The current agreements with the Pac-10 and ACC run from 2010-13.
An ironic Sun Bowl game was played in 1994 when Texas defeated North Carolina, who was coached by future longterm Texas head coach Mack Brown.
Its contract with CBS Sports is the longest continuous relationship with one network, spanning since 1968. In January, 2010, the Sun Bowl Association extended its agreement with CBS through the 2013 Hyundai Sun Bowl. The game traditionally kicks off at "High Noon" MST, or 2 p.m. EST. Helen of Troy has also sponsored the halftime show, which has recently featured such artists as Los Lonely Boys, The Village People, Baby Bash, David Archuleta, Rihanna and Diamond Rio.
On a 1978 episode of the TV show Dallas on CBS (entitled "Double Wedding"), the TV character Pamela Barnes Ewing (played by Victoria Principal) revealed she had once been a cheerleader who participated in the Sun Bowl festivities (and had married a man in the nearby city of Juarez).
Game results
{|class="wikitable"
!|Year played
!|MVP(s)
!|Team
!|Position
|-
|1980 ||
Jeff Quinn || Nebraska || QB
|-
|1981 ||
Darrell Shepard || Oklahoma || QB
|-
|1982 ||
Ethan Horton || North Carolina || TB
|-
|1983 || Walter Lewis || Alabama || QB
|-
|1984 ||
Rick Badanjek || Maryland || FB
|-
|1985 ||
Max Zendejas || Arizona || K
|-
|1986 ||
Cornelius Bennett || Alabama || DE
|-
|1987 ||
Thurman Thomas || Oklahoma State || RB
|-
|1988 || David Smith || Alabama || QB
|-
|1989 ||
Alex Van Pelt || Pittsburgh || QB
|-
|1990 ||
Courtney Hawkins || Michigan State || WR
|-
|1991 ||
Arnold Ale || UCLA || LB
|-
|1992 ||
Melvin Bonner || Baylor || WR
|-
|1993 ||
Jerald Moore || Oklahoma || RB
|-
|1994 ||
Priest Holmes || Texas || RB
|-
|1995 ||
Sedrick Shaw || Iowa || RB
|-
|1996 ||
Chad Hutchinson || Stanford || QB
|-
|1997 ||
Mike Martin || Arizona State || RB
|-
|1998 ||
Basil Mitchell || TCU || TB
|-
|1999 ||
Billy Cockerham || Minnesota || QB
|-
|2000 ||
Freddie Mitchell || UCLA || WR
|-
|2001 ||
Lamont Thompson || Washington State || S
|-
|2002 ||
Kyle Orton || Purdue || QB
|-
|2003 ||
Samie Parker || Oregon || WR
|-
|2004 ||
Sam Keller || Arizona State || QB
|-
|rowspan = "2" | 2005 ||
Kahlil Bell || UCLA || RB
|-
|
Chris Markey || UCLA || RB
|-
|2006 ||
Matt Moore || Oregon State || QB
|-
|2007 ||
Jonathan Stewart ||Oregon||RB
|-
|2008 ||
Victor Butler || Oregon State || DE
|-
|2009 ||
Ryan Broyles || Oklahoma || WR
|}
Jimmy Rogers, Jr. Most Valuable Lineman
{|class="wikitable"
!|Year played
!|MVP(s)
!|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 ||
Edgar Fields || Texas A&M; || DT
|-
|1977 ||
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
|}
{|class="wikitable"
!|Year played
!|MVP(s)
!|Team
!|Position
|-
|1986 ||
Steve Alvord || Washington || MG
|-
|1987 ||
Darren Warren || West Virginia || LB
|-
|1988 ||
Derrick Thomas || 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 || 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
|}
John Folmer Most Valuable Special Teams Player
{|class="wikitable"
!|Year played
!|MVP(s)
!|Team
!|Position
|-
|1994 ||
Marcus Wall || North Carolina || WR
|-
|1995 ||
Brion Hurley || Iowa || PK
|-
|1996 ||
Troy Walters || Stanford || PR
|-
|1997 ||
Jason Baker || Iowa || P
|-
|1998 ||
Adam Abrams || USC || PK
|-
|1999 ||
Ryan Rindels || Minnesota || PK
|-
|2000 ||
Michael Bennett || Wisconsin || RB/KR
|-
|2001 ||
Drew Dunning || Washington State || PK
|-
|2002 ||
Anthony Chambers || Purdue || PR/KR
|-
|2003 ||
Jared Siegel || Oregon || PK
|-
|2004 ||
Dave Brytus || Purdue || P
|-
|2005 ||
Brandon Braezell || UCLA || KR/WR
|-
|2006 ||
Jeff Wolfert || Missouri || PK
|-
|2007 ||
Matt Evensen || Oregon || PK
|-
|2008 ||
Johnny Hekker || Oregon State || P
|-
|2009 ||
Ryan Broyles || Oklahoma || WR
|}
Most appearances
{|class = "wikitable"
! Rank || Team || Appearances || Record
|-
| 1 ||
Texas Tech || 9 || 1–8
|-
| 2 ||
UTEP || 8 || 5–3
|-
| T3 ||
Oregon || 4 || 3–1
|-
| T3 ||
Arizona State || 4 || 2–1–1
|-
| T3 ||
North Carolina || 4 || 2–2
|-
| T3 ||
Texas || 4 || 2–2
|-
| T3 ||
Washington || 4 || 2–2
|-
| T3 ||
Hardin-Simmons || 4 || 1–2–1
|-
| T9 ||
Alabama || 3 || 3–0
|-
| T9 ||
Oklahoma || 3 || 3–0
|-
| T9 ||
Wyoming || 3 || 3–0
|-
| T9 ||
New Mexico State || 3 || 2–0–1
|-
| T9 ||
Pittsburgh || 3 || 2–1
|-
| T9 ||
Stanford || 3 || 2–1
|-
| T9 ||
UCLA || 3 || 2–1
|-
| T9 ||
West Virginia || 3 || 2–1
|-
| T9 ||
Arizona || 3 || 1–2
|-
| T9 ||
Georgia || 3 || 1–2
|-
| T9 ||
New Mexico || 3 || 1–2
|-
| T9 ||
Purdue || 3 || 1–2
|-
|}
See also
List of college bowl games
Sun Bowl broadcasters
References
External links
Official Website of the Sun Bowl
Category:Recurring events established in 1934
Category:Sports in El Paso, Texas
Category:College football bowls
