January 2023 Organization Newsletter

FIESTA BOWL

ORGANIZATION NEWSLETTER

ERIK A. MOSES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ CEO

OPENING KICKOFF

Happy New Year! We are excited about what awaits us in 2023 and look forward to taking the Fiesta Bowl Organization to new heights, both on and off the field. At the same time, we celebrate a momentous and historical Bowl Season.

Hosting a pair of first-time matchups, we experienced increased viewership numbers over the prior year for both Bowl games. This year’s ‘instant classic’ Vrbo Fiesta Bowl marked the most-watched Fiesta Bowl since 2003 - a double overtime thriller when Ohio State beat Miami to win the national championship. The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl audience peaked at nearly 27 million viewers who enjoyed the dramatic conclusion as TCU held on to a 51-45 lead and earned a trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup, the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, posted a 6% increase in viewership as Luke Fickell ushered in a new chapter for Badgers football as Wisconsin’s head coach.

College football is thriving and the Fiesta Bowl’s future in the sport is as bright as ever. Our world-class hospitality for our teams, fans, families, officials, alumni and partners was on full display, thanks to our dedicated legion of volunteers and talented staff.

Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh reiterated that sentiment, saying “I want to say how excited we are to be here; how great the treatment has been from the Fiesta Bowl and Vrbo. It’s just been first-class all the way, and we appreciate all the effort.” Now we can exhale, reflect and focus on making our next season even better as we plan and execute a full slate of events in the coming 12 months. Thank you for helping us to further prove that we are “More Than Just a Game” – as we truly make an impact with our stakeholders and in our community.

Randal Norton BOARD CHAIR

NEWS AND NOTES

Wisconsin Heads Home with the Hardware After 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl

With a new head coach on the sidelines and a new starting quarterback at the helm of the offense, Wisconsin ended its season in a customary Badgers football way – with a bowl game victory. After racing out to a 17-7 halftime lead and withstanding an Oklahoma State fourth quarter comeback, the Badgers held on for a 24-17 victory in the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Downtown Phoenix.

The win was Wisconsin’s eighth in its past nine bowl games as the Badgers concluded the 2022 season with a 7-6 record, its 21st straight winning season. “Like I said, I’m not sure I knew exactly what to expect completely tonight, but I know what I’ve seen over the last three and a half weeks, that they wanted to be here, they wanted to prepare,” said Wisconsin Head Coach Luke Fickell, who was hired in Madison on November 27. “This is what I envisioned from afar that (Wisconsin) was all about…They want to be here, they want to do it together and they want do it the right way.”

Fickell, the consensus 2021 National Coach of the Year at Cincinnati, roamed the sidelines alongside interim head coach Jim Leonhard. Together, they led a stifling defense that allowed just 52 rushing yards and picked off Oklahoma State’s Garret Rangel twice – the latter sealing the victory with under three minutes to play.

Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup posted a 6% increase in viewership on ESPN over last season’s contest.

Michigan and TCU Team Up to Build Beds for Kids in Need

During their week in Arizona, the Wolverines and Horned Frogs took time away from their practices to give back to the Phoenix community. Players and coaches worked with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build 50 beds for local children who are currently without their own bed to sleep in.

“It means a lot for us to come out here and help in Arizona, even though this isn’t our community, and do community service,” said TCU running back Trent Battle.

Partnering with the players were Fiesta Bowl and SHP staff and volunteers. Some SHP kids even came to help the teams build beds, bringing to life the organization’s mission that “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town.”

50/50 Raffle

The Fiesta Bowl’s annual 50/50 raffle kicked off during the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe and closed at the start of the fourth quarter of the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. The final jackpot came to $161,042.38!

The 50/50 raffle benefits the Empowering Diversity Scholarship presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and the Fiesta Bowl Organization. The scholarship fund was created to support Arizona minority residents in their educational goals. In 2022, 20 recipients were awarded a scholarship to pursue general education development (GED) track or their college degree.

To learn more about the Empowering Diversity Scholarship and the 2022 recipients, click here

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL

AT THE Vrbo

FIESTA BOWL

MAKES HISTORY

The first-ever meeting between No. 3 TCU and No. 2 Michigan was an instant classic. In a back-and-forth battle of epic proportions in front of a sellout crowd 71,723 strong, the Horned Frogs and Wolverines combined for a Fiesta Bowl and College Football Playoff regulation record 96 points, including a 69-point second half as the two teams went blow for blow with a trip to the National Championship at stake.

At the end of it all, TCU posted a 51-45 victory to keep its underdog season alive and record arguably the biggest win in school history.

“What this group did tonight is what they’ve done all year,” said TCU Head Coach and 2022 Walter Camp Coach of the Year Sonny Dykes after the game. “They just played really tough football, hard-nosed football, believed in each other, believed in their teammates, and just found a way to overcome and persevere.”

The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl shattered records on the field, and it reached the broadcast leaderboard, too. With 21.7 million viewers, this year’s Vrbo Fiesta Bowl was the third most-watched afternoon semifinal of the CFP Era. It peaked at 26.9 million viewers in the fourth quarter and was the most watched Fiesta Bowl game since the 2003 classic matchup between Ohio State and Miami that went into double overtime to determine the national championship.

This year’s Semifinals combined to become the most-viewed non-New Year’s Day Semifinals and the third most-watched of the CFP Era, the best in five years. Both Semifinals ranked among the top five non-NFL telecasts since the start of 2022. The 336 million total minutes streamed across all platforms was up 33% from last year’s Semifinals.

Christmas Day Fun with the Wisconsin Badgers

Fiesta Bowl Charities and the Wisconsin football team paired up to partake in The Salvation Army’s annual Christmas breakfast for more than 1,000 guests. Wisconsin players and coaches helped with the event from set up to take down, including participating in games, art, and even a nail salon with children in attendance.

“When the football team and Fiesta Bowl Charities comes and people see the engagement that’s taking place, it makes them feel that there are people who really care about what’s going on that want to support them and encourage them and make this a special day,” said Major Timothy Smith of The Salvation Army.

In addition to the activities, the event included a formal meal, pictures with Santa, and each child left with a gift. The Badgers had meaningful interactions with families at the event, giving back to the Valley community through a fun holiday tradition!

Oklahoma State Outreach

Children from the Muscular Dystrophy Association enjoyed a day of play with the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Main Event Tempe. Players were each paired up with a child with Muscular Dystrophy, and the duos spent the day participating in fun activities like laser tag, bowling and arcade games.

“These events really mean the world to our kids,” said MDA National Vice President Sarah Levin. “They know that there’s a community out there to support them, so bridging that and bringing them all together on a day like this is just an amazing experience.”

Play the Fiesta Bowrdle!

You’ve heard of Wordle – the popular New York Times daily five-letter word puzzle –but are you playing the Fiesta Bowrdle? It’s just like the regular Wordle, except each answer is a word or phrase related to the Fiesta Bowl! Head to FiestaBowrdle.com every Tuesday and Friday for a new puzzle to test your Fiesta Bowl knowledge! Need a refresher on your Fiesta Bowl smarts? Check out FiestaBowl.org for recaps, stats, features and more!

FROM THE

FIESTA BOWL

TO

NFL PLAYOFFS

The NFL Playoffs are moving on to the Conference Championship round, where by the end of the weekend two teams will punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. He re are a few Fiesta Bowl alumni to watch as they hope to make a return trip to State Farm Stadium to play for the Lombardi Trophy.

Brock Purdy

From “Mr. Irrelevant” to 7-0 as an NFL starting quarterback, this 2021 Fiesta Bowl Offensive Player of the Game from Iowa State has impressed since taking over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo on December 4. In his first two career playoff starts, Purdy has thrown for 546 yards and three touchdowns along with a rushing score, all while not committing a turnover, in leading his San Francisco 49ers, the No. 2 seed in the NFC, past Seattle and Dallas. Purdy and the 49ers will head east to take on the NFC’s top-seeded Eagles on Sunday at 1 pm MST.

JOE Burrow

Running his career postseason record to 5-1, Cincinnati’s third-year quarterback threw for 242 yards and two scores to guide the Bengals to a road win in snowy Buffalo last weekend in the Divisional Round. The LSU alum, named 2019 Fiesta Bowl Offensive Player of the Game, and his Bengals now find themselves in the AFC Championship Game for the second straight year and will once again look to defeat Kansas City to advance to the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons. Cincinnati and the AFC’s best Kansas City will kickoff at 4:30 pm MST.

Miles Sanders

The 2017 Fiesta Bowl alum rushed for 90 yards, his highest total in a postseason game, in last week’s 38-7 victory over the Giants in the Divisional Round. Sanders, who had a rushing touchdown and returned four kicks for 56 yards for Penn State in 2017 game, led the top-seeded Eagles in rushing this season with a career-high 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. Now one step away from playing in his first Super Bowl, Sanders will host the 49ers on Sunday at 1 pm MST with a trip to Glendale on the line.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

First Year as Volunteer: 2011

First Year as Yellow Jacket Committee Member: 2012

Favorite Fiesta Bowl Game:

My favorite Fiesta Bowl game was the 2007 Fiesta BowlBoise State over Oklahoma (an absolute all-timer!).

Favorite Fiesta Bowl Moment:

My favorite Fiesta Bowl moment was the electric atmosphere of Tiger Stadium while LSU fans belt out “Callin’ Baton Rouge” at the top of their lungs. An unforgettable Festivus experience full of laughter and fellowship, capped off by a great football game and an LSU home win over Florida.

Why I Serve the Fiesta Bowl:

Eric Barkyoumb Manager, Philanthropy

Dignity Health Foundation

East Valley

I love being involved in sports, meeting new people and building lasting friendships. But most importantly, I love being connected to an organization that holds philanthropy and community-building at the core of its mission. That’s why I choose to serve the Fiesta Bowl.

Favorite Job:

I was fortunate enough to be asked to serve as Game Ops Committee Chair for this season’s CFP Semifinal matchup. I’ve really enjoyed playing a small role in making the on-field and in-stadium experience as enjoyable as possible, and it’s afforded me many unforgettable experiences. I also really enjoy serving as a member of the Charitable Giving Committee. Granting funds raised through our games and events back to the community is at the heart of the Fiesta Bowl’s mission, and actively participating in that process brings me a lot of joy and pride.

Interesting fact:

I’m the father of two incredible little girls, Emma and Brynn, and a newborn son Cooper who is a college football baby born last September. One thing is for sure - I’m going to give him a real golf coach and not teach him all of my horrible golf techniques!

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