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Grammy Award nominated hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg will be the new title sponsor of the Arizona Bowl, marking a historic college football bowl collaboration. The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop is the first college football bowl game to partner with an alcohol brand.
Barstool Sports previously sponsored and streamed the game on their digital platforms for the last three years. The Arizona Bowl is expected to be televised on a network with wide linear distribution, according to Yahoo Sports.
“College football fans are exhausted by the constant talk around NIL, conference realignment, coach movement, transfer portal and super conferences,” Snoop said in a video posted to social media.
“So it’s time that we get back to the roots of college football — when it was focused on the colleges, the players and the competition, the community, the fan experience, and the pageantry. … I’m ready to bring the juice back to college football.”
The Arizona Bowl is classified as a 501(c)(3), meaning all revenue will go to charity. It is also one of a handful of bowl games that aren’t owned by or televised on ESPN, which can open the door for unique naming rights.
Snoop Dogg is the latest celebrity to get involved with college football bowl games, joining NFL legend Rob Gronkowski and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, both of whom have been title sponsors of the L.A. Bowl.
“We are a little different from all the other bowls. We’re not afraid to take risks and do things outside of the box,” Kym Adair, executive director of the Arizona Bowl, told Yahoo Sports.
“An alcohol brand has always been off the table for us until recently. Everybody in the stadium is drinking a beer or cocktail. It’s time for the industry to evolve.”
The Arizona Bowl, which has bowl tie-ins to the Mountain West and the MAC, will take place on Dec. 28 at Arizona Stadium in Tucson.