Organized by community leaders out of a need to fill hotel rooms during a traditionally slow period in a world-class destination city, the Las Vegas Bowl first kicked off on Dec. 18, 1992, and has been nationally televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC every year.
Originally pitting the champions of the Big West and Mid-American conferences, the game’s initial offering was a nail-biter as Bowling Green held on to slip by Nevada 35-34 in what was hailed by many as the best bowl game that year.
Known for the next decade as the first bowl each season, the event was switched to later in the month starting in 2001 when hometown entry UNLV defeated Arkansas on Dec. 21. Moves to Christmas Day and then to Christmas Eve were staged and, indeed, the now-named MAACO Bowl Las Vegas keeps inching down the calendar looking for a perfect day to pit football teams from the Pac-10 and Mountain West conferences against each other at Sam Boyd Stadium.
DID YOU KNOW?
The first-ever Division I-A overtime game took place at the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl when Toledo outlasted Nevada 40-37.
In the last 10 years, the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas has hosted teams from the Pac-10, Mountain West, Western Athletic, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences. Pac-10 teams have played in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas nine times and hold a 5-4 record. Schools now in the MWC have combined to play in 12 such games and sport a 7-6 record, including a winning 6-4 mark since splitting from the WAC and forming the new league in 1999.
A natural regional rivalry has emerged between the two leagues and that competitive match up is guaranteed to continue through at least 2009. Both the Pac-10 and MWC announced in 2005 four-year contract extensions with the game, which is now owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT).
DID YOU KNOW?
The first-ever woman to play in a Division I-A football game was Katie Hnida when she attempted an extra point vs. UCLA in 2002.
ALL-TIME RESULTS:
Pioneer LAS VEGAS BOWL:
Arizona 31, BYU 21
MVP: UA QB Willie Tuitama
Pioneer LAS VEGAS BOWL:
BYU 17, UCLA 16
MVP: BYU WR Austin Collie
Pioneer PureVision LAS VEGAS BOWL:
BYU 38, Oregon 8
MVP: BYU TE Johnny Harline
Pioneer PureVision LAS VEGAS BOWL:
California 35, BYU 28
MVP: Cal RB Marshawn Lynch
Pioneer PureVision LAS VEGAS BOWL:
Wyoming 24, UCLA 21
MVP: UW QB Corey Bramlet
LAS VEGAS BOWL XII:
Oregon State 55, New Mexico 14
MVP: OSU RB Steven Jackson
SEGA Sports LAS VEGAS BOWL:
UCLA 27, New Mexico 13
MVP: UCLA WR Craig Bragg
SEGA Sports LAS VEGAS BOWL:
Utah 10, USC 6
MVP: Utah RB Dameon Hunter
LAS VEGAS BOWL IX:
UNLV 31, Arkansas 14
MVP: UNLV QB Jason Thomas
LAS VEGAS BOWL VIII:
Utah 17, Fresno State 16
MVP: Utah RB Mike Anderson
LAS VEGAS BOWL VII:
North Carolina 20, San Diego St. 13
MVP: UNC QB Ronald Curry
LAS VEGAS BOWL VI:
Oregon 41, Air Force 13
MVP: OU WR Pat Johnson
LAS VEGAS BOWL V:
Nevada 18, Ball State 15
MVP: UNR LB Sam Crawford
LAS VEGAS BOWL IV:
Toledo 40, Nevada 37 (OT)
MVP: UT RB Wasean Tait
LAS VEGAS BOWL III:
UNLV 52, Central Michigan 24
MVP: UNLV WR Henry Bailey
LAS VEGAS BOWL II:
Utah State 42, Ball State 33
MVP: USU QB Anthony Calvillo
LAS VEGAS BOWL I:
Bowling Green 35, Nevada 34
MVP: BGSU QB Erik White |