The Myrtle Beach Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football bowl game first played in December 2020 in the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. Coastal Carolina University hosts the game at its Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina, which has a capacity of 20,000 seats following an expansion project completed prior to the 2019 season.
Owned by ESPN Events, the bowl has tie-ins with Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference and the Sun Belt Conference. The affiliation contract with ESPN Events has each conference supplying a team four times in a six-year bowl cycle from 2020 to 2025. The Myrtle Beach Bowl is one of three contemporary bowl games that have never released payout totals for the teams involved in the game (the Fenway Bowl and the LA Bowl are the others).
History In 2013, "Group of Five" conferences were looking to start bowl games for their leagues, as the Power Five conferences "prefer to play each other in bowl games". The NCAA had a restriction on championship games, including bowl games, being held in South Carolina due to display of the Confederate flag on State House grounds, which was lifted in July 2015. Organizers for the Medal of Honor Bowl, an all-star game, announced their intent to apply for NCAA sanctioning as a traditional postseason bowl game featuring FBS college teams, with a tentative game date of December 18, 2016. However, in April 2016, the NCAA announced a three-year moratorium on new bowl games.
In June 2018, the NCAA indicated that the Grand Strand area was approved for a bowl game. The Myrtle Beach Bowl was subsequently announced on November 13, 2018, by ESPN Events, with tie-ins to three conferences: the Sun Belt Conference, Conference USA (C-USA), and Mid-American Conference (MAC). During 2017–18 bowl season, there had been three teams that were bowl eligible but did not go to a bowl, as all slots were filled: Western Michigan and Buffalo from the MAC, and UTSA from C-USA.
The bowl made its debut as part of the 2020–21 bowl season, matching North Texas of C-USA and Appalachian State of the Sun Belt.
On November 6, 2025, Engine, a business and group travel platform, signed on a sponsor of the game, officially named the Myrtle Beach Bowl presented by Engine. The deal quietly expired after one season.
Game results
Date Winning Team Losing Team Attendance Notes December 21, 2020 Appalachian State 56 North Texas 28 5,000 notesDecember 20, 2021 Tulsa 30 Old Dominion 17 6,557 notesDecember 19, 2022 Marshall 28 UConn 14 12,023 notesDecember 16, 2023 Ohio 41 Georgia Southern 21 8,059 notesDecember 23, 2024 UTSA 44 Coastal Carolina 15 8,164 notesDecember 19, 2025 Western Michigan 41 Kennesaw State 6 9,139 notes
MVPs YearPlayerCollegePositionRef. 2020 Camerun Peoples Appalachian State RB 2021 Davis Brin Tulsa QB 2022 Rasheen Ali Marshall RB 2023 Rickey Hunt Jr. Ohio RB 2024 Owen McCown UTSA QB 2025 Jaylen Buckley Western Michigan RB
Appearances by team Updated through the December 2025 edition (6 games, 12 total appearances).
Teams with a single appearance Won (6): Appalachian State, Marshall, Ohio, Tulsa, UTSA, Western Michigan Lost (6): Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, North Texas, Old Dominion, UConn
Appearances by conference Updated through the December 2025 edition (6 games, 12 total appearances).
ConferenceRecordAppearances by seasonGamesWLWin pct.WonLost Sun Belt 4 2020, 2022 2023, 2024 C-USA 3 2020, 2021, 2025 American 2 2021, 2024 MAC 2 2023, 2025 Independent 1 2022
Independent appearances: UConn (2022)
Media coverage The bowl has been televised by ESPN since its inception.
Game records Updated through the December 2024 game.
TeamPerformance vs. OpponentYearMost points scored 56, Appalachian State vs. North Texas 2020Fewest points allowed 6, Western Michigan vs. Kennesaw State2025Margin of victory 35, Western Michigan vs. Kennesaw State2025First downs 35, Tulsa vs. Old Dominion2021Total yards638, Appalachian State vs. North Texas2020Rushing yards 502, Appalachian State vs. North Texas2020Passing yards 350, Georgia Southern vs. Ohio2023Most points scored (losing team)28, North Texas vs. Appalachian State 2020Most points scored (both teams)84, Appalachian State vs. North Texas 2020Fewest yards allowed247, Old Dominion vs. Tulsa 2021Fewest rushing yards allowed33, Ohio vs. Georgia Southern 2023Fewest passing yards allowed93, Marshall vs. UConn 2022IndividualPlayer (Team)YearPoints scored 30, shared by:Camerun Peoples (Appalachian State)Rickey Hunt (Ohio) 20202023All-Purpose yards 317, Camerun Peoples (Appalachian State)2020Rushing yards 317, Camerun Peoples (Appalachian State)2020Passing yards 350, Davis Brin (Georgia Southern)2023Receiving yards 131, Austin Ogunmakin (North Texas)2020Touchdowns (all-purpose)5, shared by:Camerun Peoples (Appalachian State)Rickey Hunt (Ohio)20202023Passing touchdowns 2, shared by:Jason Bean (North Texas)Davis Brin (Tulsa)Cam Fancher (Marshall)Davis Brin (Georgia Southern)Tad Hudson (Coastal Carolina)Broc Lowry (Western Michigan)202020212022202320242025Rushing touchdowns5, Camerun Peoples (Appalachian State)2020Receiving touchdowns2, shared by:Henry Pearson (Appalachian State)Loronzo Thompson (North Texas)2020Receptions 8, Josh Johnson (Tulsa)2021Tackles13, shared by:Kaiden Smith (Appalachian State)Jason Henderson (Old Dominion)R'Tarriun Johnson (Old Dominion)202020212021Tackles for loss3, shared by:Nick Hampton (Appalachian State)Jordan Young (Old Dominion)Bradley Weaver (Ohio)Martavius French (UTSA)2020202120232024Sacks2.5, Rodney McGraw (Western Michigan)2025Interceptions1, shared by multiple people; most recent:Caleb Offord (Kennesaw State)Joey Pope (Western Michigan)Tate Hallock (Western Michigan)2025Long PlaysRecord, Player, TeamYearTouchdown run 70 yds., Marcus Williams Jr. (Appalachian State)2020Touchdown pass 82 yds., Amari Odom (Kennesaw State) 2025Kickoff return100 yds., LaMareon James (Old Dominion)2021Punt return15 yds., Keegan Wilburn (Georgia Southern)2023Interception return75 yds., Joey Pope (Western Michigan)2025Fumble return47 yds., Kershawn Fisher (Western Michigan)2025Punt56 yds., Caile Hogan (UTSA)2024Field goal38 yds., Tate Sandell (UTSA)2024
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