Las Vegas Bowl
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The Las Vegas Bowl has been played annually since 1992. The game is held at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. From 1992-1996, the game featured teams from the Big West and Mid-American Conferences. The game currently features teams from the Pac-10 and the Mountain West Conference. The game’s current official sponsor is Pioneer PureVision. Previous sponsors include EA Sports (1999) and Sega Sports (2001-2002). The 2006 contest had a $950,000 payout to each school.
The inaugural Las Vegas Bowl between Bowling Green and Nevada was a high-scoring affair. Bowling Green won the game 35-34. Bowling Green quarterback Erik White was named game MVP.
The 1995 Las Vegas Bowl made college football history. In that game, the Toledo Rockets defeated Nevada 40-37 in overtime. It was the first ever overtime game in Division 1-A football. The overtime system was put into effect in regular season games the following year.
The Pac-10 made their first appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl in 1997 when Oregon defeated Air Force 41-13. Wide receiver Pat Johnson was named game MVP. The Pac-10 has been prone to being upset in the past. In 2001, Utah defeated USC 10-6. Wyoming upset UCLA 24-21 in the 2004 game.
The Pac-10’s woes continued last year when Oregon played BYU. Oregon entered the game favored, only to be walloped by the Cougars 38-8. BYU had appeared in the bowl the year before but was defeated by California 35-28. Current Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch was named game MVP.
The only teams that have won the Las Vegas Bowl on more than one occasion are UNLV (1994, 2000) and Utah (1999, 2001). Nevada has made the most appearances in the Las Vegas Bowl with three, their only victory coming in 1996 when Nevada defeated Ball State 18-15.
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