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SUN BOWL ASSOCIATION CONFIRMS DATE AND TIME FOR 84TH ANNUAL HYUNDAI SUN BOWL May 11, 2017

EL PASO, Texas – The Sun Bowl Association and Executive Director Bernie Olivas confirmed the date and start time for the 84th Annual Hyundai Sun Bowl, which is set for Friday, Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. MT (3 p.m. ET). The game will feature a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) taking on a team from the Pac-12 Conference and will be televised on CBS for the 50th consecutive year.

“All games played here are special but this one has a little extra prestige as it marks a 50-year tradition of being televised on CBS,” Olivas said.

The Sun Bowl’s contract with CBS Sports is the longest continuous relationship between a bowl game and one TV network, spanning since 1968 and running through at least 2019. It is one of only two college football games on CBS that does not involve the Southeastern Conference (the other being the Army–Navy Game). Although every other year, CBS broadcasts the Notre Dame–Navy game when the latter is playing as the home team.

Another unique trait the Hyundai Sun Bowl carries is that as of 2015, the game is one of only three bowls that is not being carried by the ESPN family of networks.

There has been a long list of broadcasters that have made it to El Paso including broadcast legends such as Frank Gifford, Pat Summerall, Burt Reynolds, Pat Haden, Verne Lundquist, Jim Nantz and Brad Nessler. Others to join the broadcast team over the years include Michele Tofoya, Doug Flutie, Pat O’Brien, Dan Fouts, Andre Ware and Steve Beuerlein just to name a few.

“We believe that the history of our bowl game is great,” Olivas said. “Just look at the list of teams that have been here, the list of great players that have been on the field and the list of amazing broadcasters we’ve been graced with in the broadcast booth.”

The 2016 Hyundai Sun Bowl resulted in North Carolina falling just short of a comeback to Stanford 25-23 in front of 42,166 loud and boisterous fans.

For more information about the Hyundai Sun Bowl and all the events supported by the Sun Bowl Association visit the website at www.sunbowl.org while also following on Social Media platforms such as Facebook (Hyundai Sun Bowl), Twitter and Instagram (@HyundaiSunBowl).

About the Game
On October 18, 1934, at a meeting of the El Paso Kiwanis Club, Dr. Brice Schuller suggested that the club sponsor a football game on New Year’s Day matching an El Paso High School All-Star Team against a worthy opponent. The motion was passed unanimously. It was decided to ask for public suggestions as to the name of this annual game, and the name “Sun Bowl” was submitted by Dr. C. M. Hendricks, who became the first Sun Bowl Association President.

The Sun Bowl football game was first played on January 1, 1935, as a fund-raising event for a local service club, to benefit underprivileged children and to finance improvement to the El Paso High School Stadium. It has grown into El Paso’s number one national attraction. The following year a weeklong schedule of events was added to the Sun Bowl festivities, and four other local service clubs (Rotary, Lions, Optimist and Active 20-30) joined the Kiwanis in coordinating the entire “Sun Carnival” calendar.

In 1936, New Mexico State and Hardin-Simmons Universities were invited to play, and the Sun Bowl has been a college game ever since.