Kickoff: Bowl Season Official Newsletter – November 2023 by Bowl Season

BOWL SEASON OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2023

GOING BOWLING

The Sights, Sounds and Perspectives that Make Bowl Games Special By KEVIN McNAMARA

hen you ask Duke All-American

to be with our seniors for the final time, that’s what I

candidate DeWayne Carter what he

remember the most.”

remembers best about his team’s trip to

Carter’s words encapsulate what college football

Washington, D.C. and a game against Central Florida

and Bowl Season offers every program lucky enough

in the Military Bowl, his answer will surely surprise.

to qualify for a bowl game. The football may be vitally

Sure, the Blue Devils’ 30-13 victory was certainly

important but the experience and opportunity to

a sweet one. So were the various tours of our nation’s capital and the time spent practicing and playing the game at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. But Carter chose to cite a specific memory three days before kickoff, on Christmas night.

foster memories is what

“ To be able to be with

my guys for another week, and

lasts forever. Consider the importance of Bowl

to be with our seniors for

Season in Willie Fritz’s

the final time, that’s what I

coach enjoyed great

remember the most.”

career. The Tulane head success for nearly 20 years before he arrived in New Orleans in 2016. By

– DeWAYNE CARTER

2018, Fritz had the Green

Duke All-American candidate

“We stayed right in

Wave roaring in the

D.C. and were able to explore the city for several days

right direction and earned a spot in the Cure Bowl in

in a row,” said the Ohio native. “I remember a group

Orlando. While an important victory over Louisiana-

of us walking to a Chinese food place on Christmas

Lafayette highlighted the trip, Fritz’s memories easily

night and having so much fun, just hanging out. To

drift to the players and staff members who enjoyed a

be able to be with my guys for another week, and

special week in Orlando. BOWL SEASON | November 2023

“I had never been to a big bowl like that and the

just so rewarding,” Carter said. “Duke hadn’t been

experience was unbelievable,” Fritz said. “The people

to a bowl game in four years so everyone was so

at the Cure Bowl did a sensational job. We stayed

excited. Getting to the Military Bowl was a sign

right on the property

that everything was

at Universal Studios

going the right way.

and after practice and

Everything is earned

meetings our guys were

and that was a great

enjoying the park all

reward for all of us.’’

the time. That trip was

Carter is a three-

so much fun, it spoiled

time captain at Duke,

everyone.”

the first in program

The off-the-field

history. Coach Mike

experiences that

Elko has leaned on

both Carter and Fritz

veterans like Carter to

highlight are essential to any bowl experience. Whether teams are enjoying the sun of Florida, the beaches of the Bahamas or

“ I had never been to a

help rejuvenate a Blue Devil program that

big bowl like that and the

has risen up the ranks

experience was unbelievable.”

Conference. Duke’s fans

the history of Boston and Fenway Park, the

– WILLIE FRITZ Tulane Head Coach

43 games in Bowl Season offer opportunities that

in the Atlantic Coast now regard a winless (0-8) ACC record in 2021 as a sour memory.

“Couldn't be more proud of this group,” Elko said

teams compete so hard for all fall. Some schools are

after his team’s bowl win. “From where this team

fortunate enough to deservedly expect an annual

was and this program was walking off the field at

bonus game while others appreciate the experience

the end of the 2021 season, to walking off the field

more than others.

today as the 2022 Military Bowl champions.”

“When we became bowl eligible (with a win at

Fritz has engineered a similar rise at Tulane and

Boston College in early November) last year, it was

his program’s success in four trips to Bowl Season

Bowls are about more than the experience on the field. Just ask Middle Tennessee about their trip to the EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl.

BOWL SEASON | November 2023

has captured the attention of all of college football. After the trip to the Cure Bowl, Tulane kept winning and played in the Armed Forces Bowl in 2019

Partnership Spotlight

and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2020. That stretch was the program’s first three-year bowl run in school history. “That trip to the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth really opened my eyes,” Fritz said. “We had a huge crowd, over 10,000 of our fans made that trip. That’s when I knew Tulane was excited about bowl games.” After losing to Nevada in Boise in 2020, the Green

Bowl Season. That’s just what happened in 2022 as

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Tulane engineered the biggest turnaround in the

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country, roaring to a 11-2 record and an American

and professional sports properties by

Athletic Conference championship. That landed

aligning innovative content, activations

Fritz’s team in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

and new technology together to form an

against Southern California.

enhanced fan experience — both inside

Wave struggled to a 2-10 record in 2021. However, that experience only served to spur the players and coaches to do everything they could to return to

“That was a bowl game on steroids,” Fritz said.

and outside of the facility. The organization

“All week in that Dallas/Fort Worth area there was

continues to consult with and deliver live

something going on for all six nights. The guys

production and creative technology support

liked to say they were getting a gift every time they

to our long-standing partners, including

turned around. They will have lifetime memories

Florida Citrus Sports, the Pop-Tarts Bowl

from that week.”

and Cheez-It Citrus Bowl organizer;

The Green Wave faced a stiff test against the

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl;

Trojans and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback

Holiday Bowl and the SRS Distribution

Caleb Williams. USC led by two touchdowns at the

Las Vegas Bowl.

half and seemed in command with a 45-30 lead and only 4:30 left in the game. But the fireworks were

Additionally, Venue Edge has partnered with

just beginning at AT&T Stadium. A touchdown was

and designed in-game presentation content

quickly followed by a safety and when Tulane began

for a variety of NCAA Division I conferences,

a go-ahead drive in the final minute, fans around

including the ACC, Big West and Mountain

the country were glued to their TV’s. When Michael

West as well as Major League Soccer clubs,

Pratt connected with Alex Bauman for a 6-yard TD,

Orlando City and the league’s newest

Tulane grabbed a 46-45 lead with just nine seconds

member, St. Louis City SC.

left in the game. “Well, all Tulane fans certainly are going to remember that game,” Fritz said, “but I can’t tell you

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how many people I run into without a connection to our program who say they watched that game and enjoyed that game. Memories of great bowl games can last a long time and that Cotton Bowl will certainly be a great memory for Tulane.” BOWL SEASON | November 2023

BOUND FOR CELEBRATION

How Teams are Celebrating their Bowl Eligibility By KEVIN McNAMARA

here are many circuitous routes college football teams can travel to Bowl Season but few are as memorable as Oklahoma’s in this season’s Red River Rivalry. After grabbing a seemingly comfortable 27-17 lead early in the second half, the Sooners watched their rivals from Texas storm back and take a 30-27 lead with just 1:17 to play. That proved to be a bit too much time for Dillon Gabriel and the Sooners. Oklahoma’s transfer quarterback drove his team 75 yards in just five plays and sent the Cotton Bowl crowd of over 90,000 into a frenzy when he hit Nic Anderson with a 3-yard touchdown pass with just 15 seconds remaining on the clock. Programs like the Sooners’ expect trips to big-

Oklahoma was one of the country’s first programs

name bowl games but cashing that bowl eligible

to become bowl eligible but that happy group

ticket in one of the biggest rivalry games there is

grows every weekend. Consider the path the Liberty

certainly left a sweet taste.

Flames traveled to another berth in Bowl Season.

“This is why I came to Oklahoma, this game,” an

Coach Jamey Chadwell’s team has enjoyed its first

excited Gabriel said after the victory. “A lot of respect

season as a member of Conference USA, ripping

for Texas, they played their butt off. At the end of the

out to an undefeated record. Its 31-13 win over

day it’s (all about) making plays. This is what college

Jacksonville State made the Flames bowl eligible for

football is all about.”

the fifth straight season.

BOWL SEASON | November 2023

BOWL BOUND BOWL BOUND B O W L B O U N D

PUNCHING THEIR TICKET: Mizzou Beats Kentucky 38-21 to move to 6-1 and become Bowl Bound.

BOWL BOUND BOWL BOUND BOWL BOUND BOWL BOUND “That’s a great check point for us,” Chadwell said

Unifi creates a product called REPREVE, which is

after the win, “and we have mountains still to climb.

a fiber composed entirely of recycled plastic water

That’s awesome for our team to be 6-0 and bowl

bottles. The product is shipped to Vapor, a Charleston,

eligible, and more important to be 4-0 in the league.

S.C. company that is creating the sustainable active

It was a great celebration (in the locker room).” After their sixth wins, players and coaches from Oklahoma, Liberty and all bowl eligible teams receive the memento that all college football players crave: a Bowl Bound performance shirt. For the second straight

wear for all bowl-bound

“The Bowl Bound campaign has been a fun and creative way to promote Bowl Season and extend our brand beyond the actual few weeks where we’re playing the bowl games.” – NICK CARPARELLI

Bowl Season Executive Director

year, Bowl Season has partnered with Unifi Manufacturing of Greensboro, N.C. and Vapor Apparel in a Bowl Bound shirt

teams with performance shirts, hoodies and quarter-zips. Bowl Season executive director Nick Carparelli said the success of the Bowl Bound shirt program a year ago was a rallying point for all of the bowls but he was especially excited to see how

players and coaches embraced the product. “The Bowl Bound campaign has been a fun and

campaign that highlights both elite performance

creative way to promote Bowl Season and extend

and sustainability.

our brand beyond the actual few weeks where we’re BOWL SEASON | November 2023

BOWL BOUND

Partnership Spotlight B O W L B O U N D

WHO WE ARE Founded in 2015, University Fancards is the intersection of payments and fandom and a proud partner of college athletics. Fancards partners with over 30 leading universities to provide officially licensed prepaid Mastercard® gift and reloadable cards for fans across the nation and supports organizations with custom software solutions to streamline per diem payments and business expenses.

playing the bowl games,” Carparelli said. “Becoming bowl eligible is a big deal in football programs

COMMITMENT TO BOWLS

around the country and cause for celebration.

Fancards is committed to providing bowl

This has generated authentic enthusiasm with

games with new and innovative ways

the student-athletes and our partners at Unifi and

to give participants and guests a way to

Vapor have really manufactured a great product that

engage with their brand and host city.

players, coaches and fans have rallied behind.”

Fancards has provided custom gift cards

Players proudly wear these shirts as a badge of

to bowls for more than five years, starting

honor. Consider Duke star lineman DeWayne Carter.

with the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. Since

While college players receiving plenty of fun athletic

then, we’ve supplied the Valero Alamo

gear, he said his Blue Devil teammates celebrated

Bowl, Military Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Cheez-it

receiving one particular memento during last

Citrus and Pop-Tarts Bowl with gift cards

season’s run to the Military Bowl.

for participants, and this year rolled out a

“We were so excited to punch that ticket,” Carter

new offering; an NCAA compliant payment

said. “It seems we had a lot of clothing-related

solution for guests and VIPs to pay for items

celebrations after that, including those Bowl Bound

on gameday.

long-sleeve shirts.” Duke is competing for the top spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference once again and certainly hopes

to go bowling yet again. The Blue Devils aren’t alone. Fans of successful college football teams from coast to coast will join the fun and help the environment by wearing their Bowl Bound shirts and performance gear.

BOWL SEASON | November 2023

LEARN MORE

2023 BOWL BOUND AAC

MWC

ACC

PAC12

BIG TEN

SEC

BIG 12

SBC

C-USA

IND Bowl Eligible, as of Oct. 22

MAC

Catch All the Episodes of Season Three Now! EP.

EP.

BOWL SEASON | November 2023

DEC. 16

DEC. 16 Atlanta, GA

New Orleans, LA

DEC. 16

DEC. 16 Orlando, FL

Albuquerque, NM

11 AM | ESPN

12 PM | ABC

2:15 PM | ESPN

3:30 PM | ABC

5:45 PM | ESPN

Myrtle Beach,, SC

DEC. 16

Inglewood, CA

Shreveport, LA

Charlotte, N.C.

DEC. 18

DEC. 19 Frisco, TX

Boca Raton, FL

7:30 PM | ABC

9:15 PM | ESPN

2:30 PM | ESPN

9 PM | ESPN

8 PM | ESPN

DEC. 22

DEC. 23

DEC. 21

Tampa, FL

Birmingham, AL

Montgomery, AL

Fort Worth, TX

DEC. 23

6:30 PM | ESPN

12 PM | ABC

12 PM | ESPN

3:30 PM | ABC

3:30 PM | ESPN

DEC. 23

DEC. 16

Boise, ID

Mobile, AL

Las Vegas, NV

DEC. 23

DEC. 26 Detroit, MI

University Park, TX

7 PM | ESPN

7:30 PM | ABC

10:30 PM | ESPN

2 PM | ESPN

5:30 PM | ESPN

BOWL SEASON | November 2023

Honolulu, HI

DEC. 26

Phoenix, AZ

Annapolis, MD

Charlotte, NC

San Diego, CA

DEC. 27

9 PM | ESPN

2 PM | ESPN

5:30 PM | ESPN

8 PM | FOX

9 PM | ESPN

DEC. 28

DEC. 28 Orlando, FL

San Antonio, TX

Jacksonville, FL

11 AM | ESPN

2:15 PM | ESPN

5:45 PM | ESPN

9:15 PM | ESPN

12 PM | ESPN

Boston, MA

DEC. 29

DEC. 27

Bronx, NY

DEC. 27

DEC. 28

Houston, TX

DEC. 29

El Paso, TX

Memphis, TN

DEC. 29

DEC. 30

2 PM | CBS

3:30 PM | ESPN

8 PM | ESPN

12 PM | ESPN

2 PM | ABC

DEC. 30

DEC. 30 Tucson, AZ

Tampa, FL

Orlando, FL

Glendale, AZ

4 PM | ESPN

4:30 PM | BARSTOOL

12 PM | ESPN2

1 PM | ABC

1 PM | ESPN

Miami, FL

JAN. 1

Arlington, TX

JAN. 1

Nashville, TN

JAN. 1

JAN. 8

Pasadena, CA

New Orleans, LA

5 PM | ESPN

8:45 PM | ESPN

7:30 PM | ESPN

CFP Semif inal

CFP Championship

*All times ET and all Bowls subject to change.

Atlanta, GA

2023-24 BOWL SEASON SCHEDULE

DEC. 26

Houston, TX

BOWL SEASON | November 2023

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