The Weirdest College Football Bowl Game Names Of All-Time

With the 2024-25 College Football Bowl Game season officially here, fans and bettors will turn their attention towards the 41 Bowl Games and 12-team Playoff field that gets underway on December 14, 2024, and runs until January 20, 2025.

We know what you are thinking – 41 Bowl Games is hard to keep track of. With 82 bowl-eligible teams and thousands of players traveling all over the country for their designated Bowl Game, it’s definitely a challenge to stay on top of the Bowl Season.

With that said, there are two things you can count on when it comes to the 2024-25 College Football Bowl Season:

1. ScoresandStats will provide coverage for all 41 Bowl Games including the College Football Playoffs.
2. And, there will be weird College Football Bowl Game names that leave you laughing as you scratch your heads and think WTF.

We’ve dug through the annals of College Football history to compile our list of the weirdest College Football Bowl Game names. Not only did we add some that are no longer in existence, but we’ve also found a handful from this year’s Bowl Games as well.

The Funniest College Football Bowl Game Names

We don’t know how they come up with these College Football Bowl Game name ideas, but here’s our list of the Top 10 weirdest Bowl Game names in no particular order:

Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl (Current)

I’m not going to lie. I damn near fell out of my chair with laughter when I saw that there will be a Bowl Game named after Snoop Dogg. From the 2024 Summer Olympics to NCAAF Bowl Games, Snoop Dogg is everywhere.

It should be noted that the full name of the Bowl Game is “Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Presented by Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop.”

Yeah, we’re living in a world where hip hop artists and alcohol have become sponsors for College Football games. Of course, Snoop will promote his and Dre’s Gin & Juice line.

As for the game itself, it features matchups between the Mountain West Conference and Mid-American Conference. This year, the Miami RedHawks (MAC) will take on the Colorado State Rams (MWC) live on the CW Network at 4:30pm ET on December 28, 2024.

As of 2024, Wyoming has the most Arizona Bowl appearances with three. However, Nevada has the most wins with two.

The Mountain West is 5-4 overall in this bowl game. The MAC has the best winning percentage with a 2-1 record. The Sun Belt is 1-3 in the Arizona Bowl and probably could use some of Snoop Dogg’s gin and juice right about now.

Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl (Current)

The Sun Bowl is one of the oldest Bowl Games in the country. It’s been played since 1935, and held in El Paso Texas. Since 2011, it’s hosted Pac-12 and ACC teams. Prior to that, the Sun Bowl brought together teams from numerous different conferences since its inception.

For those that don’t know, Tony the Tiger is the main character for the popular cereal Frosted Flakes. Produced by WK Kellogg Co., Frosted Flakes first came out in 1952 as “Sugar Frosted Flakes.” And, we definitely loved all of that sugar.

Kellogg dropped the word “sugar” in 1983, but that same sweet taste lasted another four decades. However, have you had Frosted Flakes lately? This cereal doesn’t taste as sweet as before. In fact, I know many people who have to add more sugar to it in order to get that sweet taste back.

Hey Tony, they’re not “great” anymore.

As for the Bowl Game, Tony the Tiger became the titled sponsor in 2019. This year’s edition of the striped tiger, sugarless cereal bowl game takes place on December 31, 2024, live from El Paso.

The 91^st Sun Bowl pits Louisville Cardinals against the Washington Huskies. It’s the first time that these two teams have ever played against each other. Additionally, it marks the second Sun Bowl appearance for Louisville. Their first appearance was in 1958, when Tony the Tiger was just a little kitten.

For Washington, it will be their fifth appearance in the Sun Bowl. Unfortunately, the sun has gone down on this program as they’re 1-3 in previous Sun Bowl appearances.

Sorry Tony, but if the bowl organizers really want to take this game to another level, they should consider using Marty Robbin’s song “El Paso” including wicked Felina instead of a sugarless cereal. In fact, let’s rename this game to the Wicked Felina Sun Bowl.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Current)

There’s nothing like a bowl of mayonnaise to make me think of College Football. Yum! Forget pizza and wings, let’s just consume a bucket of mayo then cheer on two teams that had mediocre seasons at best, and weren’t wanted anywhere else.

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl was first played in 2002, and under the name of the Queen City Bowl. It’s undergone many different names since then, with Duke Mayonnaise taking over as the official sponsor in 2020.

Since its inception, this game is played every year at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Perhaps, they should change the name of the stadium to the Bowl of Mayo Stadium. Might get more people to show up to Carolina Panthers games if they advertise free mayo every time the Panthers lose a game.

The annual bowl game is played between the ACC, SEC and Big Ten. Now, before you get your knickers all twisted up, three teams are not playing this game at the same time. Like the silliness of the bowl game’s name, the organizers alternate opponents for the ACC each year.

Big Ten schools play in even years and SEC schools play in odd years. Furthermore, the conference that’s not participating in the game versus the ACC, will send their team to the Las Vegas Bowl.

This year’s edition will be held on January 3, 2025. What better way to start off the new year than with some mayonnaise and two bland teams?

That’s right, the Minnesota Gophers (7-5) of the Big Ten will take on the ACC’s Virginia Tech Hokies (6-6) in the 23^rd annual Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Considering the game doesn’t start until 7:30pm ET, most football fans will be out enjoying their weekend instead of this mayo covered pigskin matchup.

With that said, is it really a surprise that the North Carolina Tar Heels have the most appearances in this bowl game with six? In fact, they also have one of the worst records for this bowl game at 1-5. Not even the local team can provide enough flavor for success. And, not even a tub of miracle whip could generate more interest in this game.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Current)

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is one of my favorite Bowl Games. First, I love potatoes especially baked, mashed or as French fries. Second, this game is played at the Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho.

Yes, that means the game is played on the blue turf of the Boise State Broncos! There’s no better football field in “Murica” than the blue turf.

Who doesn’t love some French fries and blue football fields?

This Bowl Game began in 1997, and has undergone numerous name changes. However, we all knew they hit a home run when naming the game after the famous Idaho potatoes.

With that said, this game features the MAC vs. Mountain West for another year. It remains unknown as to if those two conference will re-up their contract with the Bowl or if we’ll see other conferences jump in.

The 2024-25 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game takes place on December 23, 2024. Mmmmmm, just in time to have egg nogg and potatoes while singing Christmas songs. The 28^th edition of this bowl features the Northern Illinois Huskies battling the Fresno State Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs are familiar with the blue turf due to playing in the Mountain West just like Boise State. Additionally, they’ve played numerous times at this field in bowl games before. The Huskies have played here as well. In fact, these two teams loved it so much when the played each other in the 2010 edition of this bowl game, that they decided to run it back 14 years later.

Like French fries and a Wendy’s chocolate frosty, there’s something magical about blue football fields and potatoes. Well, not for Utah State as the school is 1-4 in their five Potato Bowl Game appearances. Perhaps, they would be better off playing for mayo instead of potatoes.  

Pop-Tarts Bowl (Current)

This bowl game has undergone many name changes and stadium changes since its inception in 1990. From its working title of the Sunshine Classic, we’ve seen a number of different sponsors including Blockbusters, Carquest, MicronPC, Champs Sports, Russell Athletic and Cheez-It.

The latter is a snack made by Kellogg. Yes, the same company that unleashed Tony the Tiger and it’s watered down version of Frosted Flakes.

Last year, organizers changed the title from Cheez-It to another popular Kellog staple in Pop-Tarts. However, don’t worry about the name change because, as you can see from our list, Cheez-It is still around.

Pop-Tarts are filed under the category of toaster pastries and were first introduced in 1964. For 60 years, this breakfast food was a quick and easy way for parents to shove food in their kids’ mouths as they ran out the door for school.

Despite having a silly name, this Bowl Game is actually one of the more prestigious ones not included in the big four. It often features the second-place teams of both the ACC and Big 12. Over its history, this bowl also had tie-ins to the Big Ten and Big East.

The 35^th edition of the Pop-Tarts Bowl will be played on December 28, 2024, live from the Camping World Stadium in Orlando Florida. It’s going to be a delicious matchup as the Iowa State Cyclones take on the Miami Hurricanes.

The Cyclones were runner ups in the Big 12 Conference, having lost in the championship game to Arizona State. You could say that they were like strawberry pop-tarts, which are the second-best flavor to brown cinnamon sugar.

The Miami Hurricanes missed out on the ACC title game and the College Football Playoffs. The school made their frustrations known and were quite salty about it. In fact, some would argue that the Hurricanes are acting like someone burnt their pop-tarts and spilled their milk.

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (Current)

The Bowl committee shuffled Kellogg’s sponsors around as they moved Cheez-It from a smaller bowl listed above, to the Citrus Bowl which has been around since 1947. Initially, the game was played as the Tangerine Bowl until 1983. Citrus encompasses more fruit, which obviously is better than the limitations of a tangerine.

Since then, the sponsored title of this game has undergone many name changes from the Capital One Bowl to CompUSA, Ourhouse.com, Buffalo Wild Wings and more.

Now, buffalo wings are definitely a football food that we can all love. In fact, those of us who grew up in Buffalo know a thing or two about wings, pizza and football. I could really go for some wings right about now. But I digress.

Since 1985, the Citrus Bowl has featured Top 25 ranked teams just about every year. This year is no different. The 79^th edition of this game will feature the #15 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks battle the #20 Illinois Fighting Illini on New Year’s Eve.

With that said, there’s nothing like the combination of cheese and citrus to get you excited for a New Year’s Eve football game. Add a spiked punch bowl, some mayo and potatoes, you got yourself the ultimate Citrus Bowl party!

Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl (2023)

We’re talking avocados here. And, not just any kind of avocado as they’re from Mexico. Forget avocados from anywhere else because they’re not as good. The silliness of this name is good for a laugh or two. However, the game itself is one that we can all get behind.

The Cure Bowl, which first began in 2015, is dedicated to raising awareness for cancer research. It also recognizes cancer survivors. With most of us knowing people lost to cancer, this is definitely a heartwarming game to support.

In early 2024, Cure Bowl organizers tossed the avocados in the trash bin and went for a new sponsor. The game will be called the StaffDNA Cure Bowl and it takes place on December 20, 2024.

The 10^th annual edition of this game features the Ohio Bobcats vs. Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Both teams are actually conference champions, which is a rarity outside of the CFP. The Bobcats won the MAC and Jacksonville State won the CUSA. And, no, we’re not picking these bowl games just because of the funny name “gamecock”.

Another cool thing about the Cure Bowl is that they encourage everyone in attendance to wear pink as they dress the stadium up in pink as well. So, you can skip the red and green outfits for a day and support the cause by wearing pink or donating to your preferred cancer non-profit.

You can also throw out any avocados in your home that are not from Mexico, but save the gamecocks as they make for a delicious holiday meal. Just ask Colonel Sanders!  

Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (2017)

The titled sponsor for the 2017 Boca Raton Bowl is a tongue twister. I dare you to say it five times fast and see if you don’t end up spitting all over yourself or your computer screen like I just did.

The Boca Raton Bowl was founded in 2013, with the first game taking place in December 2014. It operated as just the Boca Raton Bowl for the first two editions. Then organizers got crafty and decided to find some sponsors.

In 2016, they went with Marmot which was an outdoor clothing and sporting goods franchise. However, they ditched Marmot for Cheribundi in 2017. But it wasn’t just the name of the New York beverage company that was used. No, they had to go with Cheribundi Tart Cherry.

Skip the mistletoe and just get some tart cherries. I’m sure that will go over well during your holiday office party.

That year, Florida Atlantic beat Akron by the score of 50 to 3. It was the biggest blowout in the history of the Boca Raton Bowl. However, the 2023 edition saw South Florida beat Syracuse 45-0. So, maybe these tongue twister titles are a good way to keep fans entertaining when the on-field product is tart.

In 2018 and 2019, the Boca Raton Bowl organizers got rid of tart cherries and just stuck with Cheribudni as the name. From 2020-2023, the bowl underwent another title change and was called the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.

It appears that the organizers have learned their lessons as they are just calling it the Boca Raton Bowl for this year’s edition which takes place on December 18, 2024. What they haven’t learned is which conferences play in this game annually, because it seems to change every year.

For the 11^th annual Boca Raton Bowl, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers take on the James Madison Dukes. I’m sure both teams are disappointed that they don’t get any Cheribundi drinks while on the sidelines. At least they get to leave their dismal winter weather and enjoy a week in Boca Raton, Florida.

Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl (1990-1997)

Since 1997, the Independence Bowl has been in operation. It’s held annually at the Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. So, you can guess why they decided to name the game after a lawncare product. And, not for one year, but for seven straight years.

The Poulan weed-eater is named after a line of lawn care tools designed to cut and trim weeds, lawns, bushes and more. Yeah, I’m sure many of you millennials don’t even know what a weed eater or weed whacker is.

There’s nothing like cutting weeds and taking care of your lawn in Louisiana that best represents College Football in December.

In 2023, Radiance Technologies took over as the titled sponsor for the Independence Bowl. They will hold that spot through 2025. This year’s edition will take place on December 28, 2024, and it is actually one of the more exciting bowl games outside of the CFP.

The 48^th edition of the Independence Bowl features the Sun Belt Champ Marshall Thundering Herd vs. the AAC Champ Army Black Knights. I’m sure the thundering herd grazing on the stadium’s grass is how the organizers decided to pay homage to Poulan and their illustrious lawncare products.

Refrigerator Bowl (1948-1956)

There are few interesting historical facts regarding this funny College Football bowl game name. First, it was played at a high school in Evansville, Indiana. Second, at that time, Evansville was considered to be the refrigerator capital of the world.

In fact, over 10,000 people were employed by refrigerator manufactures as they produced at least 3,800 units per day, according to The Courier & Press.

The game itself was designed to raise funds for a local youth camp that stemmed from the city’s YMCA and took place the first week of December each year. The first few editions of the Bowl Game featured the University of Evansville football team, but later expanded to teams outside of the state.

Unfortunately, the game never really caught on in popularity. I guess nobody really cares about refrigerators until theirs breaks down. The last edition of the game took place on December 1, 1956.

To sum up how unpopular the bowl game was, organizers featured the Sam Houston State Teachers College in their final game. Everybody knows that if you can’t do, then you teach. So, I doubt this was a powerhouse football program on any level.

It was certainly not as good as Missouri Valley who hadn’t lost a game from 1941 until the 1948 Refrigerator Bowl. That year, the local team upset the region’s powerhouse. I’m willing to bet that if organizers checked the residencies of the referees for that game, they would’ve found new refrigerators.

I feel sorry for Evansville. Not only did they lose their annual bowl game, but they also stopped being the refrigerator capital of the world.