American Football Database
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Maaco Bowl Las Vegas
(Formerly Las Vegas Bowl)
File:Maaco Las Vegas Bowl logo.jpg
Maaco Bowl Las Vegas logo, adopted in April 2009
Stadium Sam Boyd Stadium
Location Whitney, Nevada, U.S.
Operated 1992–present
Conference tie-ins MWC, Pac-12
Previous conference tie-ins Big West, MAC (1992–96)
WAC (1997–1998)
Payout US$1,000,000
Sponsors
EA Sports (1999)
Sega/Sega Sports (2001–2002)
Pioneer PureVision (2003–2008)
Maaco (2009–present)
Former names
EA Sports Las Vegas Bowl (1999)
Sega Sports Las Vegas Bowl (2001–2002)
Pioneer Purevision Las Vegas Bowl (2003–2006)
Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl (2007–2008)
2011 matchup
Boise State vs. Arizona State (Boise State 56–24)
2012 matchup
Boise State vs. Washington (Boise State 28-26)

The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas (formerly the Las Vegas Bowl) is an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. since 1992. From 1992 to 1996, matchups featured the champion teams from the Big West and Mid-American Conference. In 1997 and 1998, matchups featured a representative from the Western Athletic Conference and an at-large bid. In 1999 and 2000, match-ups featured a representative from the newly formed Mountain West Conference and an at-large bid. Since 2001, the game has featured a matchup of teams from the Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences.

Since 2006, the bowl gets first choice of Mountain West Conference teams. This would normally be the conference champion unless that team qualifies for the BCS (previously, the Mountain West Champion faced off against the Conference USA champion in the Liberty Bowl from the formation of the conference in 1998 until 2005, when the contract ran out).

The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas gets the fifth-place Pac-12 team to meet its MWC opponent.

In the latest matchup, Boise State defeated Washington 28–26.

History[]

The game originated from the California Raisin Bowl, which was played in Fresno from 1981–1991. In 1992, the game reorganized and relocated to Las Vegas and was renamed the Las Vegas Bowl.

The NCAA adopted an overtime rule for the 1995 post-season and all games thereafter. In 1995, Toledo defeated Nevada, 40–37, in the first ever overtime game in Division I-A college football. The following season the policy of overtime was adopted for regular season games to break ties.

The bowl was known as the SEGA Sports Las Vegas Bowl from 2001 to 2002. From 2003 to 2008, the title sponsor was the Pioneer Corporation. With the current sponsor, the bowl is called the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas. The owner of the bowl is ESPN Plus (a/k/a/ "ESPN Regional Television") of which the parent network, ESPN carries the game, one of six contests run by the group better known as ESPN Plus.[1]

On December 25, 2002, UCLA interim coach Ed Kezirian was victorious in his only game as the UCLA head coach as UCLA won 27–13 over the New Mexico. In that game, New Mexico sent Katie Hnida in to kick an extra point which was the first time a woman played in a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (née Division I-A) college football game. The kick was blocked.

The 2007 Las Vegas Bowl featured a rematch between Mountain West Champion BYU and UCLA who defeated BYU during the regular season. UCLA scored first on a field goal after a fumble by BYU quarterback Max Hall. BYU answered with a touchdown reception by Austin Collie. BYU went up 17–6 with Michael Reed catch for a touchdown. A fumble by BYU with 19 seconds left in the first half allowed UCLA to score and cut the lead to 17-13. UCLA cut the deficit to 17-16 on a 50-yard field goal. With two minutes left UCLA took over at their own two yard line. They were able to drive down to the BYU 13 yard line with 3 seconds left. The 28-yard field goal attempt was partially blocked by BYU defensive tackle Eathyn Manumaleuna and fell short giving BYU their second Vegas Bowl victory in three tries, also making the Cougars the first school to win back-to-back Las Vegas Bowls. The following year, though, the Arizona Wildcats denied BYU their third consecutive Las Vegas Bowl win by winning 31–21.

Game results[]

File:2004LVBowl.JPG

UCLA vs. Wyoming in 2004

Date Winning team Losing team Notes
December 18, 1992 Bowling Green 35 Nevada 34 notes
December 17, 1993 Utah State 42 Ball State 33 notes
December 15, 1994 UNLV 52 Central Michigan 24 notes
December 14, 1995 Toledo 40 Nevada 37 (OT) notes
December 18, 1996 Nevada 18 Ball State 15 notes
December 20, 1997 Oregon 41 Air Force 13 notes
December 19, 1998 North Carolina 20 San Diego State 13 notes
December 18, 1999 Utah 17 Fresno State 16 notes
December 21, 2000 UNLV 31 Arkansas 14 notes
December 25, 2001 Utah 10 Southern California 6 notes
December 25, 2002 UCLA 27 New Mexico 13 notes
December 24, 2003 Oregon State 55 New Mexico 14 notes
December 23, 2004 Wyoming 24 UCLA 21 notes
December 22, 2005 California 35 BYU 28 notes
December 21, 2006 BYU 38 Oregon 8 notes
December 22, 2007 BYU 17 UCLA 16 notes
December 20, 2008 Arizona 31 BYU 21 notes
December 22, 2009 BYU 44 Oregon State 20 notes
December 22, 2010 Boise State 26 Utah 3 notes
December 22, 2011 Boise State 56 Arizona State 24 notes
December 22, 2012 Boise State 28 Washington 26 notes

MVPs[]

File:Marshawn Lynch Vegas.jpg

Game MVP Marshawn Lynch at the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl.

Date MVP Team Position
December 18, 1992 Erik White Bowling Green QB
December 17, 1993 Anthony Calvillo Utah State QB
December 15, 1994 Henry Bailey UNLV WR
December 14, 1995 Wasean Tait Toledo RB
December 18, 1996 Mike Crawford Nevada LB
December 20, 1997 Pat Johnson Oregon WR
December 19, 1998 Ronald Curry North Carolina QB
December 18, 1999 Mike Anderson Utah RB
December 21, 2000 Jason Thomas UNLV QB
December 25, 2001 Dameon Hunter Utah RB
December 25, 2002 Craig Bragg UCLA WR
December 24, 2003 Steven Jackson Oregon State RB
December 23, 2004 Corey Bramlet Wyoming QB
December 22, 2005 Marshawn Lynch California RB
December 21, 2006 Jonny Harline BYU TE
December 22, 2007 Austin Collie BYU WR
December 20, 2008 Willie Tuitama Arizona QB
December 22, 2009 Max Hall BYU QB
December 22, 2010 Kellen Moore Boise State QB
December 22, 2011 Doug Martin Boise State RB
December 22, 2012 Bishop Sankey Washington RB

Most appearances[]

Rank Team Appearances Record
1 BYU 5 3–2
T2 Boise State 3 3–0
T2 Utah 3 2–1
T2 Nevada 3 1–2
T2 UCLA 3 1–2
T6 UNLV 2 2–0
T6 Oregon 2 1–1
T6 Oregon State 2 1–1
T6 Ball State 2 0–2
T6 New Mexico 2 0–2
T11 Arizona 1 1–0
T11 Bowling Green 1 1–0
T11 California 1 1–0
T11 North Carolina 1 1–0
T11 Toledo 1 1–0
T11 Utah State 1 1–0
T11 Wyoming 1 1–0
T11 Air Force 1 0–1
T11 Arizona State 1 0–1
T11 Arkansas 1 0–1
T11 Central Michigan 1 0–1
T11 Fresno State 1 0–1
T11 San Diego State 1 0–1
T11 Southern California 1 0–1
T11 Washington 1 0–1

Wins by conference[]

Conference Wins Losses Pct.
MWC 8 5 .615
Pac-12 5 6 .454
Big West 3 2 .600
MAC 2 3 .400
WAC 1 3 .250
ACC 1 0 1.000
SEC 0 1 .000

Television coverage[]

  • Las Vegas Bowl broadcasters

References[]

  1. Brian Hilderbrand - What does Pioneer have to gain by sponsoring the Las Vegas Bowl?. Las Vegas Sun, December 14, 2006

External links[]

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