The Arizona college football bowl season kicked off with an electrifying match where Kansas State overcame a significant 17-point deficit to triumph over Rutgers at the Chase Field in Phoenix. The excitement is set to continue this Saturday in Tucson with the newly branded Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.
This year, fans can look forward to an intriguing face-off between Colorado State and Miami of Ohio. The game is notably sponsored by Gin and Juice by Dre and Snoop, a line of canned cocktails inspired by the iconic song, marking it as the first bowl game named after a rapper and backed by an alcohol product. The kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
As the bowl season progresses, Tuesday will see Boise State clashing with Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, followed by ASU’s game against Texas in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on New Year’s Day.
Players Enjoy NIL Opportunities in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl
With Snoop Dogg stepping in as a sponsor, a new precedent is set for player compensation in the Arizona Bowl. “This was Snoop’s idea,” stated Kym Adair, the executive director of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl. “He was having conversations with people he knows in the college football world and I got a call that said he wants us to be the first bowl to make this commitment and that’s what we did.”
Both Colorado State and Miami (Ohio) players will benefit from Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) revenue, a move that sets this bowl apart. As a 501(c)(3) organization, all proceeds from the event go to charity, allowing for unique sponsorship opportunities outside traditional networks like ESPN.
Previously, Barstool Sports sponsored the bowl, streaming it via their digital platforms. This year, Snoop Dogg joins the ranks of other celebrity bowl sponsors such as Jimmy Kimmel and Rob Gronkowski, bringing his distinctive flair to the event.
In a statement shared on social media, Snoop emphasized the importance of returning to the essence of college football: “College football fans are exhausted by the constant talk around NIL, conference realignment, coach movement, transfer portal and super conferences. 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.”
Players won’t receive direct payments for participating in the game, but they will earn compensation through participation in football clinics conducted on Friday. While other bowls have provided NIL opportunities to select players, this initiative marks the first where every player from both teams receives this benefit.
Colorado State coach Jay Norvell expressed enthusiasm, saying, “I love the fact that the Arizona Bowl is unique and tries new things, and obviously having Snoop here is unique. The NIL component, it’s the future. It’s what football has become now. We think it’s fantastic for our kids and then the interaction with the kids is the hidden gem of the whole thing.”
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