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!

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