| Boca Raton Bowl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | FAU Stadium |
| Location | Boca Raton, Florida |
| Operated | 2014–present |
| Conference tie-ins | C-USA, The American, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt |
| Payout | US$900,000 (2019)[1] |
| Website | bocaratonbowl |
| Sponsors | |
| |
| Former names | |
| |
| 2023 matchup | |
| Syracuse vs. South Florida (South Florida 45–0) | |
| 2024 matchup | |
| Western Kentucky vs. James Madison (James Madison 27–17) | |
The Boca Raton Bowl is an annual National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned post-season Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football bowl game played in Boca Raton, Florida, since December 2014 on the campus of Florida Atlantic University (FAU) at FAU Stadium. Winners of the game received the Howard Schnellenberger championship trophy, named for the football head coach at FAU from 2001 to 2011.
From 2020 through 2023, the bowl was sponsored by RoofClaim.com.[2] Previous sponsors were Cheribundi (2017–2019) and Marmot (2015).
History
[edit]The bowl was founded on October 10, 2013,[3] and was first played in December 2014 as one of the 2014–15 bowl games.[4]
The bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events, in partnership with Good Karma Brands (owner of the local ESPN Radio affiliate WUUB).[4][5] On October 6, 2015, Marmot, an outdoor clothing and sporting goods company, was announced as the title sponsor of the game.[6] On December 1, 2017, Cheribundi, a New York–based beverage company, was announced as the new title sponsor.[7][8]
Conference tie-ins
[edit]The bowl had a tie-in with the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for 2014 and 2015, to face opponents from Conference USA (C-USA) in the first year and the American Athletic Conference (The American) in the second.[9]
In 2014, Northern Illinois, winner of the 2014 MAC Championship Game, was sent as the conference's representative, while C-USA also sent its champion, Marshall. The MAC and C-USA did not have automatic bowl bids for their champions entering 2014; C-USA had lost its contract with the Liberty Bowl, while the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, which usually took the MAC champion, was discontinued after its 2013 playing and the GoDaddy Bowl, which takes a MAC team and has the option to take the conference champion if it desires, did not invite Marshall. In 2015, the MAC sent Toledo and The American sent Temple.
In 2016 and 2017, C-USA and The American had primary tie-ins with the bowl.[10] In 2016, C-USA sent Western Kentucky and The American sent Memphis. In 2017, C-USA sent Florida Atlantic while their opponent, Akron, came from the MAC. A C-USA vs. MAC matchup was again featured in 2018. The "affiliated conferences" for the 2019 game were The American, C-USA and MAC.[11]
Game results
[edit]All rankings in AP Poll.
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Attendance | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 23, 2014 | Marshall | 52 | Northern Illinois | 23 | 29,419 | notes |
| December 22, 2015 | Toledo | 32 | 24 Temple | 17 | 25,908 | notes |
| December 20, 2016 | Western Kentucky | 51 | Memphis | 31 | 24,726 | notes |
| December 19, 2017 | Florida Atlantic | 50 | Akron | 3 | 25,912 | notes |
| December 18, 2018 | UAB | 37 | Northern Illinois | 13 | 22,614 | notes |
| December 21, 2019 | Florida Atlantic | 52 | SMU | 28 | 23,187 | notes |
| December 22, 2020 | 13 BYU | 49 | UCF | 23 | 6,000 | notes |
| December 18, 2021 | Western Kentucky | 59 | Appalachian State | 38 | 15,429 | notes |
| December 20, 2022 | Toledo | 21 | Liberty | 19 | 20,622 | notes |
| December 21, 2023 | South Florida | 45 | Syracuse | 0 | 20,711 | notes |
| December 18, 2024 | James Madison | 27 | Western Kentucky | 17 | 15,808 | notes |
Source:[12]
MVPs
[edit]
The number of players honored as MVPs has varied.
| Year | Offense | Defense | Special Teams | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Pos. | Team | Player | Pos. | Team | Player | Pos. | Team | ||
| 2014 | Rakeem Cato | QB | Marshall | [13] | ||||||
| 2015 | Phillip Ely | QB | Toledo | Ju'Wan Woodley | LB | Toledo | [14] | |||
| 2016 | Anthony Wales | RB | Western Kentucky | Keith Brown | LB | Western Kentucky | [15] | |||
| 2017 | Jason Driskel | QB | Florida Atlantic | Azeez Al-Shaair | LB | Florida Atlantic | [16] | |||
| 2018 | Xavier Ubosi | WR | UAB | Anthony Rush | NT | UAB | [17] | |||
| 2019 | Chris Robison | QB | Florida Atlantic | Rashad Smith | LB | Florida Atlantic | Matt Hayball | P | Florida Atlantic | [18] |
| 2020 | Zach Wilson | QB | BYU | Keenan Pili | LB | BYU | Caleb Christensen | KR | BYU | [19] |
| 2021 | Bailey Zappe | QB | Western Kentucky | Antwon Kincade | DB | Western Kentucky | John Haggerty III | P | Western Kentucky | [20] |
| 2022 | Dequan Finn | QB | Toledo | Nate Givhan | LB | Toledo | Thomas Cluckey | K | Toledo | [21] |
| 2023 | Byrum Brown | QB | South Florida | Daquan Evans | DB | South Florida | Aamaris Brown | DB | South Florida | [22] |
| 2024 | JC Evans | QB | James Madison | DJ Barksdale | NB | James Madison | Ryan Hanson | P | James Madison | [23] |
Most appearances
[edit]Updated through the December 2024 edition (11 games, 22 total appearances).
- Teams with multiple appearances
| Rank | Team | Appearances | Record | Win pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Kentucky | 3 | 2–1 | 0.667 |
| 2 | Florida Atlantic | 2 | 2–0 | 1.000 |
| Toledo | 2 | 2–0 | 1.000 | |
| Northern Illinois | 2 | 0–2 | 0.000 |
- Teams with a single appearance
Won (5): BYU, James Madison, Marshall, South Florida, UAB
Lost (8): Akron, Appalachian State, Liberty, Memphis, SMU, Syracuse, Temple, UCF
Appearances by conference
[edit]Updated through the December 2024 edition (11 games, 22 total appearances).
| Conference | Record | Appearances by season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | Win pct. | Won | Lost | |
| C-USA | 7 | 6 | 1 | .857 | 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 | 2024 |
| MAC | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | 2015, 2022 | 2014, 2017, 2018 |
| The American | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 | 2023 | 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 |
| Independents | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2020 | 2022 |
| Sun Belt | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2024 | 2021 |
| ACC | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2023 | |
Independent appearances: BYU (2020), Liberty (2022)
Game records
[edit]| Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 59, Western Kentucky vs. Appalachian State | 2021 |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 38, Appalachian State vs. Western Kentucky | 2021 |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 97, Western Kentucky vs. Appalachian State | 2021 |
| Fewest points allowed | 0, South Florida vs. Syracuse | 2023 |
| Largest margin of victory | 47, Florida Atlantic vs. Akron | 2017 |
| Total yards | 655, BYU vs. UCF | 2020 |
| Rushing yards | 312, Florida Atlantic vs. Akron | 2017 |
| Passing yards | 441, BYU vs. UCF | 2020 |
| First downs | 34, BYU vs. UCF | 2020 |
| Fewest yards allowed | 146, Florida Atlantic vs. Akron | 2017 |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | 16, James Madison vs. Western Kentucky | 2024 |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | 77, Florida Atlantic vs. Akron | 2017 |
| Individual | Record, Player, Team | Year |
| All-purpose yards | 329, Anthony Wales (Western Kentucky) | 2016 |
| Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 3, most recent: Jerreth Sterns (Western Kentucky) | 2021 |
| Rushing yards | 245, Anthony Wales (Western Kentucky) | 2016 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 3, shared by: Anthony Wales (Western Kentucky) Devin Singletary (Florida Atlantic) |
2016 2017 |
| Passing yards | 425, Zach Wilson (BYU) | 2020 |
| Passing touchdowns | 6, Bailey Zappe (Western Kentucky) | 2021 |
| Receptions | 18, Tommy Shuler (Marshall) | 2014 |
| Receiving yards | 227, Xavier Ubosi (UAB)[24] | 2018 |
| Receiving touchdowns | 3, shared by Anthony Miller (Memphis) Xavier Ubosi (UAB) Jerreth Sterns (Western Kentucky) |
2016 2018 2021 |
| Tackles | 16, Mike Smith Jr (Liberty) | 2022 |
| Sacks | 3.0, shared by: Arthur Maulet (Memphis) Nick Dawson (Western Kentucky) |
2016 |
| Interceptions | 1, most recent: Jacquez Williams (South Florida) Tavin Ward (South Florida) |
2023 |
| Long Plays | Record, Player, Team | Year |
| Touchdown run | 86 yds., Noah Whittington (Western Kentucky) | 2021 |
| Touchdown pass | 80 yds., Cody Thompson (Toledo) | 2015 |
| Kickoff return | 93 yds., Deandre Reaves (Marshall) | 2014 |
| Punt return | 24 yds., Jalen Young (Florida Atlantic) | 2017 |
| Interception return | 22 yds., Rashad Smith (Florida Atlantic) | 2019 |
| Fumble return | 64 yds., Aamaris Brown (South Florida) | 2023 |
| Punt | 71 yds., Alex Starzyk (Temple) | 2015 |
| Field goal | 42 yds., Nick Vogel (UAB) [25] | 2018 |
Media coverage
[edit]The bowl has been televised by ESPN since its inception, with the 2019 edition broadcast on ABC.
Legends honorees
[edit]Each December, the bowl recognizes one person associated with football in the state of Florida with the Palm Beach County Football Legends Award.[needs update]
| Year | Honoree | Role | Florida team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Howard Schnellenberger | College & NFL head coach | Florida Atlantic Owls | [26] |
| 2015 | Reidel Anthony | College & NFL wide receiver | Florida Gators | [27] |
| 2016 | John Carney | College & NFL placekicker | Cardinal Newman High School | [28] |
| 2017 | Steve Walsh | College & NFL quarterback; High School & CFL coach | Miami Hurricanes | [29] |
| 2018 | Brad Banks | College & CFL quarterback; 2002 Heisman Trophy runner-up | Glades Central High School | [30] |
References
[edit]- ^ "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- ^ "Boca Raton Bowl Announces Roofclaim.Com as Title Sponsor". bowlseason.com (Press release). ESPN Events. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "MAC Announces The Creation Of The Boca Raton Bowl". Mac-sports.com. October 11, 2013. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ a b Drew, David (May 14, 2014). "Dates and times set for inaugural MAC football-affiliated Boca Raton Bowl, Bahamas Bowl". mlive.com. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ "Sports Media: Good Karma's deal with ESPN Radio a long time coming". Sports Business Journal. 2023-07-31. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ^ "Marmot Becomes Title Sponsor of Boca Raton Bowl". ESPN Events. 6 October 2015.
- ^ "Boca Raton Bowl Announces Cheribundi Tart Cherry As The New Title Sponsor". Boca Raton News Most Reliable Source | Boca Raton Newspaper. 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
- ^ "BOCA RATON BOWL ANNOUNCES CHERIBUNDI TART CHERRY AS THE NEW TITLE SPONSOR". Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ Ellis, Zac (October 11, 2013). "MAC announces creation of Boca Raton Bowl in 2014". College-football.si.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ^ "FB: C-USA Bowl Partners Announce 2017 Dates". conferenceusa.com. May 10, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
- ^ "Matchup". cheribundibocaratonbowl.com. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
- ^ "Boca Raton Bowl" (PDF). Bowl/All Star Game Records. NCAA. 2020. p. 16. Retrieved January 3, 2021 – via NCAA.org.
- ^ Burke, Peter (December 23, 2014). "Rakeem Cato caps record-setting career with win in Boca Raton Bowl". local10.com. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
- ^ Smith, Cyrus (December 22, 2015). "Toledo shuts Temple down 32-17 to win Marmot Boca Raton Bowl". underdogdynasty.com. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
- ^ @BocaBowl (December 20, 2016). "Offensive MVP Ace Wales & Defensive MVP Keith Brown" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Kelly, John W. (December 20, 2017). "Owls are Boca Raton Bowl Champions!". FAU.edu. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ @MrOliver1970 (December 18, 2018). "Congratulations to UAB BLAZERS FOOTBALL!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Boca Bowl Champs!!". fausports.com. December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ @BYUfootball (December 22, 2020). "Boca Raton Bowl Game" (Tweet). Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Parry, Rose (December 18, 2021). "Western Kentucky Tops Appalachian State, 59-38, in the 2021 Roofclaim.Com Boca Raton Bowl". roofclaimbocaratonbowl.com (Press release). Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ Shomo, Evan (December 21, 2022). "Toledo Rockets Win Ninth Annual Roofclaim.Com Boca Raton Bowl". roofclaimbocaratonbowl.com. Florida Atlantic University. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ "USF Football Dominates Syracuse, 45-0, In Boca Raton Bowl Victory". USF Athletics. 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ Paul, Ben (December 18, 2024). "James Madison 24-17 Western Kentucky, Boca Raton Bowl 2024". bocaratonbowl.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ @UAB_FB (December 18, 2018). "The 227 yards receiving by Xavier Ubosi is a new @BocaBowl record!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ @UAB_FB (December 18, 2018). "Nick Vogel knocks through a 42-yard field goal and sets a new @BocaBowl record with the longest made field goal in bowl history!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ @BocaBowl (December 2, 2014). "Howard Schnellenberger to Receive First-Ever Palm Beach County Football Legends Award Presented by Sun Trust" (Tweet). Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Reidel Anthony to receive Palm Beach County Football Legends Award". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ @bsschiller (November 29, 2016). "Cardinal Newman alumnus & former NFL kicker, John Carney will receive the 2016 Built Ford Tough Palm Beach County Football Legends Award" (Tweet). Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Zips Keep Busy on Final Day Before Bowl Game". gozips.com. December 18, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- ^ @BocaBowl (December 17, 2018). "Honoring our #BuiltFordTough Palm Beach County Football Legends Award Winner" (Tweet). Retrieved December 18, 2018 – via Twitter.