College Bowl Game Names

[TBGKon]

Now that the bowl season is upon us, I've been doing some thinking. Looking at all 32 games, there are a few that could use name changes. I am a proponent of having bowl games have real names, not named for companies. I don't mind companies presenting games (ex. Pacific Life Holiday Bowl), but I really wish some bowls would consider ditching the corporate only name and come up with something original.

What I want to know is what names would you propose for some of the CURRENT bowl games that either have unoriginal names or corporate names. Please post your ideas here.

[illwauk]

What really annoys me about corporate-only names is that they don't allow any kind of history to be associated with the game. So a game like the Champs Sports Bowl means absolutley nothing to college football fans (outside of the fans of whatever teams happen to be playing in it) even though it's been around for close to 20 years (it started out in 1990 as the Champs Sports Bowl).

[TBGKon]

Here are my ideas:

- Capital One Bowl reverts back to Florida Citrus Bowl (name from 1983-2002)

- Chik-Fil-A Bowl reverts back to Peach Bowl (name from 1968-2005)

- Insight Bowl reverts back to Copper Bowl (name from 1989-1996)

- Las Vegas Bowl to Vegas Bowl (new name)

- New Orleans Bowl to Bourbon Street Bowl

- GMAC Bowl to Carnival Bowl (Mobile is known for their Mardi Gras and Carnival)

- Meineke Car Care Bowl to Queen City Bowl (pre-inception name)

[TBGKon]

What really annoys me about corporate-only names is that they don't allow any kind of history to be associated with the game. So a game like the Champs Sports Bowl means absolutley nothing to college football fans (outside of the fans of whatever teams happen to be playing in it) even though it's been around for close to 20 years (it started out in 1990 as the Champs Sports Bowl).

The game itself dates back to 1990, but the Champs Sports Bowl name dates to 2004. Here is the history of this game.

in Miami, FL

Sunshine Classic (1990)

Blockbuster Bowl (1990-1993)

Carquest Bowl (1994-1997)

MicronPC Bowl (1998-1999)

MicronPC.com Bowl (2000)

in Orlando, FL

Visit Florida Tangerine Bowl (2001)

Mazda Tangerine Bowl (2002-2003)

Champs Sports Bowl (2004-present)

[infrared41]

If memory serves, didn't most of this corporate sponsor keep the bowl name in the title when all this garbage first started? Example: "The Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl" etc? Seems like most of them eventually dropped the original names over the years. I never understood why. I used to know that the Peach Bowl was in Atlanta. I had to look up the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

It seems to me that the sponsorship would work better if people had a ing clue as to where the game is played and the history behind it. I know I can't keep it straight. At least the BCS Bowls kept their names for the most part.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I watched a bit of the Papajohns.com Bowl today. I would have assumed that it was in Louisville in Papa Johns Stadium, but nope, in Birmingham. I don't get it.

[infrared41]

I watched a bit of the Papajohns.com Bowl today. I would have assumed that it was in Louisville in Papa Johns Stadium, but nope, in Birmingham. I don't get it.

After a little research I discovered that the game you watched was once known as the Birmingham Bowl. There used to be another bowl game in Birmingham. It was known as the Hall Of Fame Bowl. The HOF Bowl moved to Tampa in 1986. It's now known as The Outback Bowl. Personally, I think when it moved to Tampa it should have went back to the name of Tampa's original bowl game..."The Cigar Bowl." Wikipedia has a pretty good guide to what the games used to be called before they sold out to the sponsors. At least now I'll have a better idea of what I am watching.

[Drew22]

Chick-Fil-A, when it had naming rights, always had it called the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, but many just called it the Peach Bowl. Chick-fil-A was tired of them calling it just the Peach Bowl, so they dropped that part of the name.

[infrared41]

Chick-Fil-A, when it had naming rights, always had it called the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, but many just called it the Peach Bowl. Chick-fil-A was tired of them calling it just the Peach Bowl, so they dropped that part of the name.

And I'm sure their profits went up right after they dropped Peach Bowl from the name.

[winghaz]

I always thought it would be neat if a corporation that has some kind of ties to the original name of the bowl game sponsored the bowl.

For example:

The FTD Rose Bowl

The American Crystal Sugar Bowl

The Sunkist Orange Bowl

One that already works -- the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

The Rainforest Gator Bowl

The Fresca Citrus Bowl

The Johnson & Johnson Cotton Bowl

The Peachtree Software Peach Bowl

The Liberty Mutual Liberty Bowl

The Coppertone Sun Bowl

The John Hancock Independence Bowl

Etc., etc., etc.

And/or we can have some new names for bowl games considering their sponsors. For example:

The Walnut Bowl from Emerald

The Computer Bowl from Insight

The Steak Bowl from Outback

The Chicken Bowl from Chick-Fil-A

The Pizza Bowl from Papajohns

[JBPerry]

here's an idea for the Cotton Bowl. Keep the name Cotton Bowl, but make Cotton(the corporation) the sponsor. Bingo! Keeps the original name with a hidden sponsor attached!

[Milo Meningocele]

- GMAC Bowl to Carnival Bowl (Mobile is known for their Mardi Gras and Carnival)

Maybe in the south it is, but I've never heard of that. I doubt many others have nationally, either. Oh, and credit to the Rose Bowl for at least insisting their sponsor name goes in the back of the sentence (The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi).

[footballfiji]

- GMAC Bowl to Carnival Bowl (Mobile is known for their Mardi Gras and Carnival)

Maybe in the south it is, but I've never heard of that. I doubt many others have nationally, either. Oh, and credit to the Rose Bowl for at least insisting their sponsor name goes in the back of the sentence (The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi).

Mardi Gras in the US started in Mobile. Not New Orleans. It's just been more successful in New Orleans.

Port City Bowl/ Port City Classic might fit.

Or just the Gulf Coast Classic.

[footballfiji]

*DP*

[Mac the Knife]

Somewhere, deep in the recesses of this board, lies a post or two by me detailing the history of college bowl games, sordid though it is.

[BucsBoy02]

Hmmm why does the corporate name have to come first... example "CCSLC Bowl sponsored by American Express"

[Billy B]

Hmmm why does the corporate name have to come first... example "CCSLC Bowl sponsored by American Express"

That's what the Rose Bowl presented by Citi does. I think the reason that other bowls don't do that is because nobody calls it by its full name, its just the Rose Bowl. Everybody will know who the sponsor of the Chic-Fil-A Bowl is, and that's all that they call it. They can't shorten it to just the Peach Bowl, because that part is no longer there. Most companies can name the bowl whatever they want, so they want people to think just of they're company when talking about the game.

[HedleyLamarr]

Chick-Fil-A, when it had naming rights, always had it called the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, but many just called it the Peach Bowl. Chick-fil-A was tired of them calling it just the Peach Bowl, so they dropped that part of the name.

And I'm sure their profits went up right after they dropped Peach Bowl from the name.

In Chick-Fil-A's defense, the bowl game really got strong once Chick-Fil-A got involved. The game used to be just another lousy bowl game until the Georgia Dome got built, then it really got popular once Chick-Fil-A's money came into play. The game features regional opponents in rivaling conferences, and draws the most folks from the non BCS-affliliated games.

[Luigi74]

Here are some which include some sponsor changes.

Papa John's.com Bowl to Papa John's All-American Bowl

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl to The Caesars Palace Classic

Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl to Jeep Aloha Bowl and play the game on Christmas Day it sucks their are no games today.

Texas Bowl to Texas Bluebonnet Bowl

Emerald Bowl to Golden Gate Bowl

Insight Bowl to Western Union Bowl

Capital One Bowl or Champs Sports Bowl to Make-A-Wish Bowl

International Bowl to Maple Leaf Bowl

[averyj]

- GMAC Bowl to Carnival Bowl (Mobile is known for their Mardi Gras and Carnival)

Maybe in the south it is, but I've never heard of that. I doubt many others have nationally, either. Oh, and credit to the Rose Bowl for at least insisting their sponsor name goes in the back of the sentence (The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi).

Wow, that got me thinking, what if?

Oh man, how much would that stink if they really went corporate...

Live from Pasadena, California; ABC presents The Citi Bowl at The Tournament of Roses!