Opening Kickoff There is no shortage of buzz around college football right now. Teams are starting practices and the off-field news on a variety of topics is giving us all plenty to talk about. The return to more on-field subjects is a signal that the starting line of Nebraska/Illinois, Ohio State/Minnesota, Clemson/Georgia and other exciting matchups are coming fast. We have gotten to this point with a collective resilience to overcome challenges that may stand in our way and with a resolve to find solutions instead of dwell on any problems.
FIESTA BOWL ORGAN I Z AT I O N N E WS L E T T ER
Looking at the month of August, we are excited to host legendary college football figure Steve Spurrier as our Arizona Bank & Trust Fiesta Bowl Kickoff Luncheon keynote speaker. The “Head Ball Coach” will treat us to a wonderful experience just days before the actual kickoffs on the field. This has been a highlight for our community, to bring college football’s biggest names to the Valley while also celebrating our More Than Just A Game® mission and community impact. No doubt, the excitement is in the air for college football being played, and we will be ready to host the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl teams that earn their way to our games. We are also excited and look forward to the staging the multitude of events and programs that we do each year that allow us to give back to our community. As always, thank you for joining the Fiesta Bowl in this journey and see you during the season. We are Fiesta!
VOLUME 22
NEWS & NOTES NACDA Community service award For the fifth straight year, the Fiesta Bowl and National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) have presented the Community Service Award to honor Division I NACDA athletics departments that make volunteerism and community service a way of life. Georgia Tech received the 2021 award for its #AllVoteNoPlay initiative. A five-person committee consisting of athletics directors across the country and representatives from the Fiesta Bowl and NACDA aided in selecting Georgia Tech as this year’s award winner. The athletics department will receive a trophy from the Fiesta Bowl for permanent display at its game on November 13 against the 2019 winner, Boston College. READ MORE
Empowering Diversity Scholarship Winners Continuing their commitment to support educational achievement as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion, Fiesta Bowl and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) have selected 30 Arizonans for the second annual Empowering Diversity Scholarship. The Empowering Diversity Scholarship was created to support Arizona’s minority residents with their educational goals, with a grand total of $93,000 in financial awards to the 30 individuals. This year there were two tracks for the Empowering Diversity Scholarship. The 15 post-secondary recipients received $5,500 each for their pursuit of higher education while the 15 GED recipients each received $700 to cover GED-related fees and additional study resources. SEE THE WINNERS
PG 2
F I E S TA B O W L O R G A N I Z AT I O N N E W S L E T T E R | V O L U M E 2 2
GET YOUR TICKETS The PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl has been known to play in front of full crowds for some of the most memorable college football moments. Ticket sales have begun to kick off New Year’s Day 2022 in style! Hot off our 50th Anniversary game, this year’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl will be on Saturday, January 1, 2022, with tickets available at FiestaBowl.org/Tickets. By buying now, you receive the benefits of purchasing early by securing your preferred seat location for what will be the top college football matchup in the state of Arizona and locking in your seat location for the 2022 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. The highly-anticipated Guaranteed Rate Bowl, featuring Bowl Season’s only matchup between members of the Big 12 and Big Ten Conferences, kicks off on Tuesday, December 28, at 8:15 p.m. MST. The game will be televised live on ESPN to a nationwide television and streaming audience. Tickets for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl are now available, with entry prices beginning at $35.
Get in now before it’s too late! F I E S TA B O W L . O R G
PG 3
NEWS & NOTES COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2020
Recognizing the perseverance of college football players nationwide, the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award will return for its fourth year. At the end of the season, three student-athletes will be chosen as Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award winners and honored at a special ceremony during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. Nominees and winners will be selected by a panel of writers, editors and sports information directors from CoSIDA, AP and Touchdown Illustrated as well as Fiesta Bowl representatives. Past winners have included: 2018 – Antwan Dixon (Kent State), Seth Simmer (Dartmouth), Antonio Wimbush (Carson-Newman); 2019 – Jake Luton (Oregon State), Drew Wilson (Georgia Southern), Octavion Wilson (Salisbury University); 2020 – Jarek Broussard (Colorado), Kenneth Horsey (Kentucky) and Silas Kelly (Coastal Carolina). Nominations are now open for submission at comeback-player.com.
SPRUCE UP YOUR CAR The Fiesta Bowl Organization and the Arizona Department of Transportation have created a custom Arizona license plate with Fiesta Bowl branding. Featuring the recognizable sunburst logo and Fiesta Bowl wordmark, the plates can be ordered at azmvdnow. az.gov. There are non-personalized and personalized (six-character limit) versions available, in addition to a disability Fiesta Bowl plate. For every sale of the specialty plate, $17 of the proceeds support Fiesta Bowl Charities and programs across the state of Arizona that support youth, sports and education. PURCHASE A PLATE
PG 4
F I E S TA B O W L O R G A N I Z AT I O N N E W S L E T T E R | V O L U M E 2 2
PARADE SET FOR NEW DATE OF DECEMBER 18 A statewide crown jewel since its first production in the early 1970s, the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade will honor the Fiesta Bowl Organization’s 50-year history on the traditional two-mile march through Central Phoenix. This year’s edition will feature a new date, prior to the holidays, on Saturday, December 18, at 10 a.m. To celebrate the Fiesta Bowl’s Golden Anniversary, the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade theme is “Gold Standard: A Commitment to CommUNITY,” in honor of the organization’s impact and support to bring Arizona communities together for 50 years. The Fiesta Bowl once again invites and encourages groups to submit an application by Friday, September 10, 2021, to be a part of the Parade.
APPLY NOW
F I E S TA B O W L . O R G
PG 5
NEWS & NOTES Last Call to See the Ball Coach We are only a few weeks away from being entertained at the Arizona Bank & Trust Fiesta Bowl Kickoff Luncheon by one of college football’s biggest names. Legendary coach Steve Spurrier is the keynote speaker on Tuesday, August 24, at the Arizona Biltmore. Limited tables are available starting at $2,250 for 10 people, with tiered pricing for additional table locations. For more information about the event and to reserve a table, please visit FiestaBowl.org/Kickoff or call 480.350.0911. A portion of each table sale is designated for Guaranteed Rate Bowl ticket purchases as part of the Send-A-Vet, Send-A-Teacher, Send-A-Kid, Community Champions program. READ MORE
Helping Teens Get Back on Track with Graduation Alliance For many students, the past year of educational transitions has been difficult. Some have struggled, some have fallen behind, while others have simply disappeared from the rolls. There is, however, work in place to help re-engage students, as the Arizona Governor’s Office of Education has committed funds through a partnership with Graduation Alliance, an organization known nationwide for providing academic and social-emotional support for at-risk learners. The Fiesta Bowl Organization, known for honoring, celebrating and supporting educators in its 50-year history, is helping with the initiative. The new partnership, known as ENGAGE Arizona, is available to students who are struggling or disengaged, providing each with an academic coach to work with them on a plan to get back on track for summer learning and for the Fall of 2021 school year.
PG 6
F I E S TA B O W L O R G A N I Z AT I O N N E W S L E T T E R | V O L U M E 2 2
BRIAN DEBNAM
director of strategic initiatives, axon
First Year as Volunteer: 2017 First Year as Yellow Jacket Committee Member: 2017 Favorite Fiesta Bowl Game: That’s a tough one. My very first one in 2017 (Penn State vs. Washington) was memorable on a number of levels. However, experiencing my first Playoff Game in 2019 when Clemson and Ohio State faced off took things to an even higher level. Favorite Fiesta Bowl Moment: My favorite Fiesta Bowl moments to date have been the opportunities to share this entire experience with my wife and two daughters. Team arrivals for the games are always fun because my family gets to see and potentially meet the elite coaches and athletes they see on TV. Why I Serve the Fiesta Bowl: I serve for several reasons. First, I absolutely love college football! Most importantly though, I have a passion for helping others and the Fiesta Bowl is a leader in that philanthropic
F I E S TA B O W L . O R G
space. So, serving as a Yellow Jacket allows me to enjoy the best of all worlds! Favorite Job: I’ve had really cool opportunities since joining the Fiesta Bowl. However, my clear favorite came when I was fortunate to serve as Chair of the Youth Football Clinic. My love of football combined with my passion for youth engagement made this opportunity truly unique. Interesting fact: While some people know that I played football at the University of Arizona, very few know that I served in the U.S. Air Force prior to and during part of my time at Arizona. I balanced being an activeduty airman and a full-time student-athlete majoring in electrical engineering. During the day I went to classes, then went back to my duty station (Davis Monthan AFB) to work in the aircraft avionics shop. Thanks to a letter from my head coach (the late Dick Tomey) to my Commander, I was able to exit the Air Force early to focus on being a student-athlete!
PG 7
CONTACT US
S C OTT L E IGH TMAN
S E N IO R DIRECTOR OF COMMUN ICATION S 4 8 0 - 5 1 7 - 6 2 9 1 | SL EIGH TMAN @ FIESTABOWL .ORG
AL E X NASH
CO M M UN ICATION S & SOCIAL MED IA MAN AGER 4 8 0 - 3 5 0 - 0 9 2 5 | AN ASH @ FIESTABOWL .ORG
FOLLOW US
FI E STA BO W L .O R G