Sun Bowl

About Sun Bowl

The Sun Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played usually at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The game was chartered in 1934 and has been played 74 times, making it the second oldest continuously played bowl game. 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. The Sun Bowl sits at an elevation of 3800 feet, only 1600 feet lower than Mile high Stadium.

The game's current full title is the Brut Sun Bowl after its sponsor Brut, which is owned by Helen of Troy Limited, who also owned the previous game sponsor, Vitalis. The name change occurred August 8, 2006, after Helen of Troy extended its partnership through 2009 with the Sun Bowl Association. This marks the eighth change in the game's name. It was previously called the Sun Bowl (1935–1985 and 1994–1995), John Hancock Sun Bowl (1986–1988), John Hancock Bowl (1989–1993), Norwest Sun Bowl (1996–1998), Wells Fargo Sun Bowl (1999–2003, after Norwest merged with Wells Fargo), and Vitalis Sun Bowl (2004–2005).

The Brut Sun Bowl matches the Pac-10 Conference against either the Big 12 Conference, Big East Conference or the University of Notre Dame from 2006–2009. The rotating deal will feature a Big 12 school twice over the next four years and a Big East school (#2 in the conference unless that school has qualified for the BCS) or Notre Dame twice from 2006–2009. The Sun Bowl's selection is done in conjunction with the Gator Bowl during this contract, with the latter bowl having first choice of team to take. Since the Sun Bowl has taken Big East teams in both 2007 and 2008 (South Florida and Pittsburgh) it will take a Big 12 team in 2009.