Stadium Chase Field Operated 1989–present | Location Phoenix, Arizona Conference tie-ins Big 12, Pac-12 | |
 | ||
Previous stadiums Arizona Stadium (1989–1999)
Bank One Ballpark (2000–2005)
Sun Devil Stadium (2006–2015) Previous locations Tucson, Arizona (1989–1999)
Phoenix, Arizona (2000–2005)
Tempe, Arizona (2006–2015) | ||
The Cactus Bowl, officially the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl for sponsorship purposes, is an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played in the state of Arizona since 1989.
Contents
- Ncaaf 2016 01 03 cactus bowl west virginia vs arizona state 720p60
- History
- MVPs
- Media coverage
- References
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, and then the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl for 2012 and 2013. 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.
Originally played at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, the game moved to Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) in Phoenix in 2000, and then to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe in 2006. For the 2015 through 2017 seasons, the Cactus Bowl is being played at its previous home of Chase Field in Phoenix while Sun Devil Stadium undergoes renovations. During this time, the game will be one of four bowl games that are played in baseball-specific stadiums; the Miami Beach Bowl, played at Marlins Park, the St. Petersburg Bowl, played at Tropicana Field, and the Pinstripe Bowl, played at Yankee Stadium, are the others.
Ncaaf 2016 01 03 cactus bowl west virginia vs arizona state 720p60
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.
MVPs
Two MVPs are selected for each game; one an offensive player, the other a defensive player.
In three instances (1992, 1994, and 1995) offensive co-MVPs were named, along with one defensive MVP.
Media coverage
The Cactus Bowl has been broadcast by three different networks, TBS (1989–1991), ESPN (1992–2005, 2010–2016), and NFL Network (2006–2009)