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Bahamas Bowl

Bahamas Bowl
StadiumThomas Robinson Stadium
LocationNassau, Bahamas
Temporary venueJerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina (2023)[a]
Operated2014–present
Conference tie-insConference USA
(2014–present)
Mid-American Conference
(2014–present)
PayoutUS$225,000 (2019)[1]
Websitebahamasbowl.com
Sponsors
Former names
  • Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (2014–2016)
  • Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (2018–2019)
  • HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl (2022)
  • Famous Toastery Bowl (2023)
  • Bahamas Bowl (2017, 2020–2021)
2023 matchup
Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion
(Western Kentucky 38–35 OT)
2024 season matchup
Buffalo vs. Liberty (Buffalo 26–7)

The Bahamas Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played annually in Nassau, Bahamas, at the 15,000-seat Thomas Robinson Stadium.[2] First held in 2014, the Bowl has tie-ins with the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA.

For the December 2023 edition, the game was temporarily moved to Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, due to renovations at Thomas Robinson Stadium. This edition was known as the Famous Toastery Bowl, reflecting the title sponsor of the relocated game.[3][4][5]

History

Prime Minister's Trophy

The inaugural edition of the Bahamas Bowl, played in 2014, was the first major (FBS or historical equivalent) bowl game to be played outside the United States and Canada between two U.S. teams since the January 1, 1937, Bacardi Bowl in Havana, Cuba.[6] The game featured teams from the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA;[7] that conference matchup has continued annually.[8] In July 2019, the MAC announced a continuation of its tie-in with the bowl through the 2025–26 football season.[9]

From its inception to 2017, the game was sponsored by the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant franchise and officially known as the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl.[10] After Restaurant Brands International acquired Popeyes in 2017, they declined to renew sponsorship. Elk Grove Village, Illinois—"home to the largest industrial park in the United States"—picked up title sponsorship in 2018, with the bowl using the official naming of Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.[11] The name lasted until Elk Grove Village ended its sponsorship in March 2020.[12] On May 25, 2022, it was announced that HomeTown Lenders would be the new title sponsor of the game.[13]

The winning team is presented with a trophy, since 2016 named the Prime Minister's Trophy.[14] The current trophy, in use since the 2018 playing, is approximately 30 inches (76 cm) tall and weighs nearly 30 pounds (14 kg).[14]

On October 2, 2020, the 2020 edition of the bowl was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions.[15]

On October 26, 2023, it was announced that the 2023 edition would be played at Jerry Richardson Stadium on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte due to ongoing renovations at the host venue, Thomas Robinson Stadium.[3] The game was also temporarily renamed to reflect that it would not be played in the Bahamas.[4] On November 14, 2023, Famous Toastery, a restaurant chain based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was named as title sponsor of the relocated Famous Toastery Bowl.[16]

The bowl returned to the Bahamas for the edition following the 2024 season, and was played in January for the first time.[17]

Game results

Date Bowl name Winning team Losing team Attendance
December 24, 2014 Bahamas Bowl Western Kentucky 49 Central Michigan 48 13,667
December 24, 2015 Bahamas Bowl Western Michigan 45 Middle Tennessee 31 13,123
December 23, 2016 Bahamas Bowl Old Dominion 24 Eastern Michigan 20 13,422
December 22, 2017 Bahamas Bowl Ohio 41 UAB   6 13,585
December 21, 2018 Bahamas Bowl FIU 35 Toledo 32 13,510
December 20, 2019 Bahamas Bowl Buffalo 31 Charlotte   9 13,547
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[18]
December 17, 2021 Bahamas Bowl Middle Tennessee 31 Toledo 24 13,596
December 16, 2022 Bahamas Bowl UAB 24 Miami (OH) 20 12,172
December 18, 2023 Famous Toastery Bowl Western Kentucky 38 Old Dominion 35 (OT) 5,632
January 4, 2025 Bahamas Bowl Buffalo 26 Liberty   7 4,610

Source:[19][20]

MVPs

Year Offensive MVP Defensive MVP Ref.
Player Team Pos. Player Team Pos.
2014 Brandon Doughty Western Kentucky QB Derik Overstreet Western Kentucky DL [21]
2015 Jamauri Bogan Western Michigan RB Grant DePalma Western Michigan LB [22]
2016 Ray Lawry Old Dominion RB TJ Ricks Old Dominion LB [23]
2017 Dorian Brown Ohio RB Javon Hagan Ohio FS [24]
2018 Christian Alexander FIU QB Edwin Freeman FIU LB [25]
2019 Jaret Patterson Buffalo RB Malcolm Koonce Buffalo DE [26][27]
2021 Nicholas Vattiato Middle Tennessee QB DQ Thomas Middle Tennessee LB [28][29]
2022 Trea Shropshire UAB WR Michael Fairbanks II UAB LB [30]
2023 Caden Veltkamp Western Kentucky QB Anthony Johnson Jr. Western Kentucky DB [31][32]
Jan. 2025 Al-Jay Henderson Buffalo RB Red Murdock Buffalo LB [33]

Most appearances

Updated through the January 2025 edition (10 games, 20 total appearances).

Teams with multiple appearances
Team Appearances Record Win pct.
Western Kentucky 2 2–0 1.000
Buffalo 2 2–0 1.000
Middle Tennessee 2 1–1 .500
Old Dominion 2 1–1 .500
UAB 2 1–1 .500
Toledo 2 0–2 .000
Teams with a single appearance

Won (3): FIU, Ohio, Western Michigan
Lost (5): Central Michigan, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan, Liberty, Miami (OH)

Appearances by conference

Updated through the January 2025 edition (10 games, 20 total appearances).

Conference Record Appearances by season
Games W L Win pct. Won Lost
C-USA 10 6 4 .600 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 2015, 2017, 2019, 2024*
MAC 9 4 5 .444 2015, 2017, 2019, 2024* 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022
Sun Belt 1 0 1 .000   2023
  • Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.

Game records

Team Record, Team vs. Opponent Year
Most points scored (one team) 49, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan 2014
Most points scored (losing team) 48, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky 2014
Most points scored (both teams) 97, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan 2014
Fewest points allowed 6, Ohio vs. UAB 2017
Largest margin of victory 35, Ohio vs. UAB 2017
Total yards 647, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan 2014
Rushing yards 282, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee 2015
Passing yards 493, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky 2014
First downs 29, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan 2014
Fewest yards allowed 242, Buffalo vs. Liberty Jan. 2025
Fewest rushing yards allowed 80, Buffalo vs. Charlotte 2019
Fewest passing yards allowed 77, Charlotte vs. Buffalo 2019
Individual Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent Year
All-purpose yards 215, Jamauri Bogan (Western Michigan) 2015
Touchdowns (all-purpose) 4, shared by Bogan, Brown, and Davis (see below)
Rushing yards 215, Jamauri Bogan (Western Michigan) 2015
Rushing touchdowns 4, shared by:
Jamauri Bogan (Western Michigan)
Dorian Brown (Ohio)		  
2015
2017
Passing yards 493, Cooper Rush (Central Michigan) 2014
Passing touchdowns 7, Cooper Rush (Central Michigan) 2014
Receiving yards 183, shared by:
Corey Davis (Western Michigan)
Trea Shropshire (UAB)		  
2015
2022
Receptions 9, Yusuf Ali (Middle Tennessee) 2021
Receiving touchdowns 4, Titus Davis (Central Michigan) 2014
Tackles 15, Matthew Salopek (Miami (OH))
10 (solo), Matthew Salopek (Miami (OH))		 2022
Sacks 2, shared by:
Derik Overstreet (Western Kentucky)
Malcolm Koonce,[34] (Buffalo)
Nate Givhan (Toledo)
2014
2019
2021
Interceptions 1, by multiple players
Long Plays Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent Year
Touchdown run 74 yds., Dorian Brown (Ohio) 2017
Touchdown pass 90 yds., Dequan Finn to Matt Landers (Toledo) 2021
Kickoff return 45 yds., Andre Wilson (UAB) 2017
Punt return 34 yds., Kylan Nelson (Ohio) 2017
Interception return 49 yds., Samuel Womack (Toledo) 2021
Fumble return 27 yds., Tony Annese (Central Michigan) 2014
Punt 68 yds., Ethan Duane (Buffalo) Jan. 2025
Field goal 52 yds., Upton Bellenfant (Buffalo) Jan. 2025

Source:[35]

Media coverage

The bowl has been televised by ESPN since its inception.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Temporarily relocated in 2023 due to renovations at Thomas Robinson Stadium.

References

  1. ^ "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. ^ "MAC Announces Creation of the Bahamas Bowl in 2014". Mid-American Conference. October 14, 2013. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "2023 Bahamas Bowl to Be Played at Charlotte 49ers' Jerry Richardson Stadium" (Press release). ESPN. October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Backus, Will (October 26, 2023). "Bahamas Bowl to be played in Charlotte due to stadium renovations, Myrtle Beach Bowl changes dates, per report". CBSSports.com. CBS Sports. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  5. ^ "Famous Toastery Named Title Sponsor of ESPN Events' Charlotte Bowl Game". Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  6. ^ "Inaugural Bahamas Bowl set for December 24, 2014". Bahamas Bowl Communications. May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  7. ^ "It's Conference USA Against the MAC In The Inaugural Bahamas Bowl". Bahamas Bowl Communications. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  8. ^ "Participating Conferences". bahamasbowl.com. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  9. ^ Kelley, Kevin (July 23, 2019). "MAC announces new bowl lineup for 2020 through 2025". Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  10. ^ "Popeyes Announced as Title Sponsor of Popeyes Bahamas Bowl". Bahamas Bowl Communications. August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  11. ^ "Elk Grove Village announced as Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl title sponsor". Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  12. ^ Fischer, Bryan (March 19, 2020). "Illinois town withdraws unique Bahamas Bowl sponsorship". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  13. ^ "HOMETOWN LENDERS NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF BAHAMAS BOWL". Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "The Prime Minister's Trophy". bahamasbowl.com. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  15. ^ "Hawaii, Bahamas bowls nixed due to pandemic". ESPN.com. October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  16. ^ Hofheimer, Bill (November 14, 2023). "Famous Toastery Named Title Sponsor of ESPN Events' Charlotte Bowl Game". ESPN Pressroom (Press release). ESPN. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  17. ^ Kelley, Kevin. "College football bowl schedule for 2024-25 season released". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  18. ^ "ESPN Events Cancels Two Postseason Bowls for 2020 Season". bahamasbowl.com. Bahamas Bowl Communications. October 2, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  19. ^ "Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl" (PDF). Bowl/All Star Game Records. NCAA. 2020. p. 16. Retrieved January 3, 2021 – via NCAA.org.
  20. ^ Lee, Hank (October 26, 2023). "The Bahamas Bowl Will Be Played in Charlotte This Year. Here's Why". WCNC. Retrieved December 16, 2023. ESPN said it anticipates the Bahamas Bowl will return to Nassau in 2024 once renovations to the stadium are complete.
  21. ^ "2014 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  22. ^ "2015 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  23. ^ "2016 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  24. ^ "2017 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  25. ^ "2018 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  26. ^ "2019 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  27. ^ "2019 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Postgame Notes". bahamasbowl.com. Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Communications. December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  28. ^ @TheBahamasBowl (December 17, 2021). "Congratulations to @MT_FB Nicholas Vattiato, the 2021 Bahamas Bowl Offensive MVP" (Tweet). Retrieved December 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
  29. ^ @TheBahamasBowl (December 17, 2021). "Congratulations to @MT_FB DQ Thomas, #TheBahamasBowl Defensive MVP" (Tweet). Retrieved December 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ Winborne, Jeffery (December 16, 2022). "UAB holds on to win Bahamas Bowl, 24-2". WBRC.com. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  31. ^ Londergan, Joe (December 18, 2023). "BREAKING: Western Kentucky Ride Furious Comeback To Bowl Win In Charlotte". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 18, 2023. Veltkamp was named the game's offensive MVP.
  32. ^ "Famous Toastery Bowl Postgame". ESPN.com. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  33. ^ @10thYearSeniors (January 4, 2025). "The Buffalo Bulls are your 2025 Bahamas Bowl Champions" (Tweet). Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Twitter.
  34. ^ @TheBahamasBowl (December 20, 2019). "Malcolm Koonce's 2 sacks tied a Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl record" (Tweet). Retrieved December 20, 2019 – via Twitter.
  35. ^ "Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Record Book" (PDF). bahamasbowl.com. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
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