The Cactus Bowl, is an NCAA FBS college football bowl game that has been played in the state of Arizona since 1989.
Originally 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 then the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl for 2016. The Cactus Bowl name has been in use since 2015. There was no game played during calendar year 2014 due to the schedule date moving from December to January; the game was played twice during 2016, due to the schedule date moving back to December.
When the bowl was initially 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 is now 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 in favor of playing in University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, the Cactus Bowl (still known as the Insight Bowl) was relocated there as a permanent replacement.
The Cactus Bowl is temporarily being played at its previous home of Chase Field in Phoenix while Sun Devil Stadium undergoes renovations. The renovations are being undertaken during the offseason, requiring Arizona State to close the stadium at the conclusion of football season through 2017. During this time, the game is one of three bowl games played in baseball-specific stadiums; the Gasparilla Bowl, played at Tropicana Field, and the Pinstripe Bowl, played at Yankee Stadium, are the others.
Video Cactus Bowl
History
"Cactus Bowl" had been the originally planned name for what became the Copper Bowl in 1989. The game was played under the Copper Bowl name through 1996, after which title sponsorship rights were assumed by Insight Enterprises, who self-titled the game from 1997 through the 2011. In 2012, restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings became the sponsor and self-titled the game for two years. Buffalo Wild Wings declined to renew sponsorship following the 2013 game, 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, however that game was discontinued after 2011. For 2014, TicketCity sponsored the new Cactus Bowl, and Motel 6 became the sponsor in 2015.
For the first ten years, the game was played at Arizona Stadium, on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. 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, as Texas Tech came back from a 38-7 third-quarter deficit to defeat Minnesota 44-41 in overtime.
Before 2006, the game mainly featured teams from the Pac-10, WAC, Big 12, and old Big East conferences. Starting in 2006, it began featuring an annual matchup between teams from the Big Ten and the Big 12. Starting with the 2015 game, it has featured a matchup between Pac-12 and Big 12 teams, contingent on bowl eligibility. Teams from the ACC and MW have also competed, along with teams from the now defunct SWC and Big Eight, and one independent school (Notre Dame in 2004).
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.
Maps Cactus Bowl
Game results
- Games 1-11 played in Tucson at Arizona Stadium
- Games 12-17 played in Phoenix at Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field)
- Games 18-26 played in Tempe at Sun Devil Stadium
- Games 27-29 played in Phoenix at Chase Field (formerly Bank One Ballpark)
MVPs
Two MVPs are selected for each game; one an offensive player, the other a defensive player.
Sportsmanship award
The bowl awarded a sportsmanship award for the 2001 through January 2016 games.
Listed as "Josh Sandberg" on the official website.
Most appearances
Texas is the only current Big 12 school that has not played in this bowl. Seven of the current Big 12 schools have appeared multiple times. Former Big 12 members Colorado and Missouri have appeared in the bowl, but former Big 12 members Nebraska and Texas A&M have not.
- Teams with multiple appearances
- Teams with a single appearance
Won: BYU, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan State, Syracuse, Washington State, Wisconsin
Lost: Air Force, Boise State, Boston College, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Rutgers, TCU, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Washington
Appearances by conference
Through the December 2017 playing, there have been 29 games (58 total appearances).
Media coverage
The Cactus Bowl has been televised by three different networks; TBS (1989-1991), ESPN (1992-2005, 2010-present), and NFL Network (2006-2009).
See also
- List of college bowl games
References
External links
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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