Game History
In its first year, the Hawaiʻi Bowl was sponsored by ConAgra Foods. The following year, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Hawaii assumed sponsorship which it continues to hold today; the game's full name was changed to the Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl.
The 2005 appearance of the UCF Knights at the Hawaiʻi Bowl was the first ever bowl game in that school's history.
In 2006, the Pac-10 replaced C-USA as the WAC's opposition. If the Pac-10 was not able to provide a bowl-eligible team, C-USA would have supplied the team (assuming it had a sixth team that was bowl eligible). If neither conference had a bowl-eligible team, the spot would have been filled by an at-large team. In 2007, C-USA had a guaranteed spot in the Hawaiʻi Bowl, which was filled by the East Carolina Pirates.
Since Christmas Eve fell on a Monday in 2007, the game was scheduled for the night prior (December 23) to avoid a conflict with Monday Night Football (also on ESPN).
The 2011 Hawai'i Bowl featured the Conference USA champion for the first time, as Southern Mississippi played in the bowl instead of going to the Liberty Bowl, where the C-USA champion typically plays.
Read more about this topic: Hawaii Bowl
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