Rate Bowl

History

"Cactus Bowl" had been the originally planned name for what became the Copper Bowl in 1989. The game was played under the Copper Bowl name through 1996, after which title sponsorship rights were assumed by Insight Enterprises, which self-titled the game from 1997 through 2011. In 2012, restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings became the sponsor and self-titled the game for two years. Buffalo Wild Wings declined to renew sponsorship following the 2013 game, at which time organizers opted to rename the game "Cactus Bowl" rather than reverting to the Copper Bowl name. There had been a Texas-based Cactus Bowl played in Division II, but that game was discontinued after 2011. For 2014, TicketCity sponsored the new Cactus Bowl, and Motel 6 became the sponsor in 2015. In 2018, Kellogg's became the sponsor and rebranded the bowl, naming it after its cheese cracker brand, Cheez-It. In May 2020, the Cactus Bowl name returned, as Cheez-It sponsorship moved to what had been known as the Camping World Bowl played in Orlando, Florida.

For the first ten years, the game was played at Arizona Stadium, on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson. In 2000, the bowl's organizers moved the game to Bank One Ballpark, a baseball-specific stadium, in downtown Phoenix. In 2006, the game moved to Sun Devil Stadium at Arizona State University in Tempe to replace the Fiesta Bowl, which had moved to University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale. The 2006 game set a record (since tied in the 2016 Alamo Bowl) for the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I FBS bowl history, as Texas Tech came back from a 38–7 third-quarter deficit to defeat Minnesota in overtime, 44–41.

For the first three playings of the Copper Bowl, TBS carried the game. Beginning in 1992 and continuing until the 2005 playing, the game aired on ESPN. After a four-year hiatus, during which NFL Network carried the game, ESPN regained the rights beginning in 2010.

The 2020 edition of the bowl was cancelled on December 20, 2020, due to an insufficient number of teams available to fill all 2020–21 bowl games, after a season impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conference tie-ins

Before 2006, the game mainly featured teams from the Pac-10, Western Athletic Conference, Big 12, and old Big East conferences. From 2006 to 2013, it began featuring an annual matchup between teams from the Big Ten and the Big 12. Starting with the 2015 game, it featured a matchup between Pac-12 and Big 12 teams. Teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Mountain West Conference have also competed, along with teams from the now defunct Southwest Conference and Big Eight, and one independent school (Notre Dame in 2004). In July 2019, the bowl announced tie-ins with the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences, starting with the 2020–21 season and continuing through the 2025–26 season.

Game results

All rankings are taken from the AP Poll prior to the game being played.

Source: :Games 1–11 (copper) played in Tucson at Arizona Stadium :Games 12–17 (silver) played in Phoenix at Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) :Games 18–26 (yellow) played in Tempe at Sun Devil Stadium :Games 27–present (silver) played in Phoenix at Chase Field (formerly Bank One Ballpark)

MVPs

Two MVPs are selected for each game; one an offensive player, the other a defensive player.

Source:

Sportsmanship award

The bowl awarded a sportsmanship award for the 2001 through January 2016 games.

Most appearances

Updated through the December 2025 edition (36 games, 72 total appearances).

;Teams with multiple appearances

, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF are the only current Big 12 schools that have not played in this bowl, albeit some while having previous conference affiliations. Eight of the current Big 12 schools have appeared multiple times. Former Big 12 member Missouri has appeared in the bowl, but former Big 12 members Nebraska, Texas and Texas A&M have not. ;Teams with a single appearance Won (4): BYU, Colorado, Michigan State, Syracuse Lost (9): Boise State, Boston College, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, UCLA, UNLV, Virginia Tech, Washington

Appearances by conference

Updated through the December 2025 edition (36 games, 72 total appearances).

• Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
• Records reflect conference affiliations at the time each game was played.
• The Pac-12's record includes appearances when the conference was the Pac-10. From 1989 through 2005, Pac-10 teams made eight appearances and were 7–1.
• Big East teams made seven appearances and were 2–5; the American Conference retains the conference charter following the 2013 split of the original Big East along football lines.
• Conferences that are defunct or no longer active in FBS are marked in italics.
• Independent appearances: Notre Dame (2004)

Game records

Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the noted calendar year.

Source:

Media coverage

The bowl has been televised by three different networks: TBS (1989–1991), ESPN (1992–2005, 2010–present), and NFL Network (2006–2009).

Notes

References

References

1. "2019 Bowl Schedule".
2. "Guaranteed Rate Joins With Cactus Bowl As Title Partner For Newly-Named Guaranteed Rate Bowl".
3. (October 17, 2024). "Downtown Phoenix bowl game renamed Rate Bowl as part of rebrand".
4. McMurphy, Brett. (May 4, 2015). "Cactus Bowl moving to Chase Field for next three seasons".
5. (1988-08-13). "New bowl game seeking sponsor, TV pact". [[The Tuscaloosa News]].
6. (26 January 2012). "Insight Bowl loses its title sponsor after 15 years". Sports Illustrated.
7. (16 June 2014). "Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl loses sponsorship". azcentral.
8. (2014-11-25). "TicketCity gets Cactus Bowl naming rights for Cactus Bowl in Tempe". [[Phoenix Business Journal]].
9. "Motel 6 inks naming rights deal for Cactus Bowl".
10. "CHEEZ-IT JOINS CACTUS BOWL AS NEW NAMING RIGHTS PARTNER".
11. Metcalfe, Jeff. (May 27, 2020). "Downtown Phoenix bowl game reverts to Cactus Bowl name".
12. (December 29, 2006). "Down 31, Texas Tech rallies for biggest bowl comeback".
13. Graham, Pat. (December 20, 2020). "'A long grind': Bowl Day marred by cancellations, opt outs".
14. Fitzgerald, Katherine. (June 4, 2019). "Cheez-It Bowl to feature Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup starting in 2020".
15. "Guaranteed Rate Bowl Game Update Statement".
16. (2020). "Cheez-It Bowl". NCAA.
17. "Game History".
18. (2023). "Players of the Game". University Sports Publications.
19. (December 27, 2023). "Congratulations to the Offensive MVP, with a new #GuaranteedRateBowl record of SIX passing touchdowns! We applaud you @jasonbean24".
20. (December 27, 2023). "#1 on defense and #1 in our hearts! Congratulations @Kennylogan23 on being the #GuaranteedRateBowl Defensive MVP!".
21. (December 26, 2024). "Congratulations to the #RateBowl Offensive MVP @dylan_edwards02, presented by @HeluvaGood.".
22. (December 26, 2024). "Congratulations to @austinmoore_21, the #RateBowl Defensive MVP, presented by @HeluvaGood.".
23. "Cheez-It Bowl Records".
24. "2019–20 Football Bowl Association Media Guide".