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Rate Bowl

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Rate Bowl
StadiumChase Field
LocationPhoenix, Arizona
Previous stadiumsArizona Stadium
(1989–1999)
Bank One Ballpark
(2000–2005)
Sun Devil Stadium
(2006–2015)
Previous locationsTucson, Arizona
(1989–1999)
Phoenix, Arizona
(2000–2005)
Tempe, Arizona
(2006–2015)
Operated1989–present
Conference tie-insBig 12, Big Ten
Previous conference tie-insWAC (1990–1997)
Big 12 (1998–2001)
Big East (1998–2005)
Pac-10 (2002–2005, 2013–2019)
Big 12 (2006–2013)
Big Ten (2006–2013)
PayoutUS$1,625,560 (2019)[1]
Sponsors
Former names
  • Copper Bowl (1989)
  • Domino's Pizza Copper Bowl (1990–1991)
  • Weiser Lock Copper Bowl (1992–1995)
  • Copper Bowl (1996)
  • Insight.com Bowl (1997–2001)
  • Insight Bowl (2002–2011)
  • Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (2012–2013)
  • TicketCity Cactus Bowl (2015)
  • Motel 6 Cactus Bowl (2016, 2 games)
  • Cactus Bowl (2017)
  • Cheez-It Bowl (2018–2019)[a]
  • Guaranteed Rate Bowl (2020–2023)
2023 matchup
Kansas vs. UNLV (Kansas 49–36)
2024 matchup
(December 26, 2024)

The Rate Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that has been played in the state of Arizona since 1989, under several different names.

Played as the Copper Bowl from inception through 1996, it was known as the Insight.com Bowl from 1997 through 2001, then the Insight Bowl from 2002 through 2011, the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl for 2012 and 2013, and the Cactus Bowl for the 2014 through 2017 seasons. In 2018 and 2019, the game was known as the Cheez-It Bowl.[a] In 2020, Guaranteed Rate signed on as the title sponsor of the game, renaming it as the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.[2] In October 2024, the game became the Rate Bowl as part of a company rebrand.[3]

When the bowl was founded, it was played at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, on the campus of the University of Arizona. In 2000, the organizers moved the game from Tucson to Phoenix. There, it was played at what became known as Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. For the 2006 season, the bowl moved a second time. After the annual Fiesta Bowl left Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe to play in University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, the bowl (then still known as the Insight Bowl) was relocated there as a permanent replacement. The bowl returned to its previous home at Chase Field in Phoenix for the January 2016 event, due to renovation work at Sun Devil Stadium that was expected to last at least three off-seasons.[4] The bowl has remained at Chase Field, making it one of three bowl games staged in baseball stadiums, the other three being the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium and the Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park.

History

[edit]

"Cactus Bowl" had been the originally planned name for what became the Copper Bowl in 1989.[5] The game was played under the Copper Bowl name through 1996, after which title sponsorship rights were assumed by Insight Enterprises, which self-titled the game from 1997 through 2011. In 2012, restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings became the sponsor and self-titled the game for two years.[6] Buffalo Wild Wings declined to renew sponsorship following the 2013 game,[7] at which time organizers opted to rename the game "Cactus Bowl" rather than reverting to the Copper Bowl name. There had been a Texas-based Cactus Bowl played in Division II, but that game was discontinued after 2011. For 2014, TicketCity sponsored the new Cactus Bowl,[8] and Motel 6 became the sponsor in 2015.[9] In 2018, Kellogg's became the sponsor and rebranded the bowl, naming it after its cheese cracker brand, Cheez-It.[10] In May 2020, the Cactus Bowl name returned, as Cheez-It sponsorship moved to what had been known as the Camping World Bowl played in Orlando, Florida.[11]

For the first ten years, the game was played at Arizona Stadium, on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson. In 2000, the bowl's organizers moved the game to Bank One Ballpark, a baseball-specific stadium, in downtown Phoenix. In 2006, the game moved to Sun Devil Stadium at Arizona State University in Tempe to replace the Fiesta Bowl, which had moved to University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale. The 2006 game set a record (since tied in the 2016 Alamo Bowl) for the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I FBS bowl history,[12] as Texas Tech came back from a 38–7 third-quarter deficit to defeat Minnesota in overtime, 44–41.

For the first three playings of the Copper Bowl, TBS carried the game. Beginning in 1992 and continuing until the 2005 playing, the game aired on ESPN. After a four-year hiatus, during which NFL Network carried the game, ESPN regained the rights beginning in 2010.

The 2020 edition of the bowl was cancelled on December 20, 2020, due to an insufficient number of teams available to fill all 2020–21 bowl games, after a season impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

Conference tie-ins

[edit]

Before 2006, the game mainly featured teams from the Pac-10, Western Athletic Conference, Big 12, and old Big East conferences. From 2006 to 2013, it began featuring an annual matchup between teams from the Big Ten and the Big 12. Starting with the 2015 game, it featured a matchup between Pac-12 and Big 12 teams. Teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Mountain West Conference have also competed, along with teams from the now defunct Southwest Conference and Big Eight, and one independent school (Notre Dame in 2004). In July 2019, the bowl announced tie-ins with the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences, starting with the 2020–21 season and continuing through the 2025–26 season.[14]

Game results

[edit]

All rankings are taken from the AP Poll prior to the game being played.

No. Date Bowl name Winning Team Losing Team Attendance
1 December 31, 1989 Copper Bowl Arizona 17 NC State 10 37,237
2 December 31, 1990 Copper Bowl California 17 Wyoming 15 36,340
3 December 31, 1991 Copper Bowl Indiana 24 Baylor 0 35,751
4 December 31, 1992 Copper Bowl No 18 Washington State 31 Utah 28 40,826
5 December 29, 1993 Copper Bowl No. 20 Kansas State 52 Wyoming 17 49,075
6 December 29, 1994 Copper Bowl No. 22 BYU 31 Oklahoma 6 45,122
7 December 27, 1995 Copper Bowl Texas Tech 55 Air Force 41 41,004
8 December 27, 1996 Copper Bowl Wisconsin 38 Utah 10 42,122
9 December 27, 1997 Insight.com Bowl Arizona 20 New Mexico 14 49,385
10 December 26, 1998 Insight.com Bowl No. 23 Missouri 34 West Virginia 31 36,147
11 December 31, 1999 Insight.com Bowl Colorado 62 No. 25 Boston College 28 35,762
12 December 28, 2000 Insight.com Bowl Iowa State 37 Pittsburgh 29 41,813
13 December 29, 2001 Insight.com Bowl No. 18 Syracuse 26 Kansas State 3 40,028
14 December 26, 2002 Insight Bowl No. 24 Pittsburgh 38 Oregon State 13 40,533
15 December 26, 2003 Insight Bowl California 52 Virginia Tech 49 42,364
16 December 28, 2004 Insight Bowl Oregon State 38 Notre Dame 21 45,917
17 December 27, 2005 Insight Bowl Arizona State 45 Rutgers 40 43,536
18 December 29, 2006 Insight Bowl Texas Tech 44 Minnesota 41 (OT) 48,391
19 December 31, 2007 Insight Bowl Oklahoma State 49 Indiana 33 48,892
20 December 31, 2008 Insight Bowl Kansas 42 Minnesota 21 49,103
21 December 31, 2009 Insight Bowl Iowa State 14 Minnesota 13 45,090
22 December 28, 2010 Insight Bowl Iowa 27 No. 14 Missouri 24 53,453
23 December 30, 2011 Insight Bowl No. 19 Oklahoma 31 Iowa 14 54,247
24 December 29, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Michigan State 17 TCU 16 44,617
25 December 28, 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Kansas State 31 Michigan 14 53,284
26 January 2, 2015 Cactus Bowl Oklahoma State 30 Washington 22 35,409
27 January 2, 2016 Cactus Bowl West Virginia 43 Arizona State 42 39,321
28 December 27, 2016 Cactus Bowl Baylor 31 Boise State 12 33,328
29 December 26, 2017 Cactus Bowl Kansas State 35 UCLA 17 32,859
30 December 26, 2018 Cheez-It Bowl TCU 10 California 7 (OT) 33,121
31 December 27, 2019 Cheez-It Bowl No. 24 Air Force 31 Washington State 21 34,105
December 26, 2020 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Canceled: insufficient number of teams available[15]
32 December 28, 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Minnesota 18 West Virginia 6 21,220
33 December 27, 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Wisconsin 24 Oklahoma State 17 23,187
34 December 26, 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Kansas 49 UNLV 36 26,478
35 December 26, 2024 Rate Bowl TBD

Source:[16]

Games  1–11 (copper) played in Tucson at Arizona Stadium
Games 12–17 (silver) played in Phoenix at Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field)
Games 18–26 (yellow) played in Tempe at Sun Devil Stadium
Games 27–present (silver) played in Phoenix at Chase Field (formerly Bank One Ballpark)

MVPs

[edit]

Two MVPs are selected for each game; one an offensive player, the other a defensive player.[17]

Game Offensive MVP Defensive MVP
Player Team Position Player Team Position
1989 Shane Montgomery North Carolina State QB Scott Geyer Arizona DB
1990 Mike Pawlawski California QB Robert Midgett Wyoming LB
1991 Vaughn Dunbar Indiana TB Mark Hagen Indiana LB
1992 Drew Bledsoe Washington State QB Kareem Leary Utah DB
1993 Andre Coleman Kansas State WR Kenny McEntyre Kansas State CB
1994 Jamal Willis BYU RB Broderick Simpson Oklahoma LB
1995 Zebbie Lethridge Texas Tech QB Mickey Dalton Air Force CB
1996 Ron Dayne Wisconsin RB Tarek Saleh Wisconsin LB
1997 Trung Canidate Arizona RB Jimmy Sprotte Arizona LB
1998 Marc Bulger West Virginia QB Jeff Marriott Missouri DT
1999 Cortlen Johnson Colorado RB Jashon Sykes Colorado LB
2000 Sage Rosenfels Iowa State QB Reggie Hayward Iowa State DE
2001 James Mungro Syracuse RB Clifton Smith Syracuse LB
2002 Brandon Miree Pittsburgh TB Claude Harriott Pittsburgh DL
2003 Aaron Rodgers California QB Ryan Gutierrez California FS
2004 Derek Anderson Oregon State QB Trent Bray Oregon State LB
2005 Rudy Carpenter Arizona State QB Jamar Williams Arizona State LB
2006 Graham Harrell Texas Tech QB Antonio Huffman Texas Tech CB
2007 Zac Robinson Oklahoma State QB Donovan Woods Oklahoma State S
2008 Dezmon Briscoe Kansas WR James Holt Kansas LB
2009 Alexander Robinson Iowa State RB Christopher Lyle Iowa State DE
2010 Marcus Coker Iowa RB Micah Hyde Iowa DB
2011 Blake Bell Oklahoma QB Jamell Fleming Oklahoma DB
2012 Le'Veon Bell Michigan State RB William Gholston Michigan State DE
2013 Tyler Lockett Kansas State WR Dante Barnett Kansas State DB
2015 Desmond Roland Oklahoma State RB Seth Jacobs Oklahoma State LB
2016 (Jan.) Skyler Howard West Virginia QB Shaq Petteway West Virginia LB
2016 (Dec.) KD Cannon Baylor WR Tyrone Hunt Baylor DE
2017 Alex Delton Kansas State QB Denzel Goolsby Kansas State S
2018 Sewo Olonilua TCU RB Jaylinn Hawkins California S
2019 Kadin Remsberg Air Force RB Grant Donaldson Air Force OLB
2021 Ky Thomas Minnesota RB Tyler Nubin Minnesota S
2022 Braelon Allen Wisconsin RB Jordan Turner Wisconsin LB
2023 Jason Bean Kansas QB Kenny Logan Kansas S

Source:[18][19][20]

Sportsmanship award

[edit]

The bowl awarded a sportsmanship award for the 2001 through January 2016 games.[17]

Game Player Team Position
2001 Terry Pierce Kansas State LB
2002 Derek Anderson Oregon State QB
2003 Doug Easlick Virginia Tech FB
2004 Derek Curry Notre Dame LB
2005 Ryan Neill Rutgers DE
2006 Dominic Jones Minnesota DB
2007 Jonathan "Josh" Sandberg Indiana OG
2008 Jack Simmons Minnesota TE
2009 D.J. Burris Minnesota OG
2010 Tim Barnes Missouri C
2011 Tyler Nielsen Iowa LB
2012 Tayo Fabuluje TCU OT
2013 Devin Funchess Michigan WR
2015 Andrew Hudson Washington DE
2016 (Jan.) D. J. Foster Arizona State RB

Most appearances

[edit]
Teams with a single appearance

Won (4): BYU, Colorado, Michigan State, Syracuse
Lost (11): Boise State, Boston College, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Rutgers, UCLA, UNLV, Virginia Tech, Washington

Appearances by conference

[edit]

Updated through the December 2023 edition (34 games, 68 total appearances).

Conference Record Appearances by season
Games W L Win pct. Won Lost
Big 12 20 15 5 .750 1998, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011,
2013, 2014*, 2015*, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023
2001, 2010, 2012, 2021, 2022
Pac-12 13 7 6 .538 1989, 1990, 1992, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005 2002, 2014*, 2015*, 2017, 2018, 2019
Big Ten 12 6 6 .500 1991, 1996, 2010, 2012, 2021, 2022 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
Big East 7 2 5 .286 2001, 2002 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005
WAC 7 1 6 .143 1994 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997
Mountain West 3 1 2 .333 2019 2016, 2023
Big Eight 2 1 1 .500 1993 1994
SWC 2 1 1 .500 1995 1991
ACC 1 0 1 .000   1989
Independents 1 0 1 .000   2004
  • Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
  • Records reflect conference affiliations at the time each game was played.
  • The Pac-12's record includes appearances when the conference was the Pac-10. From 1989 through 2005, Pac-10 teams made eight appearances and were 7–1.
  • Big East teams made seven appearances and were 2–5; the American Athletic Conference (The American) retains the conference charter following the 2013 split of the original Big East along football lines.
  • Conferences that are defunct or no longer active in FBS are marked in italics.
  • Independent appearances: Notre Dame (2004)

Game records

[edit]
Team Performance vs. opponent Year
Most points scored (one team) 62, Colorado vs. Boston College 1999
Most points scored (losing team) 49, Virginia Tech vs. California 2003
Most points scored (both teams) 101, California vs. Virginia Tech 2003
Fewest points allowed 0, Indiana vs. Baylor 1991
Largest margin of victory 35, Kansas State vs. Wyoming 1993
Total yards 679, Arizona State vs. Rutgers 2005
Rushing yards 431, Air Force vs. Texas Tech 1995
Passing yards 492, Washington State vs. Utah 1992
First downs 33, Arizona State vs. Rutgers 2005
Fewest yards allowed 130, North Carolina State vs. Arizona 1989
Fewest rushing yards allowed 8, Pittsburgh vs. Oregon State 2002
Fewest passing yards allowed 16, Utah vs. Wisconsin 1996
Individual Performance vs. opponent Year
All-purpose yards 498, Rudy Carpenter, Arizona State vs. Rutgers 2005
Rushing yards 260, Byron Hanspard, Texas Tech vs. Air Force 1995
Rushing touchdowns 4, Byron Hanspard, Texas Tech vs. Air Force 1995
Passing yards 532, Skyler Howard, West Virginia vs. Arizona State 2016*
Passing touchdowns 6, Jason Bean, Kansas vs UNLV 2023
Receiving yards 212, Phillip Bobo, Washington State vs. Utah 1992
Receiving touchdowns 3, shared by:
Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas vs. Minnesota
Luke Grimm, Kansas vs. UNLV
Lawrence Arnold, Kansas vs. UNLV

2008
2023
2023
Tackles 20 (total), Jahad Woods, Washington State vs. Air Force 2019
Interceptions 2, most recent:
Cameron Oliver, UNLV vs. Kansas

2023
Long Plays Performance vs. opponent Year
Touchdown run 71, Danta Johnson, Air Force vs. Texas Tech 1995
Touchdown pass 87, Phillip Bobo from Drew Bledsoe, Washington State vs. Utah 1992
Kickoff return 60, shared by:
Ricardo Rhodes, Missouri vs. West Virginia
Troy Stoudermire, Minnesota vs. Kansas

1998
2008
Punt return 88, Ben Kelly, Colorado vs. Boston College 1999
Interception return 78, George White, Boston College vs. Colorado 1999
Punt 67, shared by:
Travis Brown, Kansas State vs. Syracuse
Tress Way, Oklahoma vs. Iowa

2001
2011
Field goal 53, Jaden Oberkrom, TCU vs. Michigan State 2012

Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the noted calendar year.

Source:[21]

Media coverage

[edit]

The bowl has been televised by three different networks: TBS (1989–1991), ESPN (1992–2005, 2010–present), and NFL Network (2006–2009).[22]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Not to be confused with the later Cheez-It Bowl (2020–2022).

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. ^ "Guaranteed Rate Joins With Cactus Bowl As Title Partner For Newly-Named Guaranteed Rate Bowl". Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "Downtown Phoenix bowl game renamed Rate Bowl as part of rebrand". azbigmedia.com. October 17, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  4. ^ McMurphy, Brett (May 4, 2015). "Cactus Bowl moving to Chase Field for next three seasons". ESPN.com.
  5. ^ "New bowl game seeking sponsor, TV pact". The Tuscaloosa News. 1988-08-13. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  6. ^ "Insight Bowl loses its title sponsor after 15 years". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. 26 January 2012. Archived from the original on January 30, 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  7. ^ "Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl loses sponsorship". azcentral. 16 June 2014.
  8. ^ "TicketCity gets Cactus Bowl naming rights for Cactus Bowl in Tempe". Phoenix Business Journal. 2014-11-25. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  9. ^ "Motel 6 inks naming rights deal for Cactus Bowl". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  10. ^ "CHEEZ-IT JOINS CACTUS BOWL AS NEW NAMING RIGHTS PARTNER". Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  11. ^ Metcalfe, Jeff (May 27, 2020). "Downtown Phoenix bowl game reverts to Cactus Bowl name". azcentral.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  12. ^ "Down 31, Texas Tech rallies for biggest bowl comeback". Associated Press. December 29, 2006. Archived from the original on 2 January 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2006 – via ESPN.
  13. ^ Graham, Pat (December 20, 2020). "'A long grind': Bowl Day marred by cancellations, opt outs". arklatexhomepage.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  14. ^ Fitzgerald, Katherine (June 4, 2019). "Cheez-It Bowl to feature Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup starting in 2020". azcentral.com. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  15. ^ "Guaranteed Rate Bowl Game Update Statement". Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  16. ^ "Cheez-It Bowl" (PDF). Bowl/All Star Game Records. NCAA. 2020. p. 11. Retrieved January 3, 2021 – via NCAA.org.
  17. ^ a b "Game History". fiestabowl.org. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  18. ^ "Players of the Game". Guaranteed Rate Bowl Official Program. University Sports Publications. 2023. p. 57. Retrieved December 27, 2023 – via publogix.com.
  19. ^ @RateBowl (December 27, 2023). "Congratulations to the Offensive MVP, with a new #GuaranteedRateBowl record of SIX passing touchdowns! We applaud you @jasonbean24" (Tweet). Retrieved December 27, 2023 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ @RateBowl (December 27, 2023). "#1 on defense and #1 in our hearts! Congratulations @Kennylogan23 on being the #GuaranteedRateBowl Defensive MVP!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 27, 2023 – via Twitter.
  21. ^ "Cheez-It Bowl Records". fiestabowl.org. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  22. ^ Kelly, Doug (ed.). "2019–20 Football Bowl Association Media Guide" (PDF). footballbowlassociation.com. p. 94. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
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