Upcoming Sun 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 Sun Bowl is
The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game played at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, usually on New Year's Eve, matching a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) against a team from the Pac-12. The next game is set for Thursday, December 31, 2026, at noon Mountain time on CBS. The Sun Bowl Association's site lists the matchup as the ACC against "Pac-12 Legacy Teams," the schools that made up the conference before most of its members left in 2024.
The game's age is its calling card. The first Sun Bowl, in 1935, was played between high school teams, and the first college game followed in 1936, a 14–14 tie between Hardin-Simmons and New Mexico A&M. That makes it the second-oldest bowl in the country, after the Rose Bowl, sharing the distinction with the Sugar and Orange bowls. CBS has carried the game since 1968, which Wikipedia describes as the longest continuous relationship between any bowl and one television network.
When it is played and how teams are chosen
New Year's Eve is the usual slot. Recent games were played on December 31 in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2025, with exceptions on December 30, 2022 and December 29, 2023. The 2020 game was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A midday kickoff means the game ends in the late afternoon, which leaves the evening free for New Year's Eve plans in El Paso.
The bowl announces its teams on Selection Sunday, which the Sun Bowl Association lists for December 6 in 2026. Tie-ins have changed over the decades: the bowl has partnered with the Border Conference, the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the Big East at various points. With the Pac-12 rebuilt and conference lineups still shifting, confirm the pairing each season. Demand depends heavily on the matchup. A visiting school with a large fan base that travels well, or a regional favorite, fills the stadium; a matchup between two distant schools leaves more of it to local fans.
Sun Bowl Stadium and where to sit
Sun Bowl Stadium opened in 1963 on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and is the home field of the UTEP Miners. It was built into a natural bowl in the desert hillside at an elevation of about 3,910 feet. Sources list its capacity differently: Wikipedia gives current seating of 45,971 against a nominal capacity of 51,500, and the bowl's record crowd, 54,021 for Notre Dame against Miami in 2010, came in above both figures.
The shape is a horseshoe. Grandstands line both sidelines, stands were added behind the north end zone in 1982, and the south end remains open, its hillside covered with school logos. A renovation completed for the 2021 season, at a cost of about 15 million dollars, added luxury boxes in a new press facility, renovated concourses and premium seating on the west side.
- West sideline: home of the press facility, suites and the newest premium seating. Expect the highest demand between the 30-yard lines.
- East sideline: the same view of the field from the opposite side and often a better value, especially in the middle and upper rows.
- North end zone: the lowest-demand seats, with a straight-on view toward the open south end and the hills beyond it.
Because the bowl is built into the terrain, the upper rows on either sideline are a long climb, but they take in the whole field. Lower rows close to the field lose the far side of the play behind the benches. For most fans, the middle third of either sideline is the right balance.
Sun, altitude and desert weather
The name fits. A noon kickoff at the end of December puts the low winter sun in the southern sky, and with the south end of the stadium open, there is little to block it. As the afternoon goes on and the sun moves toward the southwest, fans on the east side tend to look toward it while fans on the west side have it behind them. North end zone seats face south, directly toward the open end.
Wear sunglasses and sunscreen even in winter; at nearly 4,000 feet the sun is stronger than many visitors expect. Desert air cools quickly once the sun drops, so bring a jacket for the trip out of the stadium. Conditions at the end of December vary from year to year, so check the forecast the day before.
The Sun Bowl season, from parade to pregame
The Sun Bowl Association runs events across the fall rather than a single bowl week, and the biggest one happens a month before the game. For the 2026 season the association lists:
- A Sun Bowl Art Exhibit in early November.
- The 90th annual Sun Bowl Parade on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, a long-running El Paso holiday tradition held before the teams are even chosen.
- Selection Sunday on December 6, when the matchup is announced.
- Youth basketball and cheer camps, plus a pickleball tournament.
- A Fan Fiesta and a pregame fan party close to game day.
Visiting fans who arrive a day or two early can catch the fan events held close to game day. Check the association's site for times and locations as the game approaches.
History, sponsors and recent games
The Sun Bowl has carried a corporate name since the 1980s: John Hancock (1986–1993), Norwest (1996–1998), Wells Fargo (1999–2003), Helen of Troy's Vitalis and Brut brands (2004–2009), Hyundai (2010–2018) and Kellogg's Tony the Tiger brand from 2019. The association's site lists the 2026 game as the Old El Paso Sun Bowl, through a partnership with General Mills, so expect the new name on tickets and broadcasts.
Recent games have often been close:
- 2022: Pittsburgh 37, UCLA 35.
- 2023: Notre Dame 40, Oregon State 8, before 48,223.
- 2024: Louisville 35, Washington 34.
- 2025: Duke 42, Arizona State 39, before 44,975.
Earlier, Stanford won two one-score games here (25–23 over North Carolina in 2016 and 14–13 over Pittsburgh in 2018), and Arizona State edged Florida State 20–14 in 2019.
Travel and game-day tips
- Address: Sun Bowl Stadium, 2701 Sun Bowl Drive, on the UTEP campus.
- Parking and tailgating: the Sun Bowl Association publishes parking and tailgating details for the game, separate from UTEP home games. Check them before you go.
- Stadium policies: bag rules and prohibited items are listed on the association's stadium policies page and can change from year to year. Check the current policy before you go.
- Hotels: New Year's Eve lifts demand for rooms, so book early if you plan to stay the night of the game.
Every GoodSeats order includes guaranteed entry. For schedules, parking and policies, see the Sun Bowl Association.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next Sun Bowl?
The next Sun Bowl is scheduled for Thursday, December 31, 2026, at noon Mountain time at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, broadcast on CBS.
Which conferences play in the Sun Bowl?
The current pairing is the ACC against a team from the Pac-12, which the Sun Bowl Association describes as Pac-12 legacy teams. Tie-ins change periodically, so confirm the matchup when teams are announced in early December.
Is the Sun Bowl the second-oldest bowl game?
Yes. The first Sun Bowl was played in 1935 and the first college game in 1936, making it the second-oldest bowl after the Rose Bowl, a distinction it shares with the Sugar and Orange bowls.
Where should I sit at Sun Bowl Stadium?
The middle third of either sideline gives the best view. The west side holds the press facility and newest premium seating, while the east side often costs less for a similar angle. The north end zone is the lowest-demand area.
When is the Sun Bowl Parade?
The Sun Bowl Parade is held on Thanksgiving Day, about a month before the game. The 2026 edition, the 90th, is scheduled for November 26.