California Bowl
| California Bowl (defunct) | |
|---|---|
| California Raisin Bowl | |
| Stadium | Bulldog Stadium |
| Location | Fresno, California |
| Operated | 1981–1991 |
| Conference tie-ins | PCAA/Big West, MAC |
| Sponsors | |
|
California Raisin Advisory Board (1988–1991) | |
The California Bowl (later the California Raisin Bowl) was a post-season college football bowl game played annually at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California, from 1981 to 1991.[1] The game featured the champions of the Big West Conference (known prior to 1988 as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association) and the Mid-American Conference.
During the bowl's existence it was generally the first bowl game played during the postseason. It was regarded as one of the lower-profile bowl games in that the conferences involved were mid-majors, and was one of the first bowls to restrict its television marketing efforts to the medium of cable television. Fresno State largely dominated this game, playing in five of the 11 games and winning four of them. In 1988, the California Raisin Advisory Board purchased the naming rights to the bowl.
In 1992, the game moved to Las Vegas, Nevada after losing NCAA certification,[2] took the Big West and MAC affiliations with it, and became known as the Las Vegas Bowl.[3]
Game results
| Date played | Winning team | Losing team | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 19, 1981 | Toledo | 27 | San Jose State | 25 | notes |
| December 18, 1982 | Fresno State | 29 | Bowling Green | 28 | notes |
| December 17, 1983 | Northern Illinois | 20 | Cal State Fullerton | 13 | notes |
| December 15, 1984 | Toledo * | 13 | UNLV | 30 | notes |
| December 14, 1985 | Fresno State | 51 | Bowling Green | 7 | notes |
| December 13, 1986 | San Jose State | 37 | Miami (OH) | 7 | notes |
| December 12, 1987 | Eastern Michigan | 30 | San Jose State | 27 | notes |
| December 10, 1988 | Fresno State | 35 | Western Michigan | 30 | notes |
| December 9, 1989 | Fresno State | 27 | Ball State | 6 | notes |
| December 8, 1990 | San Jose State | 48 | Central Michigan | 24 | notes |
| December 14, 1991 | Bowling Green | 28 | Fresno State | 21 | notes |
* Toledo lost this game, but was later awarded the win due to UNLV's use of ineligible players earlier in the season.
Most Valuable Players
- 1982: Jeff Tedford (Quarterback)
- 1983: Lou Wicks (Fullback)
- 1985: Mike Mancini (Punter)
- 1986: Mike Perez (Quarterback) and Andy Marlatt
- 1987: Gary Patton (Running back)
- 1988: Darrell Rosette (Running back)
See also
References
- ↑ Foldesy, Jody. "Bowls burgeon as big business", The Washington Times. December 21, 1997. Page A1.
- ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1992-08-05/sports/sp-4944_1_bowl-ncaa-california
- ↑ http://espn.go.com/ncf/topics/_/page/las-vegas-bowl "history"