LA Bowl
| LA Bowl (defunct) | |
|---|---|
| Bucked Up LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk | |
 | |
| Stadium | SoFi Stadium |
| Location | Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| Operated | 2021–2025 |
| Conference tie-ins | |
| Website | labowl |
| Sponsors | |
| |
| Former names | |
| |
| 2025 matchup | |
| Boise State vs. Washington (Washington 38–10) | |
The LA Bowl was an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football bowl game played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It was first played in December 2021 and last played in December 2025. The bowl's six-year contract expired after the 2025 edition.[1][2] (The bowl had first been scheduled to be played following the 2020 season, but it was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.)
The bowl had tie-ins with the Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences. The Pac-12 or its "legacy schools" (the 10 schools that departed the conference in 2024) continued to fulfill the Pac-12 tie-in obligation through the 2025 season.[3] Bowl organizers never released payout totals for the teams involved in the game.
History
[edit]The Mountain West Conference and Pac-12 Conference announced tie-ins for the new bowl in July 2019, under a five-year agreement.[4] The game was officially unveiled in February 2020. It matches up the Mountain West champion (or the next-highest pick available if the conference champion is selected for the New Year's Six) against the fifth pick from the Pac-12. Previously, the Mountain West champion had received an automatic bid to the Las Vegas Bowl.[5] The game is owned and operated by the owners of SoFi Stadium,[6] StadCo LA, LLC.[7]
Three weeks before the scheduled bowl game debut on December 30, 2020, the game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]
On June 16, 2021, the game was renamed the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl as part of a naming rights agreement with comedian and late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. Announcing the renaming on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel remarked that it was the first bowl game to be named for a living person.[9] The investment bank Stifel was later added as a presenting sponsor.[6]
On October 21, 2023, the bowl announced that it had signed a new multi-year sponsorship deal with former NFL star Rob Gronkowski.[10] On December 1, 2023, it added a naming rights partnership with Starco Brands, renaming the bowl the Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk.[11] In 2024, the sponsorship was moved to Starco's Art of Sport brand, making the game the Art of Sport LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk.[12] On September 30, 2025, it was announced that Bucked Up, a leading sports nutrition brand, signed on as the title sponsor of the game, known as the Bucked Up LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk.[13]
On January 14, 2026, the bowl's permanent cancellation was announced.[14]
Game results
[edit]All rankings are taken from the AP poll prior to the game being played.
| Date | Winning Team | Losing Team | Attendance | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 18, 2021 | Utah State | 24 | Oregon State | 13 | 29,896 | notes |
| December 17, 2022 | Fresno State | 29 | Washington State | 6 | 32,405 | notes |
| December 16, 2023 | UCLA | 35 | Boise State | 22 | 32,780 | notes |
| December 18, 2024 | No. 24 UNLV | 24 | California | 13 | 24,420 | notes |
| December 13, 2025 | Washington | 38 | Boise State | 10 | 23,269 | notes |
MVPs
[edit]| Year | Offensive MVP | Defensive MVP | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Pos. | Player | Team | Pos. | ||
| 2021 | Deven Thompkins | Utah State | WR | Nick Heninger | Utah State | DE | [15] |
| 2022 | Jordan Mims | Fresno State | RB | Devo Bridges | Fresno State | DE | [16] |
| 2023 | Ethan Garbers | UCLA | QB | Darius Muasau | UCLA | LB | [17] |
| 2024 | Jacob De Jesus | UNLV | WR | Jackson Woodard | UNLV | LB | [18][19] |
| 2025 | Demond Williams Jr. | Washington | QB | Xe'ree Alexander | Washington | LB | [20] |
Appearances by team
[edit]Updated through the December 2025 edition (5 games, 10 total appearances).
- Teams with multiple appearances
| Team | Appearances | Record | Win pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise State | 2 | 0–2 | .000 |
- Teams with a single appearance
Won (5): Fresno State, UCLA, UNLV, Utah State, Washington
Lost (3): California, Oregon State, Washington State
Appearances by conference
[edit]Updated through the December 2025 edition (5 games, 10 total appearances).
| Conference | Record | Appearances by season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | Win pct. | Won | Lost | |
| Mountain West | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | 2021, 2022, 2024 | 2023, 2025 |
| Pac-12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2023 | 2021, 2022 |
| Big Ten | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2025 | |
| ACC | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2024 | |
Game records
[edit]| Team | Performance vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points scored | 38, Washington vs. Boise State | 2025 |
| Fewest points allowed | 6, Fresno State vs. Washington State | 2022 |
| Margin of victory | 28, Washington vs. Boise State | 2025 |
| First downs | 27, Fresno State vs. Washington State | 2022 |
| Rushing yards | 280, UCLA vs. Boise State | 2023 |
| Passing yards | 280, Fresno State vs. Washington State | 2022 |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 22, Boise State vs. UCLA | 2023 |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 57, UCLA vs. Boise State | 2023 |
| Fewest yards allowed | 182, Fresno State vs. Washington State | 2022 |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | 45, Fresno State vs. Washington State | 2022 |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | 117, Boise State vs. UCLA | 2023 |
| Individual | Player, Team | Year |
| All-Purpose yards | 236, Jordan Mims (Fresno State) | 2022 |
| Points scored | 12, multiple (most recently): TJ Harden (UCLA) Ethan Garbers (UCLA) George Holani (Boise State) |
2023 |
| Passing touchdowns | 4, Demond Williams Jr. (Washington) | 2025 |
| Rushing yards | 209, Jordan Mims (Fresno State) | 2022 |
| Passing yards | 280, Jake Haener (Fresno State) | 2022 |
| Receiving yards | 142, J. Michael Sturdivant (UCLA) | 2023 |
| Receptions | 10, Robert Ferrel (Washington State) | 2022 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 2, shared by: Jordan Mims (Fresno State) George Holani (Boise State) TJ Harden (UCLA) |
2022 2023 2023 |
| Receiving touchdowns | 1, multiple (most recently): Denzel Boston, Dezmen Roebuck, Kayden McGee, Quentin Moore, Raiden Vines-Bright (UW) Matt Lauter (Boise St) |
2024, 2025 |
| Tackles | 13, Marsel McDuffie (UNLV) | 2024 |
| Sacks | 3, Nick Heninger (Utah State) | 2021 |
| Interceptions | 2, Leroy Bryant (Washington) | 2025 |
| Long plays | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Touchdown run | 66 yds., George Holani (Boise State) | 2023 |
| Touchdown pass | 78 yds., Demond Williams Jr. to Denzel Boston (Washington) | 2025 |
| Kickoff return | 79 yds., Kadarius Calloway (Cal) | 2024 |
| Punt return | 38 yds., Jacob De Jesus (UNLV) | 2024 |
| Interception return | 29 yds., Xe'ree Alexander (Washington) | 2025 |
| Fumble return | 0 yds., Jett Elad (UNLV) | 2024 |
| Punt | 57 yds., Marshall Nichols (UNLV) | 2024 |
| Field goal | 52 yds., Colton Boomer (Boise St) | 2025 |
Media coverage
[edit]The bowl has been televised by ABC from almost its inception in 2021 while it aired on ESPN for the 2024 edition.
References
[edit]- ^ McMurphy, Brett (December 11, 2025). "LA Bowl ending after Saturday's game with Washington and Boise State". On3.com. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
- ^ Kalland, Robby (December 11, 2025). "Bowl season in trouble? LA Bowl will fold after Saturday's Washington vs. Boise State matchup, per report". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
- ^ McMurphy, Brett (July 9, 2024). "Departing Pac-12 Schools to Play in Pac-12 Affiliated Bowl Games, Brett Yormark Says". actionnetwork.com. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ Crepea, James (July 25, 2019). "Pac-12 adds Los Angeles Bowl to postseason lineup starting in 2020". oregonlive. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- ^ "SoFi Stadium will be home to new college bowl game this season". Los Angeles Times. February 27, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "Stifel and Jimmy Kimmel team up as big names on college bowl game". St. Louis Business Journal. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ "How much will Rams, Chargers season tickets cost in Inglewood's new stadium?". Orange County Register. March 7, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
- ^ "Inaugural LA Bowl Postponed Until 2021 Due To Coronavirus". Associated Press. December 7, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ^ Tapp, Tom (June 17, 2021). "Jimmy Kimmel Gets College Football Bowl Game Named After Him: The 'Jimmy Kimmel L.A. Bowl' At SoFi Stadium". Deadline. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ Reedy, Joe (October 21, 2023). "Move over Jimmy Kimmel, it's now the LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk". Associated Press News. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "LA BOWL HOSTED BY GRONK PARTNERS WITH STARCO BRANDS FOR NAMING RIGHTS TO BOWL GAME, NOW STARCO BRANDS LA BOWL HOSTED BY GRONK". Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ "Art of Sport To Be Title Sponsor of 2024 LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk". Bowl Season. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "GET BUCKED UP AT LA BOWL!! Bucked Up Energy Becomes Title Sponsor..." Retrieved September 30, 2025.
- ^ Schrotenboer, Brent. "Bowl game ending causes college bowl schedule to get shorter". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- ^ Henline, Mitch (December 18, 2021). "Aggies finish championship season with LA Bowl victory over Oregon State". Cache Valley Daily. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Stoeckle, Savannah (December 17, 2022). "'Dogs make history with 29-6 win in Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl". Fresno State Athletics. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ "Dominant Second Half Carries UCLA to 35-22 Victory Over Boise State in LA Bowl". mynewsla.com. December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ @LABowlGame (December 18, 2024). "Our 2024 Offensive MVP" (Tweet). Retrieved December 19, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ @LABowlGame (December 18, 2024). "Our 2024 Defensive MVP" (Tweet). Retrieved December 19, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Yamashita, Andy (December 13, 2025), "Washington Huskies cruise to LA Bowl blowout over Boise State", Seattle Times
External links
[edit]- LA Bowl
- Annual sporting events in the United States
- College football bowls
- American football competitions in Los Angeles County, California
- American football in Inglewood, California
- Recurring sporting events established in 2021
- Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2026
- 2021 establishments in California
- 2026 disestablishments in California
- Sports competitions in Inglewood, California
- College football bowls in California