Idaho Potato Commission to Sponsor Bowl Game
The Idaho Potato Commission has signed a six-year naming rights deal to sponsor the former Humanitarian Bowl, now dubbed the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the nation’s longest-running outdoor cold-weather college football bowl game.
This bowl game features a top selection from the Western Athletic Conference and the Mid-American Conference. As part of the sponsorship package, the bowl will be featured prominently in national and regional marketing campaigns conducted by the commission. Four of the top five potato-consuming states are represented by the WAC and MAC conferences: New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.
“We’re proud to support a bowl that has become a national showcase for the state of Idaho,” said Frank Muir, president and CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission. “It’s the perfect opportunity to reinforce the health and quality benefits of Idaho potatoes to a national audience while supporting a game that has generated significant funds for the local economy and associated charities.”
Played since 1997, the next bowl game is scheduled for Dec. 17 at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho; it will be televised on ESPN.
“Our new title sponsor ensures the longevity of the Bowl and means that fans around the country will continue to see exciting games on the blue turf in Boise,” said Kevin McDonald, the bowl game’s executive director.
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl continues the tradition of commodity-named bowl games with connections to a state’s top agricultural export. The Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl all took their namesakes from products critical to their respective state’s economic health. Idaho has been the nation’s largest producer of potatoes every year since 1957. The “Famous Potato” slogan was initiated by the Idaho Potato Commission and added to the state’s license plates in 1948.
The Idaho Potato Commission is a state agency that is primarily responsible for expanding the markets for Idaho-grown potatoes through advertising, promotion and research.