Established in 1978, the Holiday Bowl emerged to grant the Western Athletic Conference an exclusive bowl bid after the Fiesta Bowl severed ties with the WAC. Initially hosting the WAC champion against an at-large team, it later integrated the Big Eight Conference, evolving into the Big 12. The WAC's connection ceased in 1997, leading to matchups between the Big 12 and Pac-10 teams. Evolving formats ensued, culminating in collaborations with the Big Ten and, subsequently, plans to feature Pac-12 and ACC teams. Throughout its history, the bowl attracted various sponsors. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted consecutive editions, triggering legal action over cancellations, impacting the bowl's financial disbursements and team participation.
Holiday Bowl Sponsorship and Broadcasting Rights
The Holiday Bowl has garnered support from a spectrum of sponsors including SeaWorld, Thrifty Car Rental, Chrysler Corporation (through its Plymouth brand), Culligan, Pacific Life, Bridgepoint Education, National University, National Funding, San Diego County Credit Union, and DirecTV. Broadcasting rights have traversed various networks, starting with Mizlou (1978–1984), Lorimar (1985), ESPN (1986–2016), and FS1 (2017–2019), before finally transitioning to Fox. Notably, the bowl's move to FS1 in 2017 marked the end of a prolonged affiliation with ESPN. Although slated to air on Fox from 2022 onwards, unforeseen cancellations due to the 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 impacts delayed its premiere on the network, making Fox the present and anticipated broadcaster for the Holiday Bowl.
Holiday Bowl Winner List
The Holiday Bowl has witnessed a storied history of victorious teams, including notable champions such as BYU, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, and Michigan. Over the years, these teams have showcased their prowess in this esteemed postseason college football event, etching their names in the tournament's prestigious list of winners.
| Year | Winning Team | Losing Team |
| 1978 | Navy | BYU |
| 1979 | Indiana | #9 BYU |
| 1980 | #14 BYU | #19 SMU |
| 1981 | #14 BYU | #20 Washington State |
| 1982 | #17 Ohio State | BYU |
| 1983 | #9 BYU | Missouri |
| 1984 | #1 BYU | Michigan |
| 1985 | #14 Arkansas | Arizona State |
| 1986 | #19 Iowa | San Diego State |
| 1987 | #18 Iowa | Wyoming |
| 1988 | #12 Oklahoma State | #15 Wyoming |
| 1989 | #18 Penn State | #19 BYU |
| 1990 | Texas A&M | #13 BYU |
| 1991 | BYU | #7 Iowa |
| 1992 | Hawaii | Illinois |
| 1993 | #11 Ohio State | BYU |
| 1994 | #20 Michigan | #10 Colorado State |
| 1995 | #10 Kansas State | Colorado State |
| 1996 | #8 Colorado | #13 Washington |
| 1997 | #18 Colorado State | #19 Missouri |
| 1998 | #5 Arizona | #14 Nebraska |
| 1999 | #7 Kansas State | Washington |
| 2000 | #8 Oregon | #12 Texas |
| 2001 | #9 Texas | #21 Washington |
| 2002 | #6 Kansas State | Arizona State |
| 2003 | #15 Washington State | #5 Texas |
| 2004 | #23 Texas Tech | #4 California |
| 2005 | Oklahoma | #6 Oregon |
| 2006 | #20 California | #21 Texas A&M |
| 2007 | #17 Texas | #12 Arizona State |
| 2008 | #15 Oregon | #13 Oklahoma State |
| 2009 | #20 Nebraska | #22 Arizona |
| 2010 | Washington | #17 Nebraska |
| 2011 | Texas | California |
| 2012 | Baylor | #17 UCLA |
| 2013 | Texas Tech | #16 Arizona State |
| 2014 | #24 USC | #25 Nebraska |
| 2015 | #23 Wisconsin | USC |
| 2016 | Minnesota | Washington State |
| 2017 | #19 Michigan State | #21 Washington State |
| 2018 | Northwestern | #20 Utah |
| 2019 | #19 Iowa | #22 USC |
| 2020 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | — |
| 2021 | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | — |
| 2022 | #15 Oregon | North Carolina |
Holiday Bowl Appearances and win-loss Records
The Holiday Bowl has hosted various teams, with BYU leading in appearances (18) and boasting a record of 8 wins and 9 losses. Among other frequent contenders, Washington State has participated 7 times, securing 3 victories and 4 losses. Notably, the University of Texas has appeared in the bowl 6 times, clinching 3 wins and 3 losses, contributing to the event's rich history.
| Team | Appearances | Record |
| BYU | 11 | 4–6–1 |
| Texas | 5 | 3–2 |
| Iowa | 4 | 3–0–1 |
| Oregon | 4 | 3–1 |
| Washington | 4 | 1–3 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 1–3 |
| Washington State | 4 | 1–3 |
| Arizona State | 4 | 0–4 |
| Kansas State | 3 | 3–0 |
| California | 3 | 1–2 |
| Colorado State | 3 | 1–2 |
| USC | 3 | 1–2 |
| Ohio State | 2 | 2–0 |
| Texas Tech | 2 | 2–0 |
| Arizona | 2 | 1–1 |
| Michigan | 2 | 1–1 |
| Oklahoma State | 2 | 1–1 |
| Texas A&M | 2 | 1–1 |
| Missouri | 2 | 0–2 |
| Wyoming | 2 | 0–2 |
Holiday Bowl MVPs
The Holiday Bowl has honored exceptional players over the years with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Standout athletes like Ty Detmer (BYU), Ricky Williams (Texas), Marcus Mariota (Oregon), and Christian McCaffrey (Stanford) have notably received this prestigious recognition for their outstanding performances during the bowl games.
| Year | Offensive MVP | Team (Offense) | Defensive MVP | Team (Defense) |
| 1978 | Phil McConkey | Navy | Tom Enlow | BYU |
| 1979 | Marc Wilson | BYU | Tim Wilbur | Indiana |
| 1980 | Jim McMahon | BYU | Kyle Whittingham | BYU |
| 1981 | Jim McMahon | BYU | Garcia Lane | Ohio State |
| 1982 | Tim Spencer | Ohio State | Garcia Lane | Ohio State |
| 1983 | Steve Young | BYU | Bobby Bell | Missouri |
| 1984 | Robbie Bosco | BYU | Leon White | BYU |
| 1985 | Bobby Joe Edmonds | Arkansas | Greg Battle | Arizona State |
| 1986 | Mark Vlasic | Iowa | Richard Brown | San Diego State |
| 1987 | Craig Burnett | Wyoming | Anthony Wright | Iowa |
| 1988 | Barry Sanders | Oklahoma State | Sim Drain | Oklahoma State |
| 1989 | Blair Thomas | Penn State | William Thomas | Texas A&M |
| 1990 | Bucky Richardson | Texas A&M | Josh Arnold | BYU |
| 1991 | Ty Detmer | BYU | Josh Arnold | Iowa |
| 1992 | Michael Carter | Hawaii | Junior Tagoai | Hawaii |
| 1993 | Raymont Harris | Ohio State | Lorenzo Styles | Ohio State |
| 1994 | Todd Collins | Michigan | Matt Dyson | Michigan |
| 1995 | Brian Kavanagh | Kansas State | Mario Smith | Kansas State |
| 1996 | Koy Detmer | Colorado | Nick Ziegler | Colorado |
| 1997 | Moses Moreno | Colorado State | Darran Hall | Colorado State |
| 1998 | Keith Smith | Arizona | Mike Rucker | Nebraska |
| 1999 | Jonathan Beasley | Kansas State | Darren Howard | Kansas State |
| 2000 | Joey Harrington | Oregon | Rashad Bauman | Oregon |
| 2001 | Major Applewhite | Texas | Derrick Johnson | Texas |
| 2002 | Ell Roberson | Kansas State | Terrell Suggs | Arizona State |
| 2003 | Sammy Moore | Washington State | Kyle Basler | Washington State |
| 2004 | Sonny Cumbie | Texas Tech | Vincent Meeks | Texas Tech |
| 2005 | Rhett Bomar | Oklahoma | C. J. Ah You | Oklahoma |
| 2006 | Marshawn Lynch | California | Desmond Bishop | California |
| 2007 | Colt McCoy | Texas | Brian Orakpo | Texas |
| 2008 | Jeremiah Masoli | Oregon | Jairus Byrd | Oregon |
| 2009 | Niles Paul | Nebraska | Matt O'Hanlon | Nebraska |
| 2010 | Chris Polk | Washington | Mason Foster | Washington |
| 2011 | David Ash | Texas | Keenan Robinson | Texas |
| 2012 | Lache Seastrunk | Baylor | Chris McAllister | Baylor |
| 2013 | Davis Webb | Texas Tech | Will Smith | Texas Tech |
| 2014 | Cody Kessler | USC | Leonard Williams | USC |
| 2015 | Joel Stave | Wisconsin | Jack Cichy | Wisconsin |
| 2016 | Rodney Smith | Minnesota | Blake Cashman | Minnesota |
| 2017 | Brian Lewerke | Michigan State | Chris Frey Jr. | Michigan State |
| 2018 | Clayton Thorson | Northwestern | JR Pace | Northwestern |
| 2019 | Ihmir Smith-Marsette | Iowa | A. J. Epenesa | Iowa |
| 2022 | Bucky Irving | Oregon | Mase Funa | Oregon |
FAQs
The Holiday Bowl typically takes place in late December, mostly around the 27th to the 31st of the month.
The Holiday Bowl traditionally features matchups between teams from the Pac-12 (or its predecessors) and the Big Ten (or its predecessors). However, the bowl has seen teams from various conferences participate due to changes in contractual agreements over the years.
The Holiday Bowl is held at SDCCU Stadium (formerly known as Qualcomm Stadium) in San Diego, California. However, there might be variations in the location due to ongoing stadium changes or renovations.
The University of Texas football team has appeared in the Holiday Bowl a total of five times.
