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Bahamas Bowl
Annual U.S. college football game in Nassau, Bahamas From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Bahamas Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been contested nine times since 2014 in Nassau, Bahamas, at the 15,000-seat Thomas Robinson Stadium.[2] The bowl has tie-ins with the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA.
The game was not played following the 2020 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the December 2023 edition, the game was temporarily moved to Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, due to renovations at Thomas Robinson Stadium. This edition was known as the Famous Toastery Bowl, reflecting the title sponsor of the relocated game.[3][4][5] The Bahamas Bowl is not scheduled to be played following the 2025 football season; future plans for the bowl are unclear.[6]
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History
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The inaugural edition of the Bahamas Bowl, played in 2014, was the first major (FBS or historical equivalent) bowl game to be played outside the United States and Canada between two U.S. teams since the January 1, 1937, Bacardi Bowl in Havana, Cuba.[7] The game featured teams from the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA;[8] that conference matchup has continued annually.[9] In July 2019, the MAC announced a continuation of its tie-in with the bowl through the 2025–26 football season.[10]
From its inception to 2017, the game was sponsored by the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant franchise and officially known as the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl.[11] After Restaurant Brands International acquired Popeyes in 2017, they declined to renew sponsorship. Elk Grove Village, Illinois—"home to the largest industrial park in the United States"—picked up title sponsorship in 2018, with the bowl using the official naming of Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.[12] The name lasted until Elk Grove Village ended its sponsorship in March 2020.[13] On May 25, 2022, it was announced that HomeTown Lenders would be the new title sponsor of the game.[14]
The winning team is presented with a trophy, since 2016 named the Prime Minister's Trophy.[15] The current trophy, in use since the 2018 playing, is approximately 30 inches (76 cm) tall and weighs nearly 30 pounds (14 kg).[15]
On October 2, 2020, the 2020 edition of the bowl was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions.[16]
On October 26, 2023, it was announced that the 2023 edition would be played at Jerry Richardson Stadium on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte due to ongoing renovations at the host venue, Thomas Robinson Stadium.[3] The game was also temporarily renamed to reflect that it would not be played in the Bahamas.[4] On November 14, 2023, Famous Toastery, a restaurant chain based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was named as title sponsor of the relocated Famous Toastery Bowl.[17]
The bowl returned to the Bahamas for the edition following the 2024 season, and was played in January for the first time.[18]
In early June 2025, the Bahamas Bowl was not included in the announced lineup of bowls scheduled to follow the 2025 season.[6] Future plans for the bowl are unclear.[6]
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Game results
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MVPs
Most appearances
Updated through the January 2025 edition (10 games, 20 total appearances).
- Teams with multiple appearances
- Teams with a single appearance
Won (3): FIU, Ohio, Western Michigan
Lost (5): Central Michigan, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan, Liberty, Miami (OH)
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Appearances by conference
Updated through the January 2025 edition (10 games, 20 total appearances).
- Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
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Game records
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Source:[36]
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Media coverage
The bowl has been televised by ESPN since its inception.
See also
Notes
References
External links
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