Opening Kickoff “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry Truman We all recognize that we succeed more often and at higher levels when we pull together, work together and help each other. When the goal and the resultant achievement are the primary focus, not receiving accolades for it, teams accomplish some amazing feats. Great ideas come from all aspects of an organization. Individuals are sometimes the ideator, other times work hard to execute the project and at times support each other to help make it a winner.
FIESTA BOWL ORGAN I Z AT I O N N E WS L E T T ER
Here at the Fiesta Bowl, the sparks for events, community programs, social media and promotional concepts have been brought forward from throughout our team. Successful initiatives, including the recent Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Kindness Arizona and Diversity Leaders Path to the Summit, come together when all areas of our organization play a meaningful role. Positive financial projects we can look back on and say we made a difference in our community are great. It is also rewarding when you can look back in amazement on how so many had a role in the ultimate success. In these instances, everyone naturally feels a share of the credit because of the individual contributions. Thank you all for being a part of the Fiesta Bowl Team. We are Fiesta!
VOLUME 20
NEWS & NOTES victory starts here 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. Get in now before it’s too late!
Guaranteed Rate Bowl Game Date is Set 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. Game tickets, premium experiences and reserved parking may be purchased through FiestaBowl.org/Tickets or by calling 480.350.0911. Two of college football’s most successful conferences, the Big 12 and Big Ten faced off in the Bowl eight times from 2006-13. The Guaranteed Rate Bowl’s three most-attended games featured Big 12/Big Ten pairings, including the 2011 contest when Iowa and Oklahoma played before a Bowlrecord 54,247 fans.
PG 2
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KICK OFF THE SEASON WITH STEVE SPURRIER The Fiesta Bowl has had an illustrious 50 years of existence, and the Arizona Bank & Trust Fiesta Bowl Kickoff Luncheon will bring one of college football’s biggest names to the Valley. Legendary coach Steve Spurrier is the keynote speaker on Tuesday, August 24, at the Arizona Biltmore. Tables start at $2,250 for 10 people, with tiered pricing for additional table locations, including VIP tables that include a meet-and-greet session for four with Coach Spurrier available at $8,500. 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.
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PG 3
NEWS & NOTES 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
THE QUEEN HAS BEEN FOUND Q
After 36 weeks of the Fiesta Bowl’s Her Hidden Highness presented by Arizona Lottery progressive 50/50 raffle, the Queen of Hearts has been found. The jackpot was approximately $14,500, with 50 percent going to the grand prize winner, and there were weekly payouts of 15 percent of the each week’s sales. Half of the entry pool benefits Fiesta Bowl Charities, which supports Arizona nonprofit organizations in the areas of youth, sports and education.
PG 4
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GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY Nine community leaders followed their dreams to create the Fiesta Bowl, with the NCAA granting a charter on April 26, 1971, to make the Fiesta Bowl the 12th bowl in college football’s postseason. To celebrate that historic moment, a special website FiestaBowl.org/Fiesta50 was created to highlight the Bowl’s storied history. Please visit the site to enjoy inside stories and to re-live some of the greatest moments that college football has ever seen: • Birth of the Bowl • Top 50 Lists, including Players/Coaches, Plays/Moments, All-Decade Teams • Top games in Fiesta Bowl history • ASU’s influence on the Fiesta Bowl • Videos of historical moments • Specific merchandise with Fiesta Bowl 50th Anniversary branding • Fiesta Bowl Football Focus Podcast episodes, including guests Urban Meyer, Mack Brown, 2003 Fiesta Bowl players from Ohio State & Miami and more • Fiesta Bowl history
F I E S TA B O W L . O R G
PG 5
NEWS & NOTES
PATH TO THE SUMMIT
When you put on a first-time event, there is an excitement about its creation. With the Fiesta Bowl Path to the Summit, this inaugural program had an added level of anticipation as part of the Fiesta Bowl Spring Summit.
CONNECTING DIVERSITY LEADERS
FOLLOW THE PATH TO THE SUMMIT May 6-8, 2021
Knowing there remains a shortage of underrepresented groups in college athletics leadership positions, the Fiesta Bowl created a program to help this group of future leaders. As part of the Path to the Summit, assistant football coaches and athletic administrators from underrepresented groups were invited to partake in learning and networking with Directors of Athletics, Head Football Coaches and other leaders who attend the Spring Summit. Some of the highlights of a high-impact Day Two were a professional development session by noted industry expert Bill Carr, who shared his wisdom on how participants can best brand themselves, and a panel on how reach the summit, featuring an all-star cast of Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren, Maryland Head Football Coach Mike Locksley, Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke and Northern Illinois Athletic Director Sean Frazier. Patti Phillips, CEO of Women’s Leaders in College Sports served as moderator. READ MORE
PG 6
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By the numbers
READ 2020-21 COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT HERE
F I E S TA B O W L . O R G
PG 7
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
DOUG MILLER First Year as Volunteer: 2001 when I started in Guest Services. I’ve done all events, adding Media Operations in 2011 and the golf events in 2013.
doing so without expectations of awards, rewards, benefits, accolades, visibility, but with mutual respect and appreciation. That’s what the Fiesta Bowl is all about.
Favorite Fiesta Bowl Game: They all have been great, especially the championship games and College Football Playoff Semifinals. If I had to pick one game, the battle where Clemson over Ohio State in the 49th PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl was amazing.
Favorite Job: I’m a people person, so not surprising it’s when I get to meet the people involved. I enjoy meeting every participant who plays in the PNC Fiesta Bowl Par 3 Challenge presented by Chapman Automotive, and meeting many of the individual players/ coaches during gameweek on Media Day.
Favorite Fiesta Bowl Moment: Being invited to be introduced at midfield during halftime of the 2014 Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and University of Arizona. That was an amazing thrill for me.
Interesting fact: I am not a pilot, but I have flown a Piper Cub, for over an hour, in Alaska, many years ago. That was fun!
Why I Serve the Fiesta Bowl: Personal time has value. Donating time with a quality organization like the Fiesta Bowl helps make a positive difference in the experiences of our guests. What defines volunteering is PG 8
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NEWSWORTHY
Volunteer Appreciation: Jonathan Amato
Volunteer Appreciation: Jim Kebert FIESTA BOWL
Volunteer Appreciation:
Volunteer Appreciation: Wendy Manning
Justin Naber FIESTA BOWL
Volunteer Appreciation: Brad Smidt
FIESTA BOWL
Mother’s Day Feature: Marci Zimmerman
FIESTA BOWL
F I E S TA B O W L . O R G
FIESTA BOWL
FIESTA BOWL
PG 9
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
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