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| Bahamas Bowl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | Thomas Robinson Stadium |
| Location | Nassau, Bahamas |
| Temporary venue | Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina (2023)[a] |
| Operated | 2014–present |
| Conference tie-ins | Conference USA (2014–present) Mid-American Conference (2014–present) |
| Payout | US$225,000 (2019)[1] |
| Sponsors | |
| |
| Former names | |
| |
| 2023 matchup | |
| Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion (Western Kentucky 38–35OT) | |
| 2024 season matchup | |
| (January 4, 2025) | |
The Bahamas Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played annually in Nassau, Bahamas, at the 15,000-seat Thomas Robinson Stadium.[2] First held in 2014, the Bowl has tie-ins with the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA.
For the December 2023 edition, the game was temporarily moved to Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, due to renovations at Thomas Robinson Stadium. This edition was known as the Famous Toastery Bowl, reflecting the title sponsor of the relocated game.[3][4][5]
The inaugural edition of the Bahamas Bowl, played in 2014, was the first major (FBS or historical equivalent) bowl game to be played outside the United States and Canada between two U.S. teams since the January 1, 1937, Bacardi Bowl in Havana, Cuba.[6] The game featured teams from the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA;[7] that conference matchup has continued annually.[8] In July 2019, the MAC announced a continuation of its tie-in with the bowl through the 2025–26 football season.[9]
From its inception to 2017, the game was sponsored by the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant franchise and officially known as the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl.[10] After Restaurant Brands International acquired Popeyes in 2017, they declined to renew sponsorship. Elk Grove Village, Illinois—"home to the largest industrial park in the United States"—picked up title sponsorship in 2018, with the bowl using the official naming of Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.[11] The name lasted until Elk Grove Village ended its sponsorship in March 2020.[12] On May 25, 2022, it was announced that HomeTown Lenders would be the new title sponsor of the game.[13]
The winning team is presented with a trophy, since 2016 named the Prime Minister's Trophy.[14] The current trophy, in use since the 2018 playing, is approximately 30 inches (76 cm) tall and weighs nearly 30 pounds (14 kg).[14]
On October 2, 2020, the 2020 edition of the bowl was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions.[15]
On October 26, 2023, it was announced that the 2023 edition would be played at Jerry Richardson Stadium on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte due to ongoing renovations at the host venue, Thomas Robinson Stadium.[3] The game was also temporarily renamed to reflect that it would not be played in the Bahamas.[4] On November 14, 2023, Famous Toastery, a restaurant chain based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was named as title sponsor of the relocated Famous Toastery Bowl.[16]
| Date | Bowl name | Winning team | Losing team | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 24, 2014 | Bahamas Bowl | Western Kentucky | 49 | Central Michigan | 48 | 13,667 |
| December 24, 2015 | Bahamas Bowl | Western Michigan | 45 | Middle Tennessee | 31 | 13,123 |
| December 23, 2016 | Bahamas Bowl | Old Dominion | 24 | Eastern Michigan | 20 | 13,422 |
| December 22, 2017 | Bahamas Bowl | Ohio | 41 | UAB | 6 | 13,585 |
| December 21, 2018 | Bahamas Bowl | FIU | 35 | Toledo | 32 | 13,510 |
| December 20, 2019 | Bahamas Bowl | Buffalo | 31 | Charlotte | 9 | 13,547 |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[17] | |||||
| December 17, 2021 | Bahamas Bowl | Middle Tennessee | 31 | Toledo | 24 | 13,596 |
| December 16, 2022 | Bahamas Bowl | UAB | 24 | Miami (OH) | 20 | 12,172 |
| December 18, 2023 | Famous Toastery Bowl | Western Kentucky | 38 | Old Dominion | 35 (OT) | 5,632 |
| January 4, 2025 | Bahamas Bowl | TBD | ||||
| Year | Offensive MVP | Defensive MVP | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Pos. | Player | Team | Pos. | ||
| 2014 | Brandon Doughty | Western Kentucky | QB | Derik Overstreet | Western Kentucky | DL | [20] |
| 2015 | Jamauri Bogan | Western Michigan | RB | Grant DePalma | Western Michigan | LB | [21] |
| 2016 | Ray Lawry | Old Dominion | RB | TJ Ricks | Old Dominion | LB | [22] |
| 2017 | Dorian Brown | Ohio | RB | Javon Hagan | Ohio | FS | [23] |
| 2018 | Christian Alexander | FIU | QB | Edwin Freeman | FIU | LB | [24] |
| 2019 | Jaret Patterson | Buffalo | RB | Malcolm Koonce | Buffalo | DE | [25][26] |
| 2021 | Nicholas Vattiato | Middle Tennessee | QB | DQ Thomas | Middle Tennessee | LB | [27][28] |
| 2022 | Trea Shropshire | UAB | WR | Michael Fairbanks II | UAB | LB | [29] |
| 2023 | Caden Veltkamp | Western Kentucky | QB | Anthony Johnson Jr. | Western Kentucky | DB | [30][31] |
Updated through the December 2023 edition (9 games, 18 total appearances).
| Team | Appearances | Record | Win pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky | 2 | 2–0 | 1.000 |
| Middle Tennessee | 2 | 1–1 | .500 |
| Old Dominion | 2 | 1–1 | .500 |
| UAB | 2 | 1–1 | .500 |
| Toledo | 2 | 0–2 | .000 |
Won (4): Buffalo, FIU, Ohio, Western Michigan
Lost (4): Central Michigan, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan, Miami (OH)
Updated through the December 2023 edition (9 games, 18 total appearances).
| Conference | Record | Appearances by season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | Win pct. | Won | Lost | |
| C-USA | 9 | 6 | 3 | .667 | 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 | 2015, 2017, 2019 |
| MAC | 8 | 3 | 5 | .375 | 2015, 2017, 2019 | 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 |
| Sun Belt | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2023 | |
| Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 49, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan | 2014 |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 48, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky | 2014 |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 97, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan | 2014 |
| Fewest points allowed | 6, Ohio vs. UAB | 2017 |
| Largest margin of victory | 35, Ohio vs. UAB | 2017 |
| Total yards | 647, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan | 2014 |
| Rushing yards | 282, Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee | 2015 |
| Passing yards | 493, Central Michigan vs. Western Kentucky | 2014 |
| First downs | 29, Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan | 2014 |
| Fewest yards allowed | 272, Miami (OH) vs. UAB | 2022 |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | 80, Buffalo vs. Charlotte | 2019 |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | 77, Charlotte vs. Buffalo | 2019 |
| Individual | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| All-purpose yards | 215, Jamauri Bogan (Western Michigan) | 2015 |
| Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 4, shared by Bogan, Brown, and Davis (see below) | |
| Rushing yards | 215, Jamauri Bogan (Western Michigan) | 2015 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 4, shared by: Jamauri Bogan (Western Michigan) Dorian Brown (Ohio) |
2015 2017 |
| Passing yards | 493, Cooper Rush (Central Michigan) | 2014 |
| Passing touchdowns | 7, Cooper Rush (Central Michigan) | 2014 |
| Receiving yards | 183, shared by: Corey Davis (Western Michigan) Trea Shropshire (UAB) |
2015 2022 |
| Receptions | 9, Yusuf Ali (Middle Tennessee) | 2021 |
| Receiving touchdowns | 4, Titus Davis (Central Michigan) | 2014 |
| Tackles | 15, Matthew Salopek (Miami (OH)) 10 (solo), Matthew Salopek (Miami (OH)) |
2022 |
| Sacks | 2, shared by: Derik Overstreet (Western Kentucky) Malcolm Koonce,[32] (Buffalo) Nate Givhan (Toledo) |
2014 2019 2021 |
| Interceptions | 1, by multiple players | |
| Long Plays | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Touchdown run | 74 yds., Dorian Brown (Ohio) | 2017 |
| Touchdown pass | 90 yds., Dequan Finn to Matt Landers (Toledo) | 2021 |
| Kickoff return | 45 yds., Andre Wilson (UAB) | 2017 |
| Punt return | 34 yds., Kylan Nelson (Ohio) | 2017 |
| Interception return | 49 yds., Samuel Womack (Toledo) | 2021 |
| Fumble return | 27 yds., Tony Annese (Central Michigan) | 2014 |
| Punt | 54 yds., shared by: Michael Farkas (Ohio) Bailey Flint (Toledo) |
2017 2018, 2021 |
| Field goal | 47 yds., Andrew Haldeman (Western Michigan) | 2015 |
Source:[33]
The bowl has been televised by ESPN since its inception.
ESPN said it anticipates the Bahamas Bowl will return to Nassau in 2024 once renovations to the stadium are complete.
Veltkamp was named the game's offensive MVP.
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