Gift suites for up to 125 game participants per team is the most common way for bowls to distribute presents to players. getty images
After nearly half of last year’s bowl games were canceled, college football’s postseason stakeholders are looking forward to spending a record amount over the next few weeks as part of their annual gift-giving tradition.
Our 16th annual look at the gift packages offered to players by the committees that operate the 43 Division I bowl matchups, including next month’s national championship game, shows that those organizations will provide more than $6 million in electronics, watches and other goodies to the participants in their respective games.
The most common way of distributing these presents is to arrange for an online or in-person “gift suite,” where, according to NCAA rules, up to 125 game participants per school are given an order form and allowed to shop for an item, or items, up to a total value of $550 per person. Additional packages can be, and usually are, purchased by the school. Twenty-four committees will host such events this season.
The remaining committees abide by the same NCAA guidelines, but opt to arrange and present the packages themselves, rather than provide a suite.
Vendors such as Fossil (watches) and Maui Jim (sunglasses) provide staff to custom fit their items for each player.
Jon Cooperstein, who introduced the gift suite concept at the 2008 Orange Bowl, said that prior to the pandemic, the committees liked to set up the events at host hotels, unique sites in the game’s host city or on campus. After a move to almost 100% online for last year’s gifting, most committees are giving the schools the option. Cooperstein is working with 27 committees this year, including the national championship game.
Sponsors of the games themselves are rarely involved with the gift-giving process.
This will be the fifth year that Sony has title-sponsored the Fiesta Bowl, and the company will stock the committee’s package with its hard-to-find Sony PS5. Additionally, Virginia and SMU players in Fenway Sports Management’s inaugural Wasabi Bowl will receive a dopp kit from Boston Red Sox sponsor L.L.Bean. And boxes of Frosted Flakes will be handed out at the Sun Bowl’s pregame festivities as part of Kellogg’s title sponsorship that began in 2019.
Eighteen stadiums that are hosting a bowl game have a naming-rights deal, but none of those partners provide gift items. The representatives for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl and organizers of this season’s national championship game maintained their traditions of not disclosing the contents of their respective gift packages.
Other individual items this year that stand out:
■ Eastern Michigan and Liberty players will select a YoBow Massage Pistol from LendingTree Bowl’s gift suite in one of eight colors. Based on the color the player chooses, the company will make a donation to one or two of 15 charities. The Guaranteed Rate, Duke’s Mayo and Barstool Sports Arizona bowls also will hand out a massager.
■ The EasyPost Hawai‘i Bowl has had a partnership with Honolulu-based Tori Richard for 12 years and will provide the Memphis and Hawaii players with shirts from the company’s Kahala brand.
■ Making their first bowl gift package appearance this year are Action Face personalized figures. Players at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Missouri-Army) and the Servpro First Responder Bowl (Louisville-Air Force) will have headshot photos taken and choose a football pose, then the company that was formed by six former Hasbro and Activision employees will use a 3D printer to build a personalized action figure for each player.
Action figures to cowboy hats — bowls offer unique gifts
■ Electronics gift suite; Oakley sunglasses and backpack; Kahala aloha shirt; beach towel; swim trunks
TaxAct Camellia Bowl
Dec. 25, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Ball State. vs. Georgia State
Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.)
■ Gift suite; Fossil watch; ESPN beanie and rolling travel bag; Big Game autograph football
Quick Lane Bowl
Dec. 27, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Western Michigan vs. Nevada
Ford Field (Detroit)
■ JBL Tune 750BTNC Bluetooth, noise-canceling wireless headphones by Harman; $175 Best Buy gift card; PhotoSlap life-sized photo stickers; backpack and tag; commemorative football; other game merchandise
Military Bowl presented by Peraton
Dec. 27, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
East Carolina vs. Boston College
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Md.)
■$350 Mastercard gift card by University Fancards; wireless headphones; beanie
TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl
Dec. 28, Noon (ESPN)
Houston vs. Auburn
Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Ala.)
■ Gift suite; hat; Ice Shaker bottle; shadow kit
Servpro First Responder Bowl
Dec. 28, 3:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Air Force vs. Louisville
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas)
■ Gift suite; Action Face personalized figure; Anker phone charger; commemorative football
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Dec. 28, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (Memphis)
■ Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker; Caravelle by Bulova watch; Nike backpack, sunglasses, athletic shoes and sport sandals; commemorative football
San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl
Dec. 28, 8 p.m. (Fox)
N.C. State vs. UCLA
Petco Park (San Diego)
■ Gift suite; fleece hoodie; short sleeve T-shirt; long sleeve T-shirt
■ Lululemon backpack; Reveal custom suit jacket; bucket hat; Hypervolt Go massager; BBTEK wireless waterproof Bluetooth light-up speaker
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (College Football Playoff semifinal)
Dec. 31, 3:30 (ESPN)
Alabama vs. Cincinnati
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
■ Would not disclose
Capital One Orange Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal)
Dec. 31, 7:30 (ESPN)
Michigan vs. Georgia
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
■ Gift suite; Tourneau watch; commemorative football
Outback Bowl
Jan. 1, Noon (ESPN2)
Arkansas vs. Penn State
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa)
■$150 Amazon gift card; Fossil watch; Jostens ring; $25 Outback Steakhouse gift card; hat
Vrbo Citrus Bowl
Jan. 1, 1 p.m. (ABC)
Iowa vs. Kentucky
Camping World Stadium (Orlando)
■$400 Amazon gift card; Fossil watch; Ogio backpack; commemorative football
PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 1, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma State
State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.)
■ PlayStation 5 console and a TBD game
Rose Bowl presented by Capital One Venture X
Jan. 1, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
Ohio State vs. Utah
Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)
■ Gift suite; Fossil watch; Ogio backpack; New Era 9Fifty snapback hat
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Baylor vs. Ole Miss
Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
■ Gift suite; Fossil watch; New Era hat; hooded T-shirt
TaxAct Texas Bowl
Jan. 4, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Kansas State vs. LSU
NRG Stadium (Houston)
■ Gift suite; Nike backpack, hat and drawstring bag; belt buckle; cowboy hat; bandana
College Football Playoff National Championship Game
Jan. 8, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
TBD vs. TBD
Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
■ Would not disclose (last year’s gifts: Diesel watch; watch trunk; Claire Chase luggage)
Notes: All times listed are ET. Product details, including specific brand names, are provided as they were available as of Dec. 9. Most watches, rings, clothing, luggage and footballs are customized with the bowl, and sometimes the school, logos.
TBD: Items not finalized N/A: Details not available Sources: Bowl committees and vendors
