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FINALISTS NAMED FOR SECOND CLASS OF BOWL SEASON BESTIES AWARDS April 10, 2024

DALLAS – Bowl Season has announced the finalists for the second class of the “Bowl Season Besties Awards” – created to recognize “best of the best” among the bowl games membership. The winners will be announced at the Bowl Season Annual Meeting in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, April 17.

Bowl Season assembled an awards committee two years ago to organize and create the Bowl Season Besties program, reflected from efforts around the 2022-23 Bowl Season. The committee established five award categories in which bowl organizations could put nomination submissions towards: Best in Events, Best in Student-Athlete Experience, Best in Community Engagement, Best in Marketing, and Best in Game Presentation.

“The purpose of the Bowl Season Besties is to honor “best-in-class” in the bowl industry,” said Bowl Season Executive Director Nick Caparelli. “In sharing and recognizing the finalists at the Bowl Season Annual Meeting, we hope these awards will spark ideas and help all bowls achieve even greater success. It’s always an honor to be recognized by your peers.”

The finalists were voted on by a committee comprised of Bowl Executive Directors and the Bowl Season Awards Committee. The winners of each award will be recognized at the Awards Ceremony at the Bowl Season Annual Meetings on Wednesday, April 17.

The five categories and finalists:

Best in Events
Many people think that bowls are “just a football game” – however, that is simply not the case. All bowls host multiple ancillary events in the days, weeks and months leading up to the game for the teams and for the fans. The winner of Best in Events will be selected based on the criteria of creativity, meeting set goals (For example: Tickets sales to an event, raising funds for community, etc.)

Best in Events Finalists
• Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl
• TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
• Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

Best in Student-Athlete Experience
The student-athlete experience is ultimately what the bowls are all about. Creating positive, unique, and memorable experiences for the teams is a top priority for all of Bowl Season membership. The winner of Best in Student-Athlete Experience will be selected based on creativity, student-athlete impact, community impact based on stated goals for the experience.

Best in Student-Athlete Experience Finalists
• Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
• VRBO Fiesta Bowl
• Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl

Best in Community Engagement
Engaging the community is one of the keys to the success of Bowl games. The winner of Best in Community Engagement will be selected based on creativity and community impact.

Best in Community Engagement Finalists
• Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl
• TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
• Capital One Orange Bowl

Best in Marketing
Social media, traditional media, digital media – there are so many ways to market your bowl/brand. The winner of Best in Marketing will be selected based on the criteria of creativity, usefulness, and effectiveness through data (for example: increased ticket sales, social media followers, etc.).

Best in Marketing Finalists
• Duke’s Mayo Bowl
• Starco Brands LA Bowl hosted by Gronk
• DirectTV Holiday Bowl

Best in Game Presentation
From fans to football players to sponsors to viewers watching on TV, game presentation is everything! The winner for Best in Game Presentation will be selected based on design and implementation creativity, impact and operational execution within your respective stadium.

Best in Game Presentation Finalists
• Pop-Tarts Bowl
• Starco Brands LA Bowl hosted by Gronk
• Military Bowl Presented by GoBowling.com