Opening Kickoff July is a month of celebrations: first to honor our country’s Declaration of Independence and later as we reconvene in person across the country for college football conference Media Days. Holding preseason promotional and interview sessions on location coast-to-coast is a signal that we are moving forward. Campuses nationwide are planning for fans flocking to college football stadiums, followed by an exciting Bowl Season.
FIESTA BOWL ORGAN I Z AT I O N N E WS L E T T ER
Here in the Valley, we look forward to hosting our Guaranteed Rate Bowl on December 28 with Bowl Season’s only Big 12/Big Ten matchup, followed by a New Year’s Day kickoff in the PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl. We hope to see you in the stands! There has been a lot of news to follow lately regarding potential changes that would impact the future of college football. We have been a part of the college football postseason for over 50 years, and we plan to continue being a leader in college football’s season-ending celebration, while also supporting our community through all of the events and charitable efforts we are known for. We will support any changes and participate in college football’s playoff structure. Supporting and giving back to our community will remain our driving mission and we are fond of saying (even trademarking our signature phrase) we are “More Than Just A Game®.” Have a great 4th of July celebration and thank you all for being a part of the Fiesta Bowl Team. We are Fiesta!
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NEWS & NOTES Golden Anniversary Parade set for December 18 A statewide crown jewel since its first production in the early 1970s, the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade will honor the Fiesta Bowl Organization’s 50-year history on the traditional two-mile march through Central Phoenix. This year’s edition will feature a new date, prior to the holidays, on Saturday, December 18, at 10 a.m. To celebrate the Fiesta Bowl’s Golden Anniversary, the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade theme is “Gold Standard: A Commitment to CommUNITY,” in honor of the organization’s impact and support to bring Arizona communities together for 50 years. The Fiesta Bowl once again invites and encourages groups to submit an application by Friday, September 10, 2021, to be a part of the Parade. APPLY NOW
SPRUCE UP YOUR CAR The Fiesta Bowl Organization and the Arizona Department of Transportation have created a custom Arizona license plate with Fiesta Bowl branding. Featuring the recognizable sunburst logo and Fiesta Bowl wordmark, the plates can be ordered at azmvdnow. az.gov. There are non-personalized and personalized (six-character limit) versions available, in addition to a disability Fiesta Bowl plate. For every sale of the specialty plate, $17 of the proceeds support Fiesta Bowl Charities and programs across the state of Arizona that support youth, sports and education. PURCHASE A PLATE
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GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY Nine community leaders followed their dreams to create the Fiesta Bowl, with the NCAA granting a charter on April 26, 1971, to make the Fiesta Bowl the 12th bowl in college football’s postseason. To celebrate that historic moment, a special website FiestaBowl.org/Fiesta50 was created to highlight the Bowl’s storied history. Please visit the site to enjoy inside stories and to re-live some of the greatest moments that college football has ever seen: • Birth of the Bowl • Top 50 Lists, including Players/Coaches, Plays/Moments, All-Decade Teams • Top games in Fiesta Bowl history • ASU’s influence on the Fiesta Bowl • Videos of historical moments • Specific merchandise with Fiesta Bowl 50th Anniversary branding • Fiesta Bowl Football Focus Podcast episodes, including guests Urban Meyer, Mack Brown, 2003 Fiesta Bowl players from Ohio State & Miami and more • Fiesta Bowl history
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NEWS & NOTES KUR T
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McLendon Foundation Scholarship Recipient
The John McLendon Foundation is proud to recognize the eight winners of its Postgraduate Scholarship Awards. Through the support of the Fiesta Bowl’s endowment commitment, in partnership with NACDA, a McLendon Foundation Minority Postgraduate Scholarship will be awarded each year to a student associated with an Arizona-based four-year institution. The McLendon Scholarship, presented by the Fiesta Bowl, is being awarded to Kurt Russell, who plans to pursue a Juris Doctor and Master of Sport Management degree from Arizona State University. Russell received a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University’s College of Business, ending with a 3.6 GPA. In the spring of 2021 he was awarded both the Outstanding Senior Leader Award and the Ohio University College of Business Suit & Tie Award. READ MORE
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KICK OFF THE SEASON WITH STEVE SPURRIER The Fiesta Bowl has had an illustrious 50 years of existence, and the Arizona Bank & Trust Fiesta Bowl Kickoff Luncheon will bring one of college football’s biggest names to the Valley. Legendary coach Steve Spurrier is the keynote speaker on Tuesday, August 24, at the Arizona Biltmore. Tables start at $2,250 for 10 people, with tiered pricing for additional table locations, including VIP tables that include a meet-and-greet session for four with Coach Spurrier available at $8,500. For more information about the event and to reserve a table, please visit FiestaBowl.org/Kickoff or call 480.350.0911. A portion of each table sale is designated for Guaranteed Rate Bowl ticket purchases as part of the Send-A-Vet, Send-A-Teacher, Send-A-Kid, Community Champions program.
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NEWS & NOTES victory starts here The PlayStation® Fiesta Bowl has been known to play in front of full crowds for some of the most memorable college football moments. Ticket sales have begun to kick off New Year’s Day 2022 in style! Hot off our 50th Anniversary game, this year’s PlayStation Fiesta Bowl will be on Saturday, January 1, 2022, with tickets available at FiestaBowl.org/Tickets. By buying now, you receive the benefits of purchasing early by securing your preferred seat location for what will be the top college football matchup in the state of Arizona and locking in your seat location for the 2022 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. Get in now before it’s too late!
Guaranteed Rate Bowl Game Date is Set The highly-anticipated Guaranteed Rate Bowl, featuring Bowl Season’s only matchup between members of the Big 12 and Big Ten Conferences, kicks off on Tuesday, December 28, at 8:15 p.m. MST. The game will be televised live on ESPN to a nationwide television and streaming audience. Tickets for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl are now available, with entry prices beginning at $35. Game tickets, premium experiences and reserved parking may be purchased through FiestaBowl.org/Tickets or by calling 480.350.0911. Two of college football’s most successful conferences, the Big 12 and Big Ten faced off in the Bowl eight times from 2006-13. The Guaranteed Rate Bowl’s three most-attended games featured Big 12/Big Ten pairings, including the 2011 contest when Iowa and Oklahoma played before a Bowlrecord 54,247 fans.
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By the numbers
READ 2020-21 COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT HERE
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
KELLY MERO PUBLISHER, ARIZONA HIGHWAYS First Year as Volunteer: 2004 First Year as Yellow Jacket Committee Member: 2004 First Year as Board Member: 2017 Favorite Fiesta Bowl Game: There have been so many incredible games, but the one that most stands out to me for personal reasons is Connecticut vs. Oklahoma. This was the year OU finally got the proverbial monkey off its back and won the Fiesta Bowl. I was fortunate enough to be an OU team liaison and the celebration was like they had won the national championship. I developed some very strong friendships with many of the OU folks that remain today. Favorite Fiesta Bowl Moment: My favorite moment was any time I had the chance to run on to the field with the team at PG 8
the beginning of the game. There’s nothing like it: the energy, the excitement, the focus of the players and coaches and the roar of the fans, intense! Why I Serve the Fiesta Bowl:
I serve the Fiesta Bowl because of the nine Founders that started this organization who had a vision to showcase one of the premier bowl games in all of college football and create an organization that gives back to our community. Favorite Job: My favorite job, if you couldn’t guess, was being a team liaison. So many great experiences and friendships that have been made during that time. Interesting fact: I got my fixed wing and hot air balloon licenses when I was 16 years old!
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NEWSWORTHY
Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade to return in December 2021 AZ FAMILY 3TV
Influential Men: Mike Nealy
SOCTTSDALE LIFESTYLE
The good made possible through Fiesta Bowl Charities VALLEY INDEPENDENT
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Father’s Day Feature: Larry Johnson
FIESTA BOWL
Gridiron Politics: The History of the Fiesta Bowl PHOENIX MAGAZINE
Fiesta Bowl celebrating 50 years of economic impact, charitable giving CHAMBER BUSINESS NEWS
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CONTACT US
S C OTT L E IGH TMAN
S E N IO R DIRECTOR OF COMMUN ICATION S 4 8 0 - 5 1 7 - 6 2 9 1 | SL EIGH TMAN @ FIESTABOWL .ORG
AL E X NASH
CO M M UN ICATION S & SOCIAL MED IA MAN AGER 4 8 0 - 3 5 0 - 0 9 2 5 | AN ASH @ FIESTABOWL .ORG
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