BOWL SEASON OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2022
MILESTONE THREADS
Bowl Bound Shirts — Celebrating Bowl Eligibility While Taking Care of the Environment By KEVIN McNAMARA
A
s Dino Babers walked to the microphone for the start of his post-game press conference after a convincing win over 15 ranked th
North Carolina State in mid-October, the Syracuse coach couldn’t hide his excitement. For the first time in four
‘Bowl Bound’ shirts quickly became a hot item not only on the backs of the Orange players but allaround Central New York. As the Orange celebrated becoming bowl eligible, Jay Hertwig owned a smile as well. Hertwig the Senior Vice President of Commercialization for Unifi
seasons, he knew his Orange
Manufacturing, a Greenboro, N.C. textile
were headed for Bowl Season.
production company that’s part of a
“There’s a lot of goals
unique partnership along with Vapor
that are still out there but
Elemental Wear that’s producing
there’s one goal that’s been
the new, ‘Bowl Bound’ performance
checked,” Babers said. “It’s going to be interesting to see
shirts. Unifi, the makers of REPREVE® — a sustainable
where this family can go as
fiber composed of recycled
we move down the road.”
plastic water bottles, is
To help commemorate Syracuse’s first 6-0 start since 1987, the players received what’s become the memento that all college football players crave: a Bowl Bound shirt. Syracuse’s hot start has captivated the program’s fans and Bowl Season’s
changing the game with Vapor, the official partner for Bowl Season’s apparel campaign which focuses on both elite performance and sustainability. “Who can’t get excited about college football?,” Hertwig hypothetically pondered. “Football is king and BOWL SEASON | November 2022
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BOWL BOUND BOWL BOUND B O W L B O U N D
PUNCHING THEIR TICKET: UCF became bowl eligible with its sixth win on Oct. 29 vs. Cincinnati.
a lot of our employees are football fans who are excited
bowl-bound teams with performance shirts, hoodies
to be a part of this campaign. Sports are a great
and quarter-zips in men, women and youth sizes. Each
platform to create awareness of our products.”
shirt is made with 16 recycled water bottles.
And let’s face it — celebrating around college football is a lot of fun. The Bowl Bound shirts first appeared as part of victorious locker rooms last fall. Bowl Season Executive
“Bowl Season is a
“We are excited to not only be a part of it, but also provide premium sustainable apparel to each school that qualifies for a bowl game.”
Director Nick Carparelli said Bowl Season saw an
– JACKSON BURNETT
Vapor Elemental Wear President
opportunity to elevate
special time of year for College Football. We are excited to not only be a part of it, but also provide premium sustainable apparel to each school that qualifies for a bowl game," said Jackson Burnett, president of Vapor Elemental Wear. Carparelli said the
the overall campaign and shine a light on sustainability
success of the Bowl Bound shirt program a year
in the environment at the same time. REPREVE
ago was a rallying point for all the bowls, but he was
sustainable fiber is shipped to Vapor in Charleston,
especially excited to see how players and coaches
S.C., where it creates the sustainable active-wear for all
embraced the product.
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BOWL SEASON | November 2022
RIDING A WAVE: As one of the first teams in the country to win six games, Tulane became Bowl Bound for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
BOWL BOUND BOWL BOUND BOWL BOUND BOWL BOUND “We thought it was a new and creative way to
shouldn’t come as a surprise that Hertwig owns
promote Bowl Season and extend our brand beyond
deep football roots. His uncle, Craig Hertwig, was
the actual few weeks where we’re playing the bowl
an All-American offensive lineman at Georgia who
games,” Carparelli said. “In sports we see all sorts of
played for the Lions and Bills in the NFL. Jay was on
celebrations where teams win and get a shirt. Well
the Bulldog squad from 1989-92 and the Hertwig
becoming bowl eligible is a big deal for football
family remains major fans of the program.
programs around the country and a cause for
“I’ve seen a host of bowl games — the Sugar, the
celebration. This has generated authentic enthusiasm
Peach, the Citrus,” Hertwig said. “My favorite was
with the student-athletes and now with REPREVE
the 2018 Rose Bowl Game. I took my son and we
and Vapor as partners, the program has gone to a
saw Georgia play Oklahoma. It was an unbelievable
new level. It’s really been a home run.”
shootout (a 54-48 Bulldog overtime win) and just a
The fact that the Bowl Bound shirts are made of recycled water bottles certainly is an eye opener. As
great, memorable experience.” This Bowl Season, Hertwig and other fans of
REPREVE’s Hertwig says, “anyone you talk to always
successful college football teams can join the fun and
asks ‘this shirt used to be a bottle?’ They’re amazed.
help the environment by wearing their ‘Bowl Bound’
College kids really care about sustainability. They
shirts and performance gear.
really get it.’’ In a nod to the pervasive excitement around college football and Bowl Season, it probably
After all, bowl eligibility is the first step to Bowl Season. Time to celebrate the accomplishment and wear it (literally).
BOWL SEASON | November 2022
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BOUNCE BACK
Bowls Games Affected by the Pandemic Look to Return Better than Ever this Year By KEVIN McNAMARA
A
s Steve Beck sat in a conference room at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C. last December, he felt his partners at the Military Bowl had somehow dodged the COVID-19 bullet. For several days, players, coaches and staff members from the East Carolina and Boston College football teams had enjoyed the best of what the nation’s capital offers. There was a visit to the Museum of African American History. They presented care packages to service members and welcomed Medal of Honor recipients to town. They enjoyed the history of the Naval Academy and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. Boston College’s team had been in the D.C. area for several days, happily choosing to skip the
team representatives and ESPN a day before kickoff,
Christmas holiday with their families and instead
Beck’s antenna raised. When he was waved out of the
prepare for the Military Bowl. Yet a combination of
meeting, Beck feared the worst.
growing COVID cases, injuries and opt-outs had
“We really thought we had dodged the bullet, so to speak, but East Carolina received a call from Boston College saying they could not play. It was
ravaged the Eagles’ roster, leaving as many as 40 players unavailable. With next to no time available to find a
26 hours before kickoff,” Beck said. “It really was a
replacement opponent, Beck had no choice but to
strange time.”
cancel the Military Bowl for a painful second-straight
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BOWL SEASON | November 2022
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOLIDAY BOWL
Yet when an East Carolina official excused himself from that Dec. 26, 2021 meeting of bowl officials,
season. Like many other bowls, the 2020 game had never got off the ground due to widespread COVID.
“In a way we look at last year as obviously very unfortunate, but also a great dress rehearsal,” Neville
The Military Bowl wasn’t alone. Up in Boston,
says. “It was going to be our first time at Petco. Now
the 2021 Fenway Bowl was canceled due to COVID
we know the game will look great in that stadium. It
cases within Virginia’s program. The Cavaliers were
was going to be our first game on the Fox Network
scheduled to face SMU in the inaugural bowl game at
and they’re all set to go. It’s our first time matching
Fenway Park. Out in San
teams from the PAC-12
Diego, Mark Neville and
and the ACC.”
his staff at the Holiday
Like many bowls,
Bowl were preparing to
the Military and Holiday
travel over to the first
games also did not
game ever set inside
occur in 2020 due to
Petco Park matching
the pandemic. The pain
North Carolina State and
of missing two straight
UCLA.
years of games has
“I had my backpack
been replaced with the
on ready to leave my
excitement of delivering
office for Petco Park and
on all the events that
the athletic director at
surround Bowl Season.
UCLA (Martin Jarmond)
For example, the
called and said his team
Military Bowl is the
could not play due
centerpiece of a
to COVID cases. That
nonprofit foundation
changed our day, that’s for sure,” Neville said. Fox television reported that UCLA’s defense had sustained a wave of positive COVID cases in the two days leading up to the game. The Bruins
“It was devastating for a lot of people. I went to speak to the N.C. State team at their hotel the next morning and it was horrible, just awful.”
had no choice but to pull out of the game. “It was devastating for
that also operates the D.C. Touchdown Club and Patriot Point, a beautiful retreat on Maryland’s Eastern Shore that welcomes recovering service members, their families and caregivers.
– MARK NEVILLE
CEO, San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Without a sold-out football game every
a lot of people,” Neville said. “I went to speak to the
December to fill the foundation’s coffers, Beck and
N.C. State team at their hotel the next morning and it
his team scrambled for the last two years to raise
was horrible, just awful.”
money for Patriot Point through the Touchdown
Now nearly a year later, Beck and his staff are planning for another Military Bowl presented by Peraton in Annapolis. Neville says the city of San
Club. Patriot Point welcomed nearly 50 veteran retreats last year. The Military Bowl also proudly welcomes Medal of
Diego can’t wait for the 43rd annual San Diego
Honor recipients to the game. When the news broke
County Credit Union Holiday Bowl. Both games
in that ill-fated meeting last December, External
are set for December 28. The City of Boston will
Relations Director Josh Barr said his mind instantly
finally enjoy the very first Wasabi Fenway Bowl on
jumped to the Medal of Honor soldiers traveling to
December 17.
Washington for the game.
BOWL SEASON | November 2022
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“I knew I had to contact whoever hadn’t left their home states as soon as possible,” Barr said. “One from South Dakota, Mike Fitzsimmons,
Partnership Spotlight
had just left the airport. We welcomed him into town anyways and had a great dinner and he was able to tour Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam Memorial the next day.” The Medal of Honor recipients are booked for a return to Washington and some choice seats at this year’s Military Bowl. In San Diego, Neville says that many of his
The Brandr Group is the leading agency in group licensing programs, with rights to over 70 college athletic programs and their
supporters have followed the Holiday Bowl since
student-athletes in the name, image and
its inception in 1978. They’re looking forward to
likeness category including the biggest
this year’s game more than ever before.
brands in college sports. TBG partners
“They really took the cancellation last year
with prominent brands, colleges, sponsors,
hard because I think we all needed a fun day
corporate trademarks, athletes, and events to
and a great game, right?’’ he said. “But we
cultivate, diversify and monetize intellectual
turned the page as quickly as we could last year
property through professional brand
because we had to. San Diego is fired up, our
management and licensing endeavors.
volunteers are fired up.” Bowl Season Executive Director Nick
In its partnership with Bowl Season, TBG continues to deliver the student-athlete
Carparelli said he’s hoping all of the bowl games
voice in developing custom NIL activation
that haven’t enjoyed an event for the last two
programs for brands.
seasons are ready for huge success. “These teams of people work all year to bring a bowl game to their community and to have this happen once is really difficult. To have it happen a second time is unheard of,” Carparelli said. “The good news for these bowl games is because they are so important to their communities, their
Riot Creative Imaging is a premier color
sponsors and supporters have really rallied and
graphics production agency that delights
come together to make 2022 a special year.”
its customers by bringing their designs
Parades are scheduled in Annapolis and
to life in remarkable ways. Their national
the Port of San Diego. Tickets to the game and
operation is staffed with skilled professionals
pre-game tailgate parties are selling fast. San
who produce superior results for customers
Diego’s famous KGB Sky Show is set to light up
representing some of the world’s best-known
the skyline over Petco Park with a post-game
brands, including the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl,
spectacular fireworks display.
the Rose Bowl Game and ESPN. Riot Creative
“We’re really excited to have a game to
produced the 2022 Bowl Season Annual
prepare for,” said the Military Bowl’s Beck.
Report, and specializes in printed media
“Everyone involved here, including our veterans
supporting bowl game events such as media
and supporters, are ready for a great event. We
day, VIP events, pre-game, hotels, fundraisers
can’t wait to find out what teams we’ll welcome
and game day. Contact Jerry Garland for
here but I can tell you whoever is fortunate
more information on how Riot can help you:
enough to come here is really going to have a
312-890-9507.
great time.”
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BOWL SEASON | November 2022
2022 BOWL BOUND AAC
PMAC
ACC
MWC
BIG TEN
PAC12
BIG 12
SEC
C-USA
SBC
Prepared by:
IND
Bowl Eligible, as of Nov. 1
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Ross Dellenger
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Shehan Jeyarajah
Jacob Hester
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EP.
Steve Beck
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Jeff Siembieda
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Charlie Ward
Rachel Lindsay
Laine Higgins
Ben Skowronek
Callie Bundy
Don McPherson
Pat Forde
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Jamal Anderson
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Roy Williams
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BOWL SEASON | November 2022
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BOWL SEASON | November 2022
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