Bahamas Bowl
The Bahamas Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played annually in Nassau, Bahamas, at the 15,000-seat Thomas Robinson Stadium.[2] The Bowl has tie-ins with the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA.
| Bahamas Bowl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | Thomas Robinson Stadium |
| Location | Nassau, Bahamas |
| Operated | 2014–present |
| Conference tie-ins | Conference USA (2014–present) Mid-American Conference (2014–present) |
| Payout | US$225,000 (2019)[1] |
| Sponsors | |
| Former names | |
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (2014–2016) Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (2018–2019) | |
| 2019 matchup | |
| Buffalo vs. Charlotte (Buffalo 31–9) | |
| 2020 matchup | |
| Cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns | |
On October 2, 2020, the 2020 edition of the bowl was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions.[3]
History
The inaugural edition of the Bahamas Bowl, played in 2014, was the first major (FBS or historical equivalent) bowl game to be played outside the United States and Canada between two U.S. teams since the January 1, 1937, Bacardi Bowl in Havana, Cuba.[4] The game featured teams from the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA;[5] that conference matchup has continued annually.[6] In July 2019, the MAC announced a continuation of its tie-in with the bowl through the 2025–26 football season.[7]
From its inception to 2017, the game was sponsored by the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant franchise and officially known as the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl.[8] After Restaurant Brands International acquired Popeyes in 2017, they declined to renew sponsorship. Elk Grove Village, Illinois—"home to the largest industrial park in the United States"—picked up title sponsorship in 2018, with the bowl using the official naming of Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.[9] The name lasted until Elk Grove Village ended its sponsorship in March 2020.[10]
The winning team is presented with a trophy, since 2016 named the Prime Minister's Trophy.[11] The current trophy, in use since the 2018 playing, is approximately 30 inches (76 cm) tall and weighs nearly 30 pounds (14 kg).[11]
Game results
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Attendance | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 24, 2014 | Western Kentucky | 49 | Central Michigan | 48 | 13,667 | notes | |
| December 24, 2015 | Western Michigan | 45 | Middle Tennessee | 31 | 13,123 | notes | |
| December 23, 2016 | Old Dominion | 24 | Eastern Michigan | 20 | 13,422 | notes | |
| December 22, 2017 | Ohio | 41 | UAB | 6 | 13,585 | notes | |
| December 21, 2018 | FIU | 35 | Toledo | 32 | 13,510 | notes | |
| December 20, 2019 | Buffalo | 31 | Charlotte | 9 | 13,547 | notes | |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[12] | ||||||
Source:[13]
MVPs
| Year | Offensive MVP | Defensive MVP | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Pos. | Player | Team | Pos. | ||
| 2014 | Brandon Doughty | Western Kentucky | QB | Derik Overstreet | Western Kentucky | DL | [14] |
| 2015 | Jamauri Bogan | Western Michigan | RB | Grant DePalma | Western Michigan | LB | [15] |
| 2016 | Ray Lawry | Old Dominion | RB | TJ Ricks | Old Dominion | LB | [16] |
| 2017 | Dorian Brown | Ohio | RB | Javon Hagan | Ohio | FS | [17] |
| 2018 | Christian Alexander | FIU | QB | Edwin Freeman | FIU | LB | [18] |
| 2019 | Jaret Patterson | Buffalo | RB | Malcolm Koonce | Buffalo | DE | [19][20] |
Most appearances
Updated through the December 2019 edition (6 games, 12 total appearances); to date, no team has appeared in the bowl more than once.
- Teams with a single appearance
Won: Buffalo, FIU, Ohio, Old Dominion, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan
Lost: Central Michigan, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Toledo, UAB
Appearances by conference
Updated through the December 2019 edition (6 games, 12 total appearances).
| Conference | Record | Appearances by season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | Win pct. | Won | Lost | |
| C-USA | 6 | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2014, 2016, 2018 | 2015, 2017, 2019 |
| MAC | 6 | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2015, 2017, 2019 | 2014, 2016, 2018 |
Game records
| Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 49, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan | 2014 |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 48, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky | 2014 |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 97, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan | 2014 |
| Fewest points allowed | 6, Ohio vs. UAB | 2017 |
| Largest margin of victory | 35, Ohio vs. UAB | 2017 |
| Total yards | 647, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan | 2014 |
| Rushing yards | 282, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee | 2015 |
| Passing yards | 493, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky | 2014 |
| First downs | 29, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan | 2014 |
| Fewest yards allowed | 278, Buffalo vs. Charlotte | 2019 |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | 80, Buffalo vs. Charlotte | 2019 |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | 77, Charlotte vs. Buffalo | 2019 |
| Individual | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| All-purpose yards | 215, Jamauri Bogan, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee | 2015 |
| Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 4, shared by Bogan, Brown, and Davis (see below) | |
| Rushing yards | 215, Jamauri Bogan, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee | 2015 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 4, shared by: Jamauri Bogan, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee Dorian Brown, Ohio vs. UAB | 2015 2017 |
| Passing yards | 493, Cooper Rush, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky | 2014 |
| Passing touchdowns | 7, Cooper Rush, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky | 2014 |
| Receiving yards | 183, Corey Davis, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee | 2015 |
| Receiving touchdowns | 4, Titus Davis, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky | 2014 |
| Tackles | 12 (total), Grant DePalma, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee 8 (solo), Jamez Brickhouse, Old Dominion vs. Eastern Michigan | 2015 2016 |
| Sacks | 2, shared by: Derik Overstreet, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan Malcolm Koonce,[21] Buffalo vs. Charlotte | 2014 2019 |
| Interceptions | 1, by multiple players | |
| Long Plays | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Touchdown run | 74, Dorian Brown, Ohio vs. UAB | 2017 |
| Touchdown pass | 80, Zach Terrell to Corey Davis, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee | 2015 |
| Kickoff return | 45, Andre Wilson, UAB vs. Ohio | 2017 |
| Punt return | 34, Kylan Nelson, Ohio vs. UAB | 2017 |
| Interception return | 29, Rontavious Atkins, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee | 2015 |
| Fumble return | 27, Tony Annese, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky | 2014 |
| Punt | 54, shared by: Michael Farkas, Ohio vs. UAB Bailey Flint, Toledo vs. FIU | 2017 2018 |
| Field goal | 47, Andrew Haldeman, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee | 2015 |
Source: [22]
Media coverage
Television
| Date | Network | Play-by-play announcers | Color commentators | Sideline reporters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014[23] | ESPN | Steve Levy | Lou Holtz & Mark May | Laura Rutledge |
| 2015[24] | Mack Brown & Mark May | Kaylee Hartung | ||
| 2016 | Mack Brown | |||
| 2017 | Desmond Howard | Laura Rutledge | ||
| 2018 | ||||
| 2019 | Greg McElroy | Dianna Russini |
Radio
| Date | Network | Play-by-play announcers | Color commentators |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | ESPN Radio | John Brickley | Pete Najarian |
| 2015 | RedVoice, LLC | Brian Hanni | Rob Best |
| 2016 | |||
| 2017 | Gameday Radio | Kyle Wiggs | |
| 2018 | |||
| 2019 | Bowlday Radio |
References
- "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- "MAC Announces Creation of the Bahamas Bowl in 2014". Mid-American Conference. 14 October 2013. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- "Hawaii, Bahamas bowls nixed due to pandemic". ESPN.com. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- "Inaugural Bahamas Bowl set for December 24, 2014". Bahamas Bowl Communications. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
- "It's Conference USA Against the MAC In The Inaugural Bahamas Bowl". Bahamas Bowl Communications. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- "Participating Conferences". bahamasbowl.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- Kelley, Kevin (23 July 2019). "MAC announces new bowl lineup for 2020 through 2025". Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- "Popeyes Announced as Title Sponsor of Popeyes Bahamas Bowl". Bahamas Bowl Communications. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
- "Elk Grove Village announced as Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl title sponsor". Retrieved 31 July 2018.
- Fischer, Bryan (19 March 2020). "Illinois town withdraws unique Bahamas Bowl sponsorship". NBC Sports. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- "The Prime Minister's Trophy". bahamasbowl.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- "ESPN Events Cancels Two Postseason Bowls for 2020 Season". bahamasbowl.com. Bahamas Bowl Communications. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl" (PDF). Bowl/All Star Game Records. NCAA. 2020. p. 16. Retrieved 3 January 2021 – via NCAA.org.
- https://www.bahamasbowl.com/news/2014-bowl-recap/
- https://www.bahamasbowl.com/news/2015-bowl-recap/
- https://www.bahamasbowl.com/news/2016-bowl-recap/
- https://www.bahamasbowl.com/news/2017-bowl-recap/
- https://www.bahamasbowl.com/news/2018-bowl-recap/
- https://www.bahamasbowl.com/news/2019-bowl-recap/
- "2019 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Postgame Notes". bahamasbowl.com. Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Communications. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- @TheBahamasBowl (20 December 2019). "Malcolm Koonce's 2 sacks tied a Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl record" (Tweet). Retrieved 20 December 2019 – via Twitter.
- "Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Record Book" (PDF). bahamasbowl.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- "ESPN College Football – Bowl Schedule and Commentators, College GameDay, College Football Awards, Division I Football Championship and More". ESPN Media Zone. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- "College Football Playoff Highlights 2015-16 Bowl Schedule". ESPN Media Zone. Retrieved 8 December 2015.