Editor's note: This version, with updated information, is different from what appeared in the Dec. 14 print edition.
Bowl season, like everything else, looks a lot different this year.
Gone are the parades, chamber-of-commerce-friendly trips around the host cities, the shopping sprees at malls and stores, the visits to local hospitals and even Lawry’s annual pre-Rose Bowl Beef Bowl, a prime rib extravaganza hosted for the players since 1956.
Our 15th annual look at the gifts that the bowl committees are providing to the participants of their respective Football Bowl Subdivision games reveals that most will be ordered by the students in an online (thus, touchless) “gift suite” and sent directly to the schools for distribution.
In these gift suites, up to 125 game participants per school are given an order form and allowed to select a gift, or gifts, up to a value that is determined by each bowl, not to exceed the NCAA limit of $550 per person. Additional packages can be, and usually are, purchased by the school.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl representatives and organizers of this season’s national championship game maintained their traditions of not disclosing the contents of their respective gift packages.
Gifts that stood out, and are not part of a gift suite, include the impossible-to-get Sony PS5 for the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl participants; the Cure Bowl’s solar-powered Sasquatch Party cooler with a built-in Bluetooth speaker; and a Theragun Pro massager in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
Canceled games, 10 as of Dec. 10, are not listed.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl
Dec. 19, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Toyota Stadium
(Frisco, Texas)
Gift suite; Herschel backpack; commemorative football and coin; lapel pin
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Dec. 21, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Brooks Stadium
(Conway, S.C.)
Gift suite
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Dec. 22, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Albertsons Stadium
(Boise, Idaho)
Gift suite
RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl
Dec. 22, 7 p.m., ESPN
FAU Stadium
(Boca Raton, Fla.)
Gift suite
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 23, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans)
Details unavailable
Montgomery Bowl
Dec. 23, 7 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Cramton Bowl
(Montgomery, Ala.)
Gift suite; beanie; backpack; Big Game autograph football
New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 24, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Toyota Stadium
(Frisco, Texas)
Gift suite
Camellia Bowl
Dec. 25, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Cramton Bowl
(Montgomery, Ala.)
Gift suite; beanie; backpack; Big Game autograph football
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
Dec. 26, noon, ABC
Raymond James Stadium
(Tampa)
Gift suite
Cure Bowl
Dec. 26, noon, ESPN
Camping World Stadium
(Orlando)
Gift suite; dri-fit shirt; canteen; Sasquatch Party Bag
Servpro First Responder Bowl
Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
(Dallas)
Gift suite; Anker phone charger, football; apparel item
LendingTree Bowl
Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Ladd-Peebles Stadium
(Mobile, Ala.)
Maui Jim sunglasses; Nixon watch, wireless ear buds; Hudson Cole duffle bag
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
Dec. 26, 7 p.m., ESPN
Independence Stadium
(Shreveport, La.)
Gift suite; Fossil watch; New Era beanie; souvenir football
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Dec. 26, 10:15 p.m., ESPN
Chase Field (Phoenix)
Theragun Pro; Lululemon 22L Cruiser backpack; 26-ounce Ice Shaker bottle
Military Bowl presented by Perspecta
Dec. 28, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
(Annapolis, Md.)
Not finalized as of press time
Cheez-It Bowl
Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Camping World Stadium
(Orlando)
$400 Amazon gift card; watch; backpack
Valero Alamo Bowl
Dec. 29, 9 p.m., ESPN
Alamodome
(San Antonio)
$515 Amazon gift card; mini-helmet; team panoramic photo
Courtesy of Transperfect Music City Bowl
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Nissan Stadium
(Nashville)
Gift suite
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Dec. 30, 7:15 p.m., ESPN
AT&T Stadium
(Arlington, Texas)
Would not disclose gifts
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Dec. 30, noon, ESPN
Bank of America Stadium
(Charlotte)
Not finalized as of press time.
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Dec. 31, noon, ESPN
Amon G. Carter Stadium
(Fort Worth, Texas)
Gift suite; Anker phone charger, football; apparel item
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Dec. 31, 4 p.m., ESPN
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
(Memphis)
Bass Pro Shops gift card; Philips Soundbar Bluetooth speaker; Nike athletic shoes, sport sandals, sunglasses and backpack; commemorative football
Arizona Bowl
Dec. 31, 4 p.m., CBSSN
Arizona Stadium
(Tucson, Ariz.)
BBTEK Bluetooth waterproof speaker and wireless earbuds; Lululemon New Crew backpack; Hudson Cole stainless steel koozie set
Mercari Texas Bowl
Dec. 31, 8 p.m., ESPN
NRG Stadium
(Houston)
Gift suite
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Jan. 1, noon, ESPN2
Legion Field
(Birmingham, Ala.)
Gift suite
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Jan. 1, 12:30 p.m., ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
(Atlanta)
$390 Mastercard gift card by University Fancards; Fossil watch; commemorative football
Vrbo Citrus Bowl
Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ABC
Camping World Stadium
(Orlando)
$400 Amazon gift card; watch; backpack
Rose Bowl Game College Football Playoff semifinal
Jan. 1, 5 p.m., ESPN
Rose Bowl
(Pasadena, Calif.)
Gift suite; Fossil watch; Ogio backpack; New Era 9Fifty snapback adjustable hat
Allstate Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal
Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m., ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
(New Orleans)
Gift suite; New Era hat; Diesel watch; mini-helmet
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Jan. 2, noon, ESPN
TIAA Bank Field
(Jacksonville)
JBL noise-canceling headphones and Bluetooth speaker inside a customized box; Maui Jim sunglasses with fitting; Fossil watch; backpack
Outback Bowl
Jan. 2, 12:30 p.m., ABC
Raymond James Stadium
(Tampa)
Details unavailable
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 2, 4 p.m., ESPN
State Farm Stadium
(Glendale, Ariz.)
PlayStation 5 console; Lululemon 22L Cruiser backpack
Capital One Orange Bowl
Jan. 2, 8 p.m., ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium
(Miami Gardens, Fla.) Gift suite; Tourneau watch
College Football Playoff National Championship Game
Jan. 11, 8 p.m., ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium
(Miami Gardens, Fla.)
Would not disclose gifts
Notes: All times ET. Product details are provided as of Dec. 10. Most watches, rings, clothing, luggage and footballs are custom-made with the bowl logo.
Sources: Bowl committees and vendors
