Kellogg's Gives Mascot Tony the Tiger College Football Bowl Game

College football bowl games have routinely been criticized for the variety of names used each [...]

By John Newby

College football bowl games have routinely been criticized for the variety of names used each season, such as the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the Cheez-It Bowl, and the Dollar General Bowl. However, there is a newcomer to the mix, and it is guaranteed to be popular among some of the younger football fans.

Tuesday, it was announced that the Hyundai Sun Bowl, which had been called the Brut Sun Bowl at one point, will be renamed once again. Hyundai's naming rights ended in 2019, and now a new company has taken over in Kellogg's.

The cereal giant is taking the Frosted Flakes brand and changing up conventions by naming the bowl game after the mascot, Tony the Tiger.

"Today, a new era of college football begins as Kellogg's Frosted Flakes is announced as the title sponsor of the newly-named Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl," the Sun Bowl Association said in a statement. "The postseason contest will feature a power-five matchup between members of the ACC and Pac-12 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 31, 2019, and will be televised for the 52nd consecutive year on CBS."

While the move could seem odd to outsiders, it is a historic moment for both the bowl game and the makers of Frosted Flakes. According to the statement, Tony the Tiger is the first mascot to lend his name to a college football bowl game. Mickey Mouse, Trix the Rabbit, and Sonic the Hedgehog are all characters that can't boast the same.

"Tony the Tiger has been dedicated to fueling active kids since 1952, and it's a core value we share with the founders of the Sun Bowl Association," Brant Wheaton, Marketing Director of Kellogg U.S. Ready-To-Eat Cereal segment, said. "At Frosted Flakes, we believe every kid should have a chance to be able to play like a Tiger and are committed to keeping middle school kids active in the El Paso community and beyond."

The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl will partner with Tony's "Mission Tiger" initiative, helping to raise awareness and funds for at-risk middle school sports programs through a multiyear partnership with nonprofit DonorsChoose.org. This initiative will be used to help teams upgrade training equipment, purchase new uniforms, or simply keep the school from shutting down the sports program. Since its inception, the Sun Bowl has been focused on helping kids play sports, and this tradition will continue with the new partnership in place.

Calling this the "biggest cereal bowl" ever is a goofy way to describe the partnership, but Kellogg's doesn't care. Their goal is to help kids play sports while sponsoring a longstanding bowl game.

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