California Bowl

"California Raisin Bowl" redirects here. For similarly named college football bowl game, see Raisin Bowl.
California Bowl (defunct)
California Raisin Bowl
Stadium Bulldog Stadium
Location Fresno, California
Operated 1981–1991
Conference tie-ins PCAA/Big West, MAC
Sponsors
California Raisin Advisory Board (1988–1991)

The California Bowl (later the California Raisin Bowl) was a post-season college football bowl game played annually at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California, from 1981 to 1991.[1] The game featured the champions of the Big West Conference (known prior to 1988 as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association) and the Mid-American Conference.

During the bowl's existence it was generally the first bowl game played during the postseason. It was regarded as one of the lower-profile bowl games in that the conferences involved were mid-majors, and was one of the first bowls to restrict its television marketing efforts to the medium of cable television. Fresno State largely dominated this game, playing in five of the 11 games and winning four of them. In 1988, the California Raisin Advisory Board purchased the naming rights to the bowl.

In 1992, the game moved to Las Vegas, Nevada after losing NCAA certification,[2] took the Big West and MAC affiliations with it, and became known as the Las Vegas Bowl.[3]

Game results

Date played Winning team Losing team Notes
December 19, 1981 Toledo 27 San Jose State 25 notes
December 18, 1982 Fresno State 29 Bowling Green 28 notes
December 17, 1983 Northern Illinois 20 Cal State Fullerton 13 notes
December 15, 1984 Toledo * 13 UNLV 30 notes
December 14, 1985 Fresno State 51 Bowling Green 7 notes
December 13, 1986 San Jose State 37 Miami (OH) 7 notes
December 12, 1987 Eastern Michigan 30 San Jose State 27 notes
December 10, 1988 Fresno State 35 Western Michigan 30 notes
December 9, 1989 Fresno State 27 Ball State 6 notes
December 8, 1990 San Jose State 48 Central Michigan 24 notes
December 14, 1991 Bowling Green 28 Fresno State 21 notes

* Toledo lost this game, but was later awarded the win due to UNLV's use of ineligible players earlier in the season.

Most Valuable Players

See also

References

  1. ↑ Foldesy, Jody. "Bowls burgeon as big business", The Washington Times. December 21, 1997. Page A1.
  2. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1992-08-05/sports/sp-4944_1_bowl-ncaa-california
  3. ↑ http://espn.go.com/ncf/topics/_/page/las-vegas-bowl "history"
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