In 2021, the lineup of college bowl games got a little bigger — with some celebrity cachet to boot. In 2021 and 2022, viewers had the option to tune in to the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl, one of the rare instances where a bowl game has featured the name of a living person. Kimmel’s naming rights stint has reached the end of the line, however — but the bowl’s tradition of adopting a celebrity’s name will continue.
And this time out, the bowl’s namesake will be someone with a very close connection to the sport being played. Or, to put it another way, get ready for the LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk.
As The Hollywood Reporter‘s Alex Weprin reports, Rob Gronkowski has taken over naming rights for the event. Previous years’ matchups have seen Oregon State play Utah State and Fresno State play Washington State. This year, as per THR, the number one team in the Mountain West conference will play the fifth-ranked ream in the Pac-12. The game will take place on December 16.
What can attendees and viewers expect? Some sort of halftime performance from Gronkowski, for one thing — as well as dedicated merchandise and food items available for sale.
“Football has brought me so many incredible opportunities, and I’m thrilled to return to college football as the host of my very own bowl game,” said the former New England and Tampa Bay player. What does a Rob Gronkowski bowl game look like? We’ll know in a little less than two months.
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