After losing its previous corporate sponsor and the naming rights that go with it, the bowl game previously known as the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl is now simply known as The Cactus Bowl. The Tempe, Arizona bowl game announced the new name today.
“Our new name represents an iconic symbol for the state of Arizona,” said Mike Nealy, Cactus Bowl Executive Director. “The name will also resonate with the thousands of fans traveling to the Southwest to experience our great bowl game and unmatched hospitality.”
It’s true that the cactus theme fits in nicely with the Arizona-based home of the bowl game, but why not just go back to the bowl game’s original name, the Copper Bowl? This offseason has seen the Chick-fil-A Bowl revert to the Peach Bowl name, and this game was originally known as the Copper Bowl for the first eight years of existence, with various corporate sponsors attached to it from 1990 through 1995 (Domino’s Pizza and Weiser Lock).
Hey, the Cactus Bowl isn’t a bad name, but it is not exactly original either. The Cactus Bowl had been an all-star game for college football players from Division 2 from 1994 through 2011. We should at least get a trophy resembling a cactus to award the winning team, right?
This season’s Cactus Bowl will be played Friday, January 2, 2015. The game is set for a primetime kickoff and will feature a pairing of teams from the Pac-12 and Big 12.