Played annually in late December in El Paso, Texas, the Sun Bowl has enjoyed an illustrious history since the inaugural edition of the game was played on New Year’s Day 1935.
That contest featured a matchup between local high school squads, but also coincided with the debut of both the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, which join the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the nation, behind only the legendary Rose Bowl.
The Sun Bowl has made history on a number of occasions during its nine decades. The 1940 Sun Bowl marked just the second time a major bowl game ended in a scoreless tie. The Arizona State Bulldogs took on the Catholic University Cardinals on windswept New Year’s Day, with the two squads combining to complete just three pass attempts and compile just 16 total passing yards while punting 23 times.
Conversely, the 2005 Sun Bowl set the record at the time for most points scored in a bowl game, as the UCLA Bruins topped Northwestern 50-38 as 3-point underdogs in their third Sun Bowl appearance. A decade earlier, future Super Bowl Sportsbook Priest Holmes earned MVP honors after electrifying fans with a four-touchdown performance in the Texas Longhorns’ 35-31 win over North Carolina in 1994.
Over 80 teams have participated in the Sun Bowl during its long history, with the Texas Tech Red Raiders making a record nine appearances but earning just one victory, a 25-14 win over Pacific back in 1952. Starting in 2014, the Sun Bowl is contested by teams from the ACC and Pac-12.
The 2018 Sun Bowl features the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Stanford Cardinal. For the latest odds, a free pick and handicapping information, visit our Sun Bowl Game Center.
| Year | Bowl | Team | Score | Team | Score | Spread | ATS Sportsbook | SU Sportsbook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Sun Bowl | Iowa | 38 | Washington | 18 | -5 | IOWA | IOWA |
| 1996 | Sun Bowl | Stanford | 38 | Michigan State | 0 | -8 | STANFO | STANFO |
| 1997 | Sun Bowl | Arizona State | 17 | Iowa | 7 | -7.5 | ARIZST | ARIZST |
| 1998 | Sun Bowl | Southern Cal | 19 | TCU | 28 | +17.5 | TCU | TCU |
| 1999 | Sun Bowl | Minnesota | 20 | Oregon | 24 | +2 | OREG | OREG |
| 2000 | Sun Bowl | UCLA | 20 | Wisconsin | 21 | -4.5 | UCLA | WISCSN |
| 2001 | Sun Bowl | Purdue | 27 | Washington State | 33 | -6 | Push | WSHST |
| 2002 | Sun Bowl | Purdue | 34 | Washington | 24 | -2 | PURDUE | PURDUE |
| 2003 | Sun Bowl | Oregon | 30 | Minnesota | 31 | -5.5 | OREG | MINN |
| 2004 | Sun Bowl | Arizona State | 27 | Purdue | 23 | -7.5 | ARIZST | ARIZST |
| 2005 | Sun Bowl | Northwestern | 38 | UCLA | 50 | -3 | UCLA | UCLA |
| 2006 | Sun Bowl | Missouri | 38 | Oregon State | 39 | -3.5 | MIZZOU | OREGST |
| 2007 | Sun Bowl | Oregon | 56 | South Florida | 21 | -5.5 | OREG | OREG |
| 2008 | Sun Bowl | Pittsburgh | 0 | Oregon State | 3 | -1.5 | OREGST | OREGST |
| 2009 | Sun Bowl | Stanford | 27 | Oklahoma | 31 | -10.5 | STANFO | OKLA |
| 2010 | Sun Bowl | Notre Dame | 33 | Miami | 17 | -2.5 | NOTRD | NOTRD |
| 2011 | Sun Bowl | Utah | 30 | Georgia Tech | 27 | -1.5 | UTAH | UTAH |
| 2012 | Sun Bowl | Georgia Tech | 21 | USC | 7 | -9.5 | GATECH | GATECH |
| 2013 | Sun Bowl | Virginia Tech | 12 | UCLA | 42 | -7 | UCLA | UCLA |
| 2014 | Sun Bowl | Duke | 31 | Arizona State | 36 | -7.5 | DUKE | ARIZST |
| 2015 | Sun Bowl | Miami | 14 | Washington State | 20 | -3 | WSHST | WSHST |
| 2016 | Sun Bowl | Stanford | 25 | North Carolina | 23 | +2.5 | UNC | STANFO |
| 2017 | Sun Bowl | NC State | 52 | Arizona State | 31 | +4.5 | NC STATE | NC STATE |
| 2018 | Sun Bowl | Pittsburgh | 13 | Stanford | 14 | -3.5 | Pittsburgh | Stanford |
