| Sun Bowl | |
| Full Name: | Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl |
| Stadium: | Sun Bowl |
| Location: | El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
| Years: | 1935–present |
| Champ Affiliation: | Bowl Coalition (1992–1994) |
| Conference Tie-Ins: | Pac-12, ACC |
| Payout: | 4.55 million (2019)[1] |
| Prev Matchup Year: | 2022 |
| Prev Matchup Season: | 2022 |
| Prev Matchup Teams: | Pittsburgh vs. UCLA |
| Prev Matchup Score: | Pittsburgh 37–35 |
| Next Matchup Year: | 2023 |
| Next Matchup Season: | 2023 |
| Next Matchup Teams: | Oregon State vs. Notre Dame |
| Next Matchup Date: | Notre Dame 40–8 |
The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl. Usually held near the end of December, games are played at the Sun Bowl stadium on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso. Since 2011, it has featured teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Pac-12 Conference. This arrangement will continue through the 2025 season, with either Pac-12 schools, or Pac-12 "legacy schools" (the 10 schools that are leaving the conference this year for the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC) fulfilling previous Pac-12 bowl obligations for the next two seasons.[2]
From 2019 to 2022, the game was sponsored by Kellogg's; when Kellogg's spun off its North American cereal division in October 2023, the sponsorship transferred to WK Kellogg Co.[3] [4] The game is officially known as the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl,[5] after the mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal. Previous sponsors include John Hancock Financial, Norwest Corporation, Wells Fargo, Helen of Troy Limited (using its Vitalis and Brut brands) and Hyundai Motor Company.
The first Sun Bowl was the 1935 edition, played on New Year's Day between Texas high school teams; the 1936 edition, played one year later, was the first Sun Bowl contested between college teams.[6] In most of its early history, the game pitted the champion of the Border Conference against an at-large opponent.[7] The first three editions were played at El Paso High School stadium (1935–1937), then switched to Kidd Field until the present stadium was ready in 1963.[8] Through the 1957 season, the game was played on January 1 or January 2; since then, with the exception of the 1976 season, the game has been played in late December, with a majority of games played on or near New Year's Eve and on several occasions played on or after Christmas Day (1982, 1986 & 1987 on Christmas Day) as well as on or before Christmas Eve.
The 1940 game set the record for fewest points scored, when the Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe Bulldogs played the Catholic University Cardinals to a scoreless tie, the only 0–0 result in Sun Bowl history.
In advance of the 1949 game, Lafayette College turned down an invitation from the Sun Bowl Committee because the committee would not allow an African American player to participate. This bid rejection led to a large student demonstration on the Lafayette campus and in the city of Easton, Pennsylvania, against segregation.
See main article: 1949 Sun Bowl controversy.
Due to a freak snowstorm before the 1974 game,[9] followed by warming temperatures as the sun created a rising steam from the field during the first half, the game was nicknamed the "Fog Bowl."
The 1992 game was the final head coaching appearance of 2001 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Grant Teaff of Baylor; his Bears won over Arizona.[10]
The 1994 game was voted the greatest Sun Bowl ever played, and included four touchdowns by Priest Holmes, as Texas defeated North Carolina, 35–31.
The 2005 game set the record for most points scored (88), as UCLA defeated Northwestern, 50–38.
The 2011 game is the only Sun Bowl decided in overtime (the NCAA started the use of overtime in Division I bowl games in 1995);[11] Utah defeated Georgia Tech, 30–27.
The 2020 edition of the bowl was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
On December 26, 2021, the Miami Hurricanes announced they would not be able to play in the 2021 edition due to COVID-19 issues so organizers stated they would try to secure a replacement team to face the Washington State Cougars.[13] The following day, the Central Michigan Chippewas were named as the Sun Bowl replacement team.[14] The Chippewas had originally been scheduled to face the Boise State Broncos in the Arizona Bowl, until Boise State withdrew from that bowl due to COVID-19 issues.[15]
The bowl's first title sponsor was John Hancock Financial, who entered a three-year, $1.5 million partnership in June 1986.[16] This came at a time that corporate sponsorship was not common for bowl games,[17] and followed the Fiesta Bowl entering a sponsorship agreement that had made its January 1986 edition the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl.[18] In March 1989, with Sun Bowl organizers and John Hancock Financial negotiating a renewal of the sponsorship agreement, it was reported that an extension might involve renaming the bowl.[19] That came to pass in June 1989, with the annual game changing its name to John Hancock Bowl. Cited as the reason for the change was that, under the prior agreement, the sponsor's name "wasn't mentioned enough in national media to justify the expense."[20] [21] Even after the formal name change, some newspapers continued to refer to it as the Sun Bowl.[22] Five editions of the game were staged as the John Hancock Bowl, from 1989 through 1993. After the 1993 playing, John Hancock Financial reduced its support of the bowl game, to dedicate more of its promotional budget to the 1996 Summer Olympics.[23] The name reverted to Sun Bowl, and to ensure the game would continue, the El Paso city council allocated $600,000 to cover expenses in case of a shortfall.[24]
Subsequent title sponsorship came from Norwest Corporation (1996–1998), which then merged into Wells Fargo (1999–2003), El Pasobased Helen of Troy Limited—using its brand names of Vitalis (2004–2005) and Brut (2006–2009)—and Hyundai Motor Company (2010–2018).[25] In August 2019, it was announced that Kellogg's had been named the new title sponsor, and that the game would be branded as the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl—referencing Tony the Tiger, the mascot of the company's cereal brand Frosted Flakes.[26]
Starting with the 2011 edition, the bowl has been contested between teams from the Pac-12 Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Sun Bowl is part of the ACC's pool arrangement where the Duke's Mayo (formerly Belk), Pinstripe, Music City, and Gator bowls each share choice of the conference's eligible teams following the College Football Playoff (CFP) and the Pop-Tarts Bowl (formerly known by several other names). The Sun Bowl can take any team ranked fourth through eighth in the ACC.
The Pac-12 currently employs the Sun Bowl as its fifth choice, behind the CFP and the Alamo Bowl and Holiday Bowl.
Three editions of the bowl ended in a tie—1936, 1940, and 1985—they are denoted by italics in the below table; overtime has been used in bowl games since the 1995–96 bowl season. The inaugural game in 1935 was contested between high school teams.[27] For sponsorship reasons, the 1989 through 1993 editions were known as the John Hancock Bowl.
Rankings are based on the AP poll, prior to game being played.
| No. | Date played | Winning team | Losing team | Attnd. | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 1, 1935 | El Paso All-Stars | 25 | 21 | 3,000 | notes | ||
| 2 | January 1, 1936 | Hardin–Simmons | 14 | New Mexico A&M | 14 | 12,000 | notes | |
| 3 | January 1, 1937 | Hardin–Simmons | 34 | 6 | 8,000 | notes | ||
| 4 | January 1, 1938 | West Virginia | 7 | 6 | 12,000 | notes | ||
| 5 | January 2, 1939 | Utah | 26 | 0 | 13,000 | notes | ||
| 6 | January 1, 1940 | Arizona State | 0 | Catholic | 0 | 13,000 | notes | |
| 7 | January 1, 1941 | Western Reserve | 26 | 13 | 14,000 | notes | ||
| 8 | January 1, 1942 | Tulsa | 6 | 0 | 14,000 | notes | ||
| 9 | January 1, 1943 | Second Air Force | 13 | 7 | 18,000 | notes | ||
| 10 | January 1, 1944 | Southwestern | 7 | 0 | 18,000 | notes | ||
| 11 | January 1, 1945 | Southwestern | 35 | 0 | 13,000 | notes | ||
| 12 | January 1, 1946 | New Mexico | 34 | 24 | 15,000 | notes | ||
| 13 | January 1, 1947 | Cincinnati | 18 | 6 | 10,000 | notes | ||
| 14 | January 1, 1948 | Miami (Ohio) | 13 | 12 | 18,000 | notes | ||
| 15 | January 1, 1949 | West Virginia | 21 | 12 | 13,000 | notes | ||
| 16 | January 2, 1950 | Texas Western | 33 | 20 | 15,000 | notes | ||
| 17 | January 1, 1951 | West Texas State | 14 | 13 | 16,000 | notes | ||
| 18 | January 1, 1952 | Texas Tech | 25 | 14 | 17,000 | notes | ||
| 19 | January 1, 1953 | Pacific | 26 | 7 | 11,000 | notes | ||
| 20 | January 1, 1954 | Texas Western | 37 | 14 | 9,500 | notes | ||
| 21 | January 1, 1955 | Texas Western | 47 | 20 | 14,000 | notes | ||
| 22 | January 2, 1956 | Wyoming | 21 | 14 | 14,500 | notes | ||
| 23 | January 1, 1957 | No. 17 George Washington | 13 | 0 | 13,500 | notes | ||
| 24 | January 1, 1958 | Louisville | 34 | 20 | 13,000 | notes | ||
| 25 | December 31, 1958 | Wyoming | 14 | 6 | 13,000 | notes | ||
| 26 | December 31, 1959 | New Mexico A&M | 28 | 8 | 14,000 | notes | ||
| 27 | December 31, 1960 | No. 17 New Mexico State | 20 | 13 | 16,000 | notes | ||
| 28 | December 30, 1961 | Villanova | 17 | 9 | 15,000 | notes | ||
| 29 | December 31, 1962 | West Texas State | 15 | 14 | 16,000 | notes | ||
| 30 | December 31, 1963 | Oregon | 21 | 14 | 18,646 | notes | ||
| 31 | December 26, 1964 | Georgia | 7 | 0 | 23,292 | notes | ||
| 32 | December 31, 1965 | Texas Western | 13 | 12 | 24,598 | notes | ||
| 33 | December 24, 1966 | Wyoming | 28 | 20 | 17,965 | notes | ||
| 34 | December 30, 1967 | UTEP | 14 | 7 | 28,630 | notes | ||
| 35 | December 28, 1968 | Auburn | 34 | 10 | 27,062 | notes | ||
| 36 | December 20, 1969 | No. 14 Nebraska | 45 | 6 | 26,668 | notes | ||
| 37 | December 19, 1970 | No. 13 Georgia Tech | 17 | 9 | 26,188 | notes | ||
| 38 | December 18, 1971 | No. 10 LSU | 33 | 15 | 29,377 | notes | ||
| 39 | December 30, 1972 | No. 16 North Carolina | 32 | 28 | 27,877 | notes | ||
| 40 | December 29, 1973 | Missouri | 34 | 17 | 26,108 | notes | ||
| 41 | December 28, 1974 | Mississippi State | 26 | 24 | 26,035 | notes | ||
| 42 | December 26, 1975 | No. 20 Pittsburgh | 33 | 19 | 30,272 | notes | ||
| 43 | January 2, 1977 | No. 10 Texas A&M | 37 | 14 | 31,896 | notes | ||
| 44 | December 31, 1977 | Stanford | 24 | 14 | 30,621 | notes | ||
| 45 | December 23, 1978 | No. 14 Texas | 42 | 0 | 30,604 | notes | ||
| 46 | December 22, 1979 | No. 13 Washington | 14 | 7 | 30,124 | notes | ||
| 47 | December 27, 1980 | No. 8 Nebraska | 31 | 17 | 31,332 | notes | ||
| 48 | December 26, 1981 | Oklahoma | 40 | 14 | 29,985 | notes | ||
| 49 | December 25, 1982 | North Carolina | 26 | 10 | 29,055 | notes | ||
| 50 | December 24, 1983 | Alabama | 28 | 7 | 41,412 | notes | ||
| 51 | December 22, 1984 | No. 12 Maryland | 28 | 27 | 50,126 | notes | ||
| 52 | December 28, 1985 | Arizona | 13 | Georgia | 13 | 50,203 | notes | |
| 53 | December 25, 1986 | No. 13 Alabama | 28 | 6 | 48,722 | notes | ||
| 54 | December 25, 1987 | No. 11 Oklahoma State | 35 | 33 | 43,240 | notes | ||
| 55 | December 24, 1988 | No. 20 Alabama | 29 | 28 | 43,661 | notes | ||
| 56 | December 30, 1989 | No. 24 Pittsburgh | 31 | 28 | 44,887 | notes | ||
| 57 | December 31, 1990 | No. 22 Michigan State | 17 | 16 | 50,562 | notes | ||
| 58 | December 31, 1991 | No. 22 UCLA | 6 | 3 | 42,281 | notes | ||
| 59 | December 31, 1992 | Baylor | 20 | 15 | 41,622 | notes | ||
| 60 | December 24, 1993 | No. 19 Oklahoma | 41 | 10 | 43,684 | notes | ||
| 61 | December 30, 1994 | Texas | 35 | 31 | 50,612 | notes | ||
| 62 | December 29, 1995 | Iowa | 38 | 18 | 49,116 | notes | ||
| 63 | December 31, 1996 | Stanford | 38 | 0 | 42,721 | notes | ||
| 64 | December 31, 1997 | No. 16 Arizona State | 17 | 7 | 49,104 | notes | ||
| 65 | December 31, 1998 | TCU | 28 | 19 | 46,612 | notes | ||
| 66 | December 31, 1999 | Oregon | 24 | 20 | 48,757 | notes | ||
| 67 | December 29, 2000 | Wisconsin | 21 | 20 | 49,093 | notes | ||
| 68 | December 31, 2001 | No. 13 Washington State | 33 | 27 | 47,812 | notes | ||
| 69 | December 31, 2002 | Purdue | 34 | 24 | 48,917 | notes | ||
| 70 | December 31, 2003 | No. 24 Minnesota | 31 | 30 | 49,864 | notes | ||
| 71 | December 31, 2004 | No. 21 Arizona State | 27 | 23 | 51,288 | notes | ||
| 72 | December 30, 2005 | No. 17 UCLA | 50 | 38 | 50,426 | notes | ||
| 73 | December 29, 2006 | No. 24 Oregon State | 39 | 38 | 48,732 | notes | ||
| 74 | December 31, 2007 | Oregon | 56 | 21 | 49,867 | notes | ||
| 75 | December 31, 2008 | No. 24 Oregon State | 3 | 0 | 49,037 | notes | ||
| 76 | December 31, 2009 | Oklahoma | 31 | 27 | 53,713 | notes | ||
| 77 | December 31, 2010 | Notre Dame | 33 | 17 | 54,021 | notes | ||
| 78 | December 31, 2011 | Utah | 30 | 27 (OT) | 48,123 | notes | ||
| 79 | December 31, 2012 | Georgia Tech | 21 | 7 | 47,922 | notes | ||
| - | 80 | December 31, 2013 | No. 17 UCLA | 42 | 12 | 47,912 | notes | |
| - | 81 | December 27, 2014 | No. 15 Arizona State | 36 | 31 | 47,809 | notes | |
| - | 82 | December 26, 2015 | Washington State | 20 | 14 | 41,180 | notes | |
| 83 | December 30, 2016 | No. 16 Stanford | 25 | 23 | 42,166 | notes | ||
| 84 | December 29, 2017 | NC State | 52 | 31 | 39,897 | notes | ||
| 85 | December 31, 2018 | Stanford | 14 | 13 | 40,680 | notes | ||
| 86 | December 31, 2019 | Arizona State | 20 | 14 | 42,212 | notes | ||
| 87 | December 31, 2020 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | [28] | |||||
| 88 | December 31, 2021 | Central Michigan | 24 | 21 | 34,540 | notes | ||
| 89 | December 30, 2022 | Pittsburgh | 37 | 35 | 41,104 | notes | ||
| 90 | December 29, 2023 | No. 15 Notre Dame | 40 | 8 | 48,223 | notes | ||
Source:[30]
Awarded since 1950; named after the first Sun Bowl Association president, Dr. C. M. Hendricks.[31]
Two players have been two-time MVPs; Charley Johnson (1959, 1960) and Billy Stevens (1965, 1967).
| Game | MVP(s) | Team | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Harvey Gabrel | Texas Western | HB | |
| 1951 | West Texas State | E | ||
| 1952 | Junior Arteburn | Texas Tech | QB | |
| 1953 | Pacific | HB | ||
| 1954 | Dick Shinaut | Texas Western | QB | |
| 1955 | Jesse Whittenton[32] | Texas Western | QB | |
| 1956 | Wyoming | HB | ||
| 1957 | Claude Austin | George Washington | RB | |
| 1958 (Jan.) | Ken Porco | Louisville | RB | |
| 1958 (Dec.) | Leonard Kucewski | Wyoming | G | |
| 1959 | Charley Johnson[33] | New Mexico A&M | QB | |
| 1960 | New Mexico State | QB | ||
| 1961 | Villanova | FB | ||
| 1962 | West Texas State | HB | ||
| 1963 | Oregon | QB | ||
| 1964 | Georgia | QB | ||
| 1965 | Billy Stevens[34] | Texas Western | QB | |
| 1966 | Wyoming | TB | ||
| 1967 | UTEP | QB | ||
| 1968 | Auburn | DB | ||
| 1969 | Paul Rogers | Nebraska | HB | |
| 1970 | Georgia Tech | DT | ||
| 1971 | LSU | QB | ||
| 1972 | George Smith | Texas Tech | HB | |
| 1973 | Ray Bybee | Missouri | FB | |
| 1974 | Terry Vitrano | Mississippi State | FB | |
| 1975 | Robert Haygood | Pittsburgh | QB | |
| 1977 (Jan.) | Tony Franklin[35] | Texas A&M | K | |
| 1977 (Dec.) | LSU | TB | ||
| 1978 | Texas | RB | ||
| 1979 | Washington | WR | ||
| 1980 | Jeff Quinn | Nebraska | QB | |
| 1981 | Oklahoma | QB | ||
| 1982 | Rob Rogers | North Carolina | TB | |
| North Carolina | TB | |||
| Brooks Barwick | North Carolina | TB | ||
| 1983 | Walter Lewis | Alabama | QB | |
| 1984 | Maryland | FB | ||
| 1985 | Arizona | K |
| Game | MVP(s) | Team | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Cornelius Bennett[36] | Alabama | DE | |
| 1987 | Thurman Thomas[37] | Oklahoma State | RB | |
| 1988 | David Smith | Alabama | QB | |
| 1989 | Alex Van Pelt[38] | Pittsburgh | QB | |
| 1990 | Michigan State | WR | ||
| 1991 | Arnold Ale | UCLA | LB | |
| 1992 | Melvin Bonner | Baylor | WR | |
| 1993 | Oklahoma | RB | ||
| 1994 | Priest Holmes[39] | Texas | RB | |
| 1995 | Iowa | RB | ||
| 1996 | Stanford | QB | ||
| 1997 | Mike Martin | Arizona State | RB | |
| 1998 | TCU | TB | ||
| 1999 | Billy Cockerham | Minnesota | QB | |
| 2000 | UCLA | WR | ||
| 2001 | Washington State | S | ||
| 2002 | Purdue | QB | ||
| 2003 | Oregon | WR | ||
| 2004 | Arizona State | QB | ||
| 2005 | UCLA | RB | ||
| UCLA | RB | |||
| 2006 | Oregon State | QB | ||
| 2007 | Oregon | RB | ||
| 2008 | Oregon State | DE | ||
| 2009 | Oklahoma | WR | ||
| 2010 | Notre Dame | WR | ||
| 2011 | Utah | RB | ||
| 2012 | Georgia Tech | CB | ||
| 2013 | UCLA | QB | ||
| UCLA | LB | |||
| 2014 | Arizona State | RB | ||
| 2015 | Washington State | QB | ||
| 2016 | Stanford | DE | ||
| 2017 | NC State | RB | ||
| 2018 | Stanford | RB | ||
| 2019 | Arizona State | QB | ||
| 2021 | Central Michigan | RB | ||
| 2022 | Rodney Hammond Jr. | Pittsburgh | RB | |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | WR |
Awarded since 1961; named after former Sun Bowl president Jimmy Rogers Jr.[44]
| Game | Player | Team | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Rich Ross | Villanova | G | |
| 1962 | Don Hoovler | Ohio | G | |
| 1963 | Dun Hughes | SMU | G | |
| 1964 | Jim Wilson | Georgia | T | |
| 1965 | Ronny Nixon | TCU | T | |
| 1966 | Jerry Durling | Wyoming | MG | |
| 1967 | UTEP | LB | ||
| 1968 | David Campbell | Auburn | T | |
| 1969 | Jerry Murtaugh | Nebraska | LB | |
| 1970 | Bill Flowers | Georgia Tech | LB | |
| 1971 | Iowa State | LB | ||
| 1972 | Ecomet Burley | Texas Tech | DT | |
| 1973 | John Kelsey | Missouri | TE | |
| 1974 | Mississippi State | DT | ||
| 1975 | Pittsburgh | MG | ||
| 1977 (Jan.) | Texas A&M | DT | ||
| 1977 (Dec.) | Stanford | LB | ||
| 1978 | Dwight Jefferson | Texas | DT | |
| 1979 | Washington | DT | ||
| 1980 | Nebraska | DE | ||
| 1981 | Oklahoma | DT | ||
| 1982 | Ronnie Mullins | Texas | DB | |
| 1983 | Wes Neighbors | Alabama | C | |
| 1984 | Tennessee | LB | ||
| 1985 | Peter Anderson | Georgia | C | |
| 1986 | Washington | MG | ||
| 1987 | West Virginia | LB | ||
| 1988 | Derrick Thomas[45] | Alabama | LB | |
| 1989 | Anthony Williams | Texas A&M | LB | |
| 1990 | Craig Hartsuyker | USC | LB | |
| 1991 | Mike Ploskey | Illinois | DT | |
| 1992 | Arizona | NT | ||
| 1993 | Shawn Jackson | Texas Tech | DE | |
| 1994 | Blake Brockermeyer[46] | Texas | OT | |
| 1995 | Iowa | DL | ||
| 1996 | Stanford | DE | ||
| 1997 | Arizona State | DT | ||
| 1998 | London Dunlap | TCU | DE | |
| 1999 | Dyron Russ | Minnesota | DT | |
| 2000 | Oscar Cabrera | UCLA | OG | |
| 2001 | Purdue | DE | ||
| 2002 | Purdue | DE | ||
| 2003 | Junior Siavaii | Oregon | DT | |
| 2004 | Brandon Villareal | Purdue | DT | |
| 2005 | Kevin Mims | Northwestern | DT | |
| 2006 | Missouri | DE | ||
| 2007 | Oregon | OT | ||
| 2008 | Pittsburgh | DE | ||
| 2009 | Oklahoma | DE | ||
| 2010 | Notre Dame | OT | ||
| 2011 | Utah | DT | ||
| 2012 | Jay Finch | Georgia Tech | C | |
| 2013 | UCLA | DT | ||
| 2014 | Arizona State | DE | ||
| 2015 | Washington State | DE | ||
| 2016 | North Carolina | DT | ||
| 2017 | NC State | DE | ||
| 2018 | Stanford | DE | ||
| 2019 | Robert Cooper | Florida State | DT | |
| 2021 | Ron Stone Jr. | Washington State | DE | |
| 2022 | Jay Toia | UCLA | DL | |
| 2023 | Jordan Botelho | Notre Dame | DL |
Awarded since 1994; named after former Sun Bowl president John Folmer.[48]
Positions: P=Punter, K=Kicker, PR=Punt returner, KR=Kickoff returner
| Game | Player | Team | Position | Statistics | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Marcus Wall | North Carolina | KR/PR | 3 returns, long 82 | [49] | |
| 1995 | Brion Hurley | Iowa | K/P | 3/3 FG, 0/0 XP | [50] | |
| 1996 | Stanford | PR | 5 returns, long 24 | [51] | ||
| 1997 | Iowa | KR/PR | 6 returns, long 26 | [52] | ||
| 1998 | Adam Abrams | USC | K | 2/2 FG, 1/1 XP | [53] | |
| 1999 | Ryan Rindels | Minnesota | P | 7 punts, avg. 46.1 | [54] | |
| 2000 | Wisconsin | KR | 2 returns, long 54 | [55] | ||
| 2001 | Drew Dunning | Washington State | K | 4/4 FG, 3/3 XP | [56] | |
| 2002 | Anthony Chambers | Purdue | KR/PR | 3 returns, long 51 | [57] | |
| 2003 | Jared Siegel | Oregon | K | 3/3 FG, 3/3 XP | [58] | |
| 2004 | Dave Brytus | Purdue | P | 8 punts, avg. 48.9 | [59] | |
| 2005 | Brandon Breazell | UCLA | KR | 2 TD returns | [60] | |
| 2006 | Missouri | K | 1/1 FG, 5/5 XP | [61] | ||
| 2007 | Matt Evensen | Oregon | K | 2/2 FG, 5/5 XP | [62] | |
| 2008 | Oregon State | P | 10 punts, avg. 45.0 | [63] | ||
| 2009 | Oklahoma | PR | 4 returns, long 42 | [64] | ||
| 2010 | David Ruffer | Notre Dame | K | 3/4 FG, 3/3 XP | [65] | |
| 2011 | DeVonte Christopher | Utah | KR | 2 returns, long 68 | [66] | |
| 2012 | Jamal Golden | Georgia Tech | KR/PR | 3 returns, long 56 | [67] | |
| 2013 | UCLA | K | 0/1 FG 6/6 XP | [68] | ||
| 2014 | Arizona State | KR | 3 returns, long 96 | [69] | ||
| 2015 | Erik Powell | Washington State | K | 2/2 FG, 2/2 XP | [70] | |
| 2016 | Conrad Ukropina | Stanford | K | 4/5 FG, 1/1 XP | [71] | |
| 2017 | Kyle Bambard | NC State | K | 1/1 FG, 7/7 XP | [72] | |
| 2018 | Pittsburgh | K | 2/2 FG, 1/1 XP | [73] | ||
| 2019 | Arizona State | K | 4/4 FG, 0/0 XP | [74] | ||
| 2021 | Marshall Meeder | Central Michigan | K | 3/5 FG, 1/1 XP | [75] | |
| 2022 | Ben Sauls | Pittsburgh | K | 5/5 FG, 2/2 XP | [76] | |
| 2023 | Notre Dame | K | 1/2 FG, 5/5 XP |
Updated through the December 2023 edition (89 games, 178 total appearances), excluding the unplayed 87th edition of December 2020.
| Rank | Team | Appearances | Record | Win pct. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 1–8 | |||
| 2 | 8 | 5–3 | |||
| 3 | 7 | 4–2–1 | |||
| T4 | 5 | 4–1 | |||
| T4 | 5 | 3–2 | |||
| T4 | 5 | 3–2 | |||
| T4 | 5 | 2–3 | |||
| T8 | 4 | 3–1 | |||
| T8 | 4 | 2–2 | |||
| T8 | 4 | 1–2–1 | |||
| T8 | 4 | 1–3 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 3–0 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 3–0 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 3–0 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 2–0–1 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 2–1 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 2–1 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 2–1 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 2–1 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 1–1–1 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 1–2 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 1–2 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 0–2–1 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 0–3 | |||
| T12 | 3 | 0–3 |
| Rank | Team | Appearances | Record | Win pct. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T26 | 2 | 2–0 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 2–0 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 2–0 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 2–0 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 2–0 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | High school teams | 2 | 1–1 | ||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 1–1 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 0–2 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 0–2 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 0–2 | |||
| T26 | 2 | 0–2 |
Updated through the December 2023 edition (89 games, 178 total appearances), excluding the unplayed 87th edition of December 2020.
| Conference | Record | Appearances by season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | T | Win pct. | Won | Lost | Tied | |
| 34 | 1977, 1979, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 | 1986, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 | 1985 | |||||
| 31 | 1936*, 1937*, 1942*, 1946*, 1947*, 1948*, 1952*, 1957*, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1975, 1989, 2010, 2023 | 1943*, 1944*, 1949*, 1951*, 1952*, 1953*, 1954*, 1957*, 1966, 1987, 1988 | 1935*, 1939* | |||||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Border | 21 | 1945*, 1949*, 1950*, 1951*, 1953*, 1954*, 1959, 1960 | 1936*, 1937*, 1938*, 1940*, 1941*, 1942*, 1947*, 1948*, 1955*, 1956*, 1958 | 1935*, 1939* | |||
| 17 | 1972, 1982, 1984, 2012, 2017, 2022 | 1974, 1978, 1994, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 | bgcolor=lightgrey | |||||
| 15 | 1964, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1983, 1986, 1988 | 1967, 1969, 1973, 1976*, 1977, 1980, 1984 | 1985 | |||||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | SWC | 15 | 1976*, 1978, 1992, 1994 | 1963, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1989, 1993 | bgcolor=lightgrey | |||
| 12 | 1990, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003 | 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 | bgcolor=lightgrey | |||||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Big Eight | 8 | 1969, 1973, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1993 | 1971, 1975 | bgcolor=lightgrey | |||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Mountain States | 5 | 1938*, 1955*, 1958 | 1945*, 1960 | bgcolor=lightgrey | |||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | WAC | 3 | 1966, 1998 | 1968 | bgcolor=lightgrey | |||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | MVC | 3 | 1941* | 1959, 1961 | bgcolor=lightgrey | |||
| 3 | 2021 | 1950*, 1962 | bgcolor=lightgrey | |||||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Texas Conference | 2 | 1943*, 1944* | bgcolor=lightgrey | ||||
| 2 | 2009 | 2006 | bgcolor=lightgrey | |||||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | SoCon | 2 | 1956* | 1946* | bgcolor=lightgrey | |||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | 2 | 1934* | 1934* | bgcolor=lightgrey | ||||
| 2 | 2007, 2008 | bgcolor=lightgrey | ||||||
| bgcolor=lightgrey | Big Four (Ohio) | 1 | 1940* | bgcolor=lightgrey |
| Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 56, Oregon vs. South Florida | 2007 | |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 88, UCLA (50) vs. Northwestern (38) | 2005 | |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 38, most recent: Missouri vs. Oregon State | 2006 | |
| Fewest points allowed | 0, most recent: Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh | 2008 | |
| Largest margin of victory | 42, Texas (42) vs. Maryland (0) | 1978 | |
| Total yards | 561, Missouri vs. Oregon State | 2006 | |
| Rushing yards | 455, Mississippi State vs. North Carolina | 1974 | |
| Passing yards | 419, Purdue vs. Washington State | 2001 | |
| First downs | 33, Northwestern vs. UCLA | 2005 | |
| Fewest yards allowed | (-21), Southwestern vs. UNAM | 1945 | |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | (-23), TCU vs. USC | 1998 | |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | (-50), Southwestern vs. UNAM | 1945 | |
| Individual | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year | |
| All-purpose yards | 282, Jonathan Stewart, Oregon vs. South Florida 253 rush, 29 return | 2007 | |
| Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 4, shared by: Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia Priest Holmes, Texas vs. North Carolina Demario Richard, Arizona State vs. Duke | 1987 1994 2014 | |
| Rushing yards | 253, Jonathan Stewart, Oregon vs. South Florida | 2007 | |
| Rushing touchdowns | 4, shared by: Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia Priest Holmes, Texas vs. North Carolina | 1987 1994 | |
| Passing yards | 419, Kyle Orton, Purdue vs. Washington | 2002 | |
| Passing touchdowns | 4, shared by: Matt Moore, Oregon State vs. Missouri Justin Roper, Oregon vs. South Florida | 2006 2007 | |
| Receiving yards | 200, Samie Parker, Oregon vs. Minnesota | 2003 | |
| Receiving touchdowns | 3, Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma vs. Stanford | 2009 | |
| Tackles | 24, Carl Zander, Tennessee vs. Maryland 14 solo, 10 assist | 1984 | |
| Sacks | 4.5, Reggie McKenzie, Tennessee vs. Maryland | 1984 | |
| Interceptions | 3, shared by: Buddy McClinton, Auburn vs. Arizona Harrison Smith, Notre Dame vs. Miami (FL) | 1968 2010 | |
| Long Plays | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year | |
| Touchdown run | 94, Hascall Henshaw, Arizona State vs. Western Reserve | 1941 | |
| Touchdown pass | 91, James Blackman to Tamorrion Terry, Florida State vs. Arizona State | 2019 | |
| Kickoff return | 100, Peter Panuska, Tennessee vs. Maryland | 1984 | |
| Punt return | 82, Marcus Wall, North Carolina vs. Texas | 1994 | |
| Interception return | 91, Don "Skip" Hoovler, Ohio vs. West Texas | 1962 | |
| Fumble return | |||
| Punt | 78, Scott Blanton, Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech | 1993 | |
| Field goal | 62, Tony Franklin, Texas A&M vs. Florida | 1977 | |
| Miscellaneous | Record, Teams | Year | |
| Largest attendance | 54,021, Notre Dame vs. Miami (FL) | 2010 |
NBC broadcast the Sun Bowl nationally in 1964 and 1966. From 1968 until the present, the game has been broadcast by CBS Sports.[79] The Sun Bowl's contract with CBS Sports is the longest continuous relationship between a bowl game and one TV network.[80] [81]