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] First held in 2014, the Bowl has tie-ins with the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA.

Bahamas Bowl
Home Town Lenders Bahamas Bowl
StadiumThomas Robinson Stadium
LocationNassau, Bahamas
Operated2014–present
Conference tie-insConference USA
(2014–present)
Mid-American Conference
(2014–present)
PayoutUS$225,000 (2019)[1]
Sponsors
Former names
  • Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (2014–2016)
  • Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (2018–2019)
  • Bahamas Bowl (2017, 2020–2021)
2021 matchup
Middle Tennessee vs. Toledo
(Middle Tennessee 31–24)
2022 matchup
UAB vs. Miami (OH) (UAB 24–20)

History
Prime Minister's Trophy

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.[3] The game featured teams from the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA;[4] that conference matchup has continued annually.[5] In July 2019, the MAC announced a continuation of its tie-in with the bowl through the 2025–26 football season.[6]

From its inception to 2017, the game was sponsored by the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant franchise and officially known as the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl.[7] 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.[8] The name lasted until Elk Grove Village ended its sponsorship in March 2020.[9] On May 25, 2022, it was announced that HomeTown Lenders would be the new title sponsor of the game.[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]

On October 2, 2020, the 2020 edition of the bowl was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions.[12]

Game results
Date Winning team Losing team Attendance Notes
December 24, 2014Western Kentucky49Central Michigan4813,667notes
December 24, 2015Western Michigan45Middle Tennessee3113,123notes
December 23, 2016Old Dominion24Eastern Michigan2013,422notes
December 22, 2017Ohio41UAB613,585notes
December 21, 2018FIU35Toledo3213,510notes
December 20, 2019Buffalo31Charlotte913,547notes
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[13]
December 17, 2021Middle Tennessee31Toledo2413,596notes
December 16, 2022UAB24Miami (OH)2012,172notes

Source:[14]

MVPs
Year Offensive MVP Defensive MVP Ref.
PlayerTeamPos.PlayerTeamPos.
2014Brandon DoughtyWestern KentuckyQBDerik OverstreetWestern KentuckyDL[15]
2015Jamauri BoganWestern MichiganRBGrant DePalmaWestern MichiganLB[16]
2016Ray LawryOld DominionRBTJ RicksOld DominionLB[17]
2017Dorian BrownOhioRBJavon HaganOhioFS[18]
2018Christian AlexanderFIUQBEdwin FreemanFIULB[19]
2019Jaret PattersonBuffaloRBMalcolm KoonceBuffaloDE[20][21]
2021Nicholas VattiatoMiddle TennesseeQBDQ ThomasMiddle TennesseeLB[22][23]
2022Trea ShropshireUABWRMichael Fairbanks IIUABLB[24]

Most appearances

Updated through the December 2022 edition (8 games, 16 total appearances).

Teams with multiple appearances
Team Appearances Record Win pct.
Middle Tennessee21–1.500
UAB21–1.500
Toledo20–2.000
Teams with a single appearance

Won: Buffalo, FIU, Ohio, Old Dominion, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan
Lost: Central Michigan, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan, Miami (OH)

Appearances by conference

Updated through the December 2022 edition (8 games, 16 total appearances).

Conference Record Appearances by season
Games W L Win pct. Won Lost
C-USA853.6252014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 20222015, 2017, 2019
MAC835.3752015, 2017, 20192014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022

Game records
Team Record, Team vs. Opponent Year
Most points scored (one team)49, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan2014
Most points scored (losing team)48, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky2014
Most points scored (both teams)97, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan2014
Fewest points allowed6, Ohio vs. UAB2017
Largest margin of victory35, Ohio vs. UAB2017
Total yards647, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan2014
Rushing yards282, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee2015
Passing yards493, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky2014
First downs29, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan2014
Fewest yards allowed272, Miami (OH) vs. UAB2022
Fewest rushing yards allowed80, Buffalo vs. Charlotte2019
Fewest passing yards allowed77, Charlotte vs. Buffalo2019
Individual Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent Year
All-purpose yards215, Jamauri Bogan (Western Michigan)2015
Touchdowns (all-purpose)4, shared by Bogan, Brown, and Davis (see below)
Rushing yards215, Jamauri Bogan (Western Michigan)2015
Rushing touchdowns4, shared by:
Jamauri Bogan (Western Michigan)
Dorian Brown (Ohio)		 
2015
2017
Passing yards493, Cooper Rush (Central Michigan)2014
Passing touchdowns7, Cooper Rush (Central Michigan)2014
Receiving yards183, shared by:
Corey Davis (Western Michigan)
Trea Shropshire (UAB)		 
2015
2022
Receptions9, Yusuf Ali (Middle Tennessee)2021
Receiving touchdowns4, Titus Davis (Central Michigan)2014
Tackles15, Matthew Salopek (Miami (OH))
10 (solo), Matthew Salopek (Miami (OH))		2022
Sacks2, shared by:
Derik Overstreet (Western Kentucky)
Malcolm Koonce,[25] (Buffalo)
Nate Givhan (Toledo)
2014
2019
2021
Interceptions1, by multiple players
Long Plays Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent Year
Touchdown run74 yds., Dorian Brown (Ohio)2017
Touchdown pass90 yds., Dequan Finn to Matt Landers (Toledo)2021
Kickoff return45 yds., Andre Wilson (UAB)2017
Punt return34 yds., Kylan Nelson (Ohio)2017
Interception return49 yds., Samuel Womack (Toledo)2021
Fumble return27 yds., Tony Annese (Central Michigan)2014
Punt54 yds., shared by:
Michael Farkas (Ohio)
Bailey Flint (Toledo)		 
2017
2018, 2021
Field goal47 yds., Andrew Haldeman (Western Michigan)2015

Source:[26]

Media coverage

Television
Date Network Play-by-play announcers Color commentators Sideline reporters
2014[27] ESPN Steve Levy Lou Holtz & Mark May Laura Rutledge
2015[28] Mack Brown & Mark May Kaylee Hartung
2016 Mack Brown
2017 Desmond Howard Laura Rutledge
2018
2019 Greg McElroy Dianna Russini
2021 Matt Barrie Booger McFarland Katie George
2022 Steve Levy Joey Galloway Kris Budden

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
2021 Bowl Season Radio Elvis Gallegos
2022 ESPN Radio Kevin Winter Freddie Coleman

Elvis Gallegos served as the analyst following the death of Rob Best on October 4, 2020.[29] During the 2021 bowl broadcast, Kyle Wiggs announced that the Bahamas Bowl broadcast booth had been renamed the Rob Best Broadcast Booth as a memorial to Best.

See also

References
  1. "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  2. "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.
  3. "Inaugural Bahamas Bowl set for December 24, 2014". Bahamas Bowl Communications. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  4. "It's Conference USA Against the MAC In The Inaugural Bahamas Bowl". Bahamas Bowl Communications. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  5. "Participating Conferences". bahamasbowl.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  6. Kelley, Kevin (23 July 2019). "MAC announces new bowl lineup for 2020 through 2025". Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  7. "Popeyes Announced as Title Sponsor of Popeyes Bahamas Bowl". Bahamas Bowl Communications. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  8. "Elk Grove Village announced as Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl title sponsor". Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  9. Fischer, Bryan (19 March 2020). "Illinois town withdraws unique Bahamas Bowl sponsorship". NBC Sports. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  10. "HOMETOWN LENDERS NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF BAHAMAS BOWL". Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  11. "The Prime Minister's Trophy". bahamasbowl.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  12. "Hawaii, Bahamas bowls nixed due to pandemic". ESPN.com. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  13. "ESPN Events Cancels Two Postseason Bowls for 2020 Season". bahamasbowl.com. Bahamas Bowl Communications. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  14. "Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl" (PDF). Bowl/All Star Game Records. NCAA. 2020. p. 16. Retrieved 3 January 2021 – via NCAA.org.
  15. "2014 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  16. "2015 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  17. "2016 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  18. "2017 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  19. "2018 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  20. "2019 Bowl Recap – Bahamas Bowl".
  21. "2019 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Postgame Notes". bahamasbowl.com. Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Communications. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  22. @TheBahamasBowl (17 December 2021). "Congratulations to @MT_FB Nicholas Vattiato, the 2021 Bahamas Bowl Offensive MVP" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 December 2021 – via Twitter.
  23. @TheBahamasBowl (17 December 2021). "Congratulations to @MT_FB DQ Thomas, #TheBahamasBowl Defensive MVP" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 December 2021 – via Twitter.
  24. Winborne, Jeffery (16 December 2022). "UAB holds on to win Bahamas Bowl, 24-2". WBRC.com. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  25. @TheBahamasBowl (20 December 2019). "Malcolm Koonce's 2 sacks tied a Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl record" (Tweet). Retrieved 20 December 2019 – via Twitter.
  26. "Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Record Book" (PDF). bahamasbowl.com. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  27. "ESPN College Football – Bowl Schedule and Commentators, College GameDay, College Football Awards, Division I Football Championship and More". ESPN Media Zone. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  28. "College Football Playoff Highlights 2015-16 Bowl Schedule". ESPN Media Zone. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  29. "Rob Jay Best obituary". Legacy from the Denton Record-Chronicle. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
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