The San Francisco Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game certified by the NCAA and played in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally named the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl during its first two editions from 2002 to 2003, it was the Emerald Bowl from 2004 to 2009, the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl from 2010 to 2013, the Foster Farms Bowl from 2014 to 2017, and the Redbox Bowl from 2018 to 2020. San Francisco Bowl naming returned during planning for a 2021 game.
The game had four sellouts—2006 (UCLA vs. Florida State), 2008 (Cal vs. Miami), 2009 (USC vs. Boston College), and 2011 (Nevada vs. Boston College)—and three of the highest rated bowls ever televised on ESPN. It also gained a national reputation for the quality of hospitality provided to the participating teams.
The game was most recently played in December 2019. From 2002 to 2013, it was played at Pacific Bell Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, in San Francisco, California. From 2014 through 2019, it was played at Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, in Santa Clara, California.
At the end of July 2020, organizers canceled the 2020 edition of the bowl due to the COVID-19 pandemic; at the same time, the 49ers released a statement noting that "the decision has been made to not renew the current agreement to host the game moving forward". On September 10, 2021, the game was again canceled for the 2021–22 bowl season, putting its future in jeopardy. The bowl was later quietly cancelled without any notice due to continuing sponsor and network concerns.
History The game was founded by John Marks, president of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, San Francisco Giants executive Pat Gallagher and sports industry veteran Gary Cavalli, former Associate Athletic Director at Stanford University and president of the pioneering American Basketball League, for the purpose of utilizing the Giants' new ballpark, bringing visitors to San Francisco during a traditionally slow time of the year, and rewarding two successful teams with a week in San Francisco.
Plans for the inaugural 2002 San Francisco Bowl were established on Dec. 2, 2002, when the Air Force Falcons football program accepted a bid to play against an undetermined team from the Big East Conference. Their initial sponsor was Diamond Foods, a producer of walnuts and other nuts under the Emerald brand name, resulting in the name Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl, and later the Emerald Bowl.
In 2010, Kraft Foods became the sponsor of the bowl and announced the new name, which the corporation launched as part of a broader hunger relief program.Sports Illustrated, 15 November 2010, p. 45. Mondelēz International continued to support the game and the program related with Feeding America in 2013.
In August 2014, the bowl's official website listed the game's name as the San Francisco Bowl once again. However, on November 11, 2014, it was announced that the San Francisco Bowl Game Association had reached a multi-year naming rights deal with Northern California-based poultry company Foster Farms, resulting in the game being named the Foster Farms Bowl.
On July 12, 2016, the San Francisco 49ers NFL team announced that it had taken over management of the Foster Farms Bowl from the San Francisco Bowl Game Association, and also announced a new, four-year broadcast rights deal with Fox Sports, replacing ESPN.
In September 2018, Redbox (a chain of video rental kiosks) announced it had become the new title sponsor.
Conference tie-ins The game had a contract to host the Pac-12's sixth-place team during the 2010 through 2013 seasons. There were multiple contracts that determined the opponent. In 2011, the Pac-12 team's opponent was Illinois, replacing Army, which did not achieve bowl eligibility; in 2012, it was Navy; and in 2013, it was BYU. Had these teams not qualified for bowl eligibility, they would have been replaced by teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) or the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
Beginning with the 2014 season, teams come from the Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences.Bay Area Bowl will feature Pac-12 vs. BIG TEN matchup , Fight Hunger Bowl, June 24, 2013 With Oregon's appearance in the 2018 edition, Colorado and Washington State are the only Pac-12 members who have not appeared in the game.
Field configuration Because Pacific Bell Park (as it was named when it first hosted the bowl) is a baseball park and not normally used for football, arrangement of the field required both teams to be on the same sideline (southeast), separated by a barrier at the 50-yard line (in shallow right-center field). The opposite sideline (northwest) ran along the third base line, with an end zone near the first base dugout, and the other near the left field wall. Primary seating was in the third base grandstand, with temporary bleacher seating in right-center field.
Results Rankings are based on the AP Poll prior to the game being played. DateBowl nameWinning teamLosing teamAttnd. December 31, 2002 San Francisco Bowl No. 21 Virginia Tech 20 Air Force 13 25,966 December 31, 2003 San Francisco Bowl Boston College 35 Colorado State 21 25,621 December 30, 2004 Emerald Bowl Navy 34 New Mexico 19 30,563 December 29, 2005 Emerald Bowl Utah 38 No. 24 Georgia Tech 10 25,742 December 27, 2006 Emerald Bowl Florida State 44 UCLA 27 40,331 December 28, 2007 Emerald Bowl Oregon State 21 Maryland 14 32,517 December 27, 2008 Emerald Bowl California 24 Miami (FL) 17 42,268 December 26, 2009 Emerald Bowl USC 24 Boston College 13 40,121January 9, 2011 Fight Hunger Bowl No. 13 Nevada 20 Boston College 13 41,063 December 31, 2011 Fight Hunger Bowl Illinois 20 UCLA 14 29,878 December 29, 2012 Fight Hunger Bowl Arizona State 62 Navy 28 34,172 December 27, 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl Washington 31 BYU 16 34,136 December 30, 2014 Foster Farms Bowl Stanford 45 Maryland 21 34,780 December 26, 2015 Foster Farms Bowl Nebraska 37 UCLA 29 33,527 December 28, 2016 Foster Farms Bowl Utah 26 Indiana 24 27,608 December 27, 2017 Foster Farms Bowl Purdue 38 Arizona 35 28,436 December 31, 2018 Redbox Bowl Oregon 7 Michigan State 6 30,212 December 30, 2019 Redbox Bowl California 35 Illinois 20 34,1772020 Redbox Bowl Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.2021 San Francisco Bowl Canceled due to no TV deal or corporate sponsor. Source:
MVPs
GameOffensive MVPDefensive MVPPlayerTeamPos.PlayerTeamPos.2002 Bryan Randall Virginia Tech QB Anthony Schlegel Air Force LB2003 Derrick Knight Boston College RB T. J. Stancil Boston College FS2004 Aaron Polanco Navy QB Vaughn Keley Navy CB2005 Travis LaTendresse Utah WR Eric Weddle Utah CB2006 Lorenzo Booker Florida State RB Tony Carter Florida State CB2007 Yvenson Bernard Oregon State RB Derrick Doggett Oregon State LB2008 Jahvid Best California RB Zack Follett California LB2009 Damian Williams USC WR Luke Kuechly Boston College LBJan. 2011 Rishard Matthews Nevada WR Luke Kuechly Boston College LBDec. 2011 Nathan Scheelhaase Illinois QB Terry Hawthorne Illinois DB2012 Marion Grice Arizona State RB Will Sutton Arizona State DT2013 Bishop Sankey Washington RB Hau'oli Kikaha Washington DE2014 Kevin Hogan Stanford QB James Vaughters Stanford LB2015 Tommy Armstrong Jr. Nebraska QB Jaleel Wadood UCLA S2016 Joe Williams Utah RB Tegray Scales Indiana LB2017 Elijah Sindelar Purdue QB Ja'Whaun Bentley Purdue LB2018 Dillon Mitchell Oregon WR Josiah Scott Michigan State CB2019 Chase Garbers California QB Zeandae Johnson California DE
Most appearances Updated through the December 2019 edition (18 games, 36 total appearances). Teams with multiple appearances RankTeamAppearancesRecordWin pct.T1 Boston College 3 1–2 T1 UCLA 3 0–3 T3 California 2 2–0 T3 Utah 2 2–0 T3 Illinois 2 1–1 T3 Navy 2 1–1 T3 Maryland 2 0–2 Teams with a single appearance Won (11): Arizona State, Florida State, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Oregon State, Purdue, Stanford, USC, Virginia Tech, Washington
Lost (9): Air Force, Arizona, BYU, Colorado State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Miami (FL), Michigan State, New Mexico
Of the members of the Pac-12 at the discontinuation of the bowl, only Washington State and Colorado never appeared in the game.
Appearances by conference Updated through the December 2019 edition (18 games, 36 total appearances). ConferenceRecordAppearances by seasonGamesWLWin pct.WonLost Pac-12 13 9 4 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 2006, 2011, 2015, 2017 Big Ten 7 3 4 2011, 2015, 2017 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 ACC 6 1 5 2006 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010* Mountain West 4 1 3 2005 2002, 2003, 2004 Independents 3 1 2 2004 2012, 2013 Big East 2 2 0 2002, 2003 WAC 1 1 0 2010* Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year. The Pac-12's record includes appearances when the conference was the Pac-10 (3–1). Virginia Tech (2002) and Boston College (2003) appeared as members of the Big East; the American Athletic Conference (The American) retains the Big East's conference charter following the 2013 split of the original Big East along football lines. Independent appearances: Navy (2004, 2012) and BYU (2013). The WAC no longer sponsors FBS-level football.
Game records
TeamRecord, Team vs. OpponentYearMost points scored62, Arizona State vs Navy2012Most points scored (losing team)35, Arizona vs Purdue2017Most points scored (both teams)90, Arizona State vs Navy2012Fewest points allowed6, Oregon vs. Michigan State2018Largest margin of victory34, Arizona State vs Navy2012Total yards648, Arizona State vs. Navy2012Rushing yards380, Arizona State vs. Navy2012Passing yards396, Purdue vs. Arizona2017First downs 36, Arizona State vs. Navy2012Fewest yards allowed185, Nevada vs. Boston College2011Fewest rushing yards allowed17, Stanford vs. Maryland2014Fewest passing yards allowed37, Arizona State vs. Navy2012IndividualRecord, Player, Team vs. OpponentYearAll-purpose yards Touchdowns (overall) 4, Travis LaTendresse, Utah vs. Georgia Tech 2005Rushing yards 222, Joe Williams, Utah vs. Indiana 2016Rushing touchdowns 3, most recently:Remound Wright, Stanford vs. Maryland 2014Passing yards 396, Elijah Sindelar, Purdue vs. Arizona 2017Passing touchdowns 4, most recently:Chase Garbers, California vs. Illinois 2019Receiving yards 214, Travis LaTendresse, Utah vs. Georgia Tech 2005Receiving touchdowns 4, Travis LaTendresse, Utah vs. Georgia Tech 2005Tackles Sacks Interceptions Long PlaysRecord, Player, Team vs. OpponentYearTouchdown run 46, Chris Swain, Navy vs. Arizona State 2012 Touchdown pass 78, Brandon Breazell from Patrick Cowan, UCLA vs, Florida State 2006Kickoff return 100, shared by:John Ross, Washington vs. BYUWilliam Likely, Maryland vs. Stanford 20132014Punt return 72, Rishard Matthews, Nevada vs. Boston College Jan. 2011Interception return 86, Tony Carter, Florida State vs. UCLA 2006 Fumble return Punt Field goal 48, Andy Phillips, Utah vs. Indiana 2016
Media coverage
From 2002 through 2015, the bowl was televised by ESPN or ESPN2; from 2016 to 2019, it was carried by Fox.
References