The latest chapter in the naming history of the Sun Bowl will be revealed Thursday, Sept. 17, when a new title sponsor is announced. The change follows the expiration of the bowl's partnership with WK Kellogg Co., which has sponsored the game as the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl since 2019.
The Sun Bowl was the first bowl game to be named solely for its corporate sponsor, John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance. The John Hancock Bowl debuted in 1989.
Sun Bowl sponsors through the years
A look at past Sun Bowl sponsors ranges from an insurance company to the next longest-running sponsor, Hyundai Motor America.
- 1986 John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance/John Hancock Sun Bowl
- 1989 John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance/John Hancock Bowl
- 1996 Norwest Corporation/Norwest Sun Bowl
- 1998 Norwest and Wells Fargo merge/Wells Fargo Sun Bowl
- 2003 Helen of Troy/Vitalis Sun Bowl
- 2006 Helen of Troy/Brut Sun Bowl
- 2010 Hyundai Motor America/Hyundai Sun Bowl
- 2019 Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes/ Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
2019, the first Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
The very first Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl saw Arizona State score
11 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Florida State, 20-14. Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels was named the MVP of the game and Sun Devils kicker Ceustian Zendejas made four field goals.
Central Michigan wins unique 2021 Tony the Tiger game
Central Michigan saw its original bowl game in Arizona canceled, then found a spot in El Paso after the University of Miami pulled out.
Central Michigan led Washington State 21-0 at halftime, then held on for a 24-21 win.
The 2022 Tony the Tiger game was fun
In front of 41,104 fans, Pittsburgh edged UCLA, 37-35. The Panthers outscored the Bruins, 16-7, in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh's Ben Sauls kicked a 47-yard field goal with 10 seconds left to win it.
The 2022 Tony the Tiger game was down to the wire
Louisville held off Washington, 35-34. The game was tied 21-21 at halftime. Louisville led 35-21 after three quarters, then Washington rallied in the fourth to cut it to one point, but the Huskies went for the win after taking a 35-34 lead; a two-point conversion failed, and the Cardinals held on.
Duke outlasts ASU in final Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
Duke’s Darian Mensah threw his fourth touchdown of the day, a 17-yard strike to Que’Sean Brown, to take the go-ahead lead with just over two minutes to play as Duke came back to defeat Arizona State, 42-39, in front of 44,975.
The two teams combined for a Sun Bowl record 1,158 yards of total offense. Despite the loss, Arizona State (8-5) set a Sun Bowl record with a season-high 619 yards of total offense, while Duke (9-5) put up 539 yards. The 81 combined points were the third-most in Sun Bowl history, marking the third time the combined score reached 80 or more.
Trish Long may be reached at tlong@elpasotimes.com. Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on x
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: From John Hancock to now: Sun Bowl's 40-year sponsorship journey
