What is the Sun Bowl in college football? Date, venue, history, and more explored

The Sun Bowl is one of the oldest in the game, the second oldest, only behind the famed Rose Bowl, tied for that honor with the Sugar and Orange bowls.

It's a part of Southwestern culture, having been held since its inception in the state of Texas. Starting in the 2010s, the game has pitted schools of the ACC versus schools from the Pac-12. The game is usually held towards the end of December.

This year, experts are projecting a clash between the ACC's Miami Hurricanes and the Pac-12's Utah Utes. While both teams are unranked, they achieved important spots in the AP Poll during the season, with the Utes coming into the top 10 at one point.

The Utah Utes had an 8-4 regular season record, with a 5-4 Pac-12 conference record.

The highest ranking the Utes achieved was a No. 10 spot in Week 5, but they lost that week to the Oregon State Beavers. They were the No. 22 team into Week 12, but a loss to the Arizona Wildcats saw them drop down the rankings.

The Miami Hurricanes, meanwhile, had a 7-5 overall record and a 3-5 ACC record. Early on in the season, they drew the attention of the nation after an upset over the then No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies saw them enter the rankings.

They went as high as No. 17 a few weeks later, but a loss to North Carolina in Week 6 saw them drop from the rankings.

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What is the Sun Bowl in college football?

This bowl is the second oldest post-season game in college football, tied with the Sugar and Orange Bowls.

It has always been held in the city of El Paso, Texas. Jones Stadium and Kidd Field have both been the home to the storied bowl game, which is held at the Sun Bowl Stadium.

The event has had many sponsors through the years, with companies like Wells Fargo, Hyundai Motor Company, and John Hancock Financial being some. Currently, the game is sponsored by Kellogg's leading to the game being known as Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.

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Who usually plays in the Sun Bowl?

The Texas Tech Raiders have appeared the most times, with nine attendances. However, they have only won one of those bowl games. They're followed by UTEP with eight attendances and Arizona State with seven.

The UTEP Miners lead the way in terms of wins, with five, followed by the Arizona State Sun Devils with 4. Alabama, Oklahoma and Wyoming follow with perfect records of 3-0.

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When is the Sun Bowl?

The event will be held on Dec. 29, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time at the Sun Bowl Stadium in the city of El Paso, Texas. The game used to be held on New Year's Eve or Christmas Day, but with the rise of the current bowl calendar and the New Year's Six, that has changed.