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    Arizona Bowl Tickets

    Late December · Casino Del Sol Stadium, Tucson · Mountain West vs. MAC

    A late-December afternoon bowl on the University of Arizona campus, with desert sun, a free tailgate festival and proceeds that go to local nonprofits.

    By the Good Seats editorial teamUpdated How we research

    Upcoming Arizona Bowl dates

    Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.

    What the Arizona Bowl is and when it happens

    The Arizona Bowl is a college football bowl game played in the final days of December at Casino Del Sol Stadium, the University of Arizona's stadium in Tucson. Since 2020 it has matched a team from the Mountain West Conference against a team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Its full name is the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop, after the beverage brand of the two rappers that became title sponsor in 2024.

    Every game since 2015 has fallen between December 27 and December 31. As of fall 2026, the bowl was one of two games not yet given a date on the national schedule; Sports Illustrated reported that its slot would be set after Selection Day on December 6, with The CW as its network. The 2025 game kicked off at 2:30 p.m. local time on December 27, and recent games have used similar afternoon starts. Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, so kickoff is on Mountain Standard Time.

    The tie-in itself is in flux. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State left the Mountain West for the rebuilt Pac-12 in 2026, and UTEP, Hawaii and Northern Illinois (for football) joined it. Expect the Mountain West pool to look different from recent years, and confirm the matchup when it is announced.

    Casino Del Sol Stadium and where to sit

    The stadium opened in 1929 and was known as Arizona Stadium until November 2025, when a 20-year naming agreement with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe made it Casino Del Sol Stadium. Capacity is listed at 50,800 as of 2022. The field runs north to south, sits about 2,430 feet above sea level and uses artificial turf. The Arizona Bowl's record crowd is 40,076, set in 2024, so the stadium is rarely full for this game.

    Sun and shade

    For an early-afternoon kickoff in late December, the sun sits low in the southern and western sky. Seats on the west sideline have the sun behind them and gain shade from their own stands as the afternoon goes on. Seats on the east sideline, where the Arizona student section normally sits, look toward the sun for much of the game. On a clear Tucson afternoon that difference matters more than a few rows of proximity Late in a December game the sun drops behind the west stands, and a jacket helps once it does.

    Seat judgment

    • West sideline between the 20-yard lines: the first choice for both the view and the sun angle.
    • East sideline: the same view facing the sun; bring sunglasses and a hat, since umbrellas are not allowed.
    • The north end zone (sections 27 to 35, reached through Gates 1, 2 and 8) has permanent seating and a head-on view of one goal line, but a poor view of plays at the far end.
    • Upper rows on the sideline: with a crowd usually in the 30,000s, these are often the easiest seats to buy and still show the whole field.

    Fans of each school tend to cluster together. Once the teams are announced, sitting near your own school's fans and band usually beats a marginally better seat elsewhere.

    Pachanga Week and the free tailgate

    The bowl brands its game week as Pachanga Week, with free public events built around the visiting teams. The 2025 schedule, as reported by local station KVOA, included:

    • A downtown pep rally on December 26 at 5th Avenue and Toole Avenue, with both teams' bands, cheerleaders and mascots.
    • The Gin & Juice Tailgate Festival on game day on the University of Arizona's east mall, free to attend, with food, drinks, a DJ and a Battle of the Bands between the two marching bands.
    • A free postgame party at The Monica on East Congress Street downtown.

    Snoop Dogg was scheduled to attend the 2025 game and handle the coin toss. Event names and dates change each year, so check thearizonabowl.com once the 2026 matchup is set.

    Gameday rules, parking and the streetcar

    The bowl's posted rules for the 2025 game opened gates 90 minutes before kickoff and enforced a clear-bag policy (bags must be clear plastic or vinyl, no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag). Small hand-sized clutches are allowed after inspection. Purses, backpacks, coolers and diaper bags are not, and a prohibited bag cannot be placed inside a clear one to get in. Outside food and drink are not allowed except water. Check the bowl's current policy before you go.

    • Parking on the University of Arizona campus is credit card only, according to Arizona Athletics. Cherry Garage is the closest garage to the stadium.
    • The Sun Link Streetcar serves the campus, and Arizona Athletics points to parking along its route as an alternative to driving to the stadium.
    • Gates: Gates 7 and 8 serve the west side, Gates 2, 3 and 6 the east side, and Gate 6 the south end zone.
    • Accessibility: wheelchair seating is available; the bowl handles requests at 520-AZBOWL1.

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    Where the money goes

    The Arizona Bowl is run as a nonprofit. Its founder, Ali Farhang, set three goals for it: showcase Tucson and Southern Arizona, create economic impact for the region, and give all net proceeds to nonprofits. As of a 2023 report in BizTucson, the bowl had given about 5 million dollars to Southern Arizona charities, including more than 1.4 million dollars from the 2022 game alone. That model is unusual among bowls and is part of why the game has strong local support despite a team payout that Wikipedia lists at 350,000 dollars for 2023.

    History, sponsors and notable games

    The first Arizona Bowl, on December 29, 2015, was an oddity: Nevada beat Colorado State 28–23 in a game between two Mountain West teams, the first non-championship bowl between members of the same conference since 1979. The sponsor list has been just as unusual:

    • NOVA Home Loans from 2015 to 2019
    • Offerpad in 2020
    • Barstool Sports from 2021 to 2023, when the game was streamed on Barstool's own platforms and later simulcast on The CW
    • Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop from 2024 to the present

    Close games are a theme. The 2017, 2018 and 2022 editions all went to overtime, and Wyoming beat Toledo 16–15 in 2023. The 2020 game was played with no spectators during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 game was canceled when Boise State withdrew. Miami (Ohio) beat Colorado State 43–17 before the record crowd in 2024, and Fresno State beat Miami (Ohio) 18–3 in 2025 before 37,232.

    Frequently asked questions

    When is the 2026 Arizona Bowl?

    As of fall 2026 the exact date had not been announced. Every game since 2015 has been played between December 27 and December 31, and the date is expected after Selection Day on December 6.

    Where is the Arizona Bowl played?

    At Casino Del Sol Stadium on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson. The stadium was called Arizona Stadium until November 2025.

    Which conferences play in the Arizona Bowl?

    Since 2020 the bowl has matched a Mountain West team against a MAC team. Mountain West membership changed in 2026, so confirm the matchup once it is announced.

    Which side of the stadium is better for an afternoon game?

    The west sideline. With the sun low in the southwest, west-side seats have it at their backs, while east-side seats look toward it.

    Does the Arizona Bowl have a clear-bag policy?

    Yes. For the 2025 game, bags had to be clear and no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch. Check the bowl's current policy before you go.

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