Old El Paso Will Sponsor 2026 Sun Bowl Game
General Mills rebranded the historic annual bowl game with a title sponsorship focused on its namesake city.
Updated on Sept. 19, 2026 in Football
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Old El Paso has signed on as the official title sponsor of the upcoming 93rd annual Sun Bowl. The college football matchup between the ACC and the Legacy Pac-12 is scheduled for December 31, 2026.
Why it matters
The new partnership brings the Old El Paso brand back to its namesake city of El Paso. This sponsorship marks a significant rebranding for the historic game, replacing the previous association with Kellogg's Tony the Tiger.
The 93rd annual bowl game is set for a 2pm ET kickoff on December 31, 2026. The matchup will feature teams from the ACC and the Legacy Pac-12 conferences.
The players
Old El Paso
This food brand originally adopted its name in 1938 after the company started as the Mountain Pass Canning Company in 1917.
Sun Bowl Association
This organization manages the annual college football bowl game held in El Paso.
THE-TEAM
This agency represents brands in sports marketing and brokered the partnership for the Sun Bowl Association.
The details
The Sun Bowl Association worked with THE-TEAM to broker the partnership through its U.S. Rights Sales group. As part of the promotional push, the singing cowboy mascot Elroy will feature in marketing and make an appearance at the game.
Timeline
1917: Mountain Pass Canning Company began operations in El Paso.
1938: The company officially adopted the Old El Paso name.
1968: CBS began broadcasting the Sun Bowl game.
December 31, 2026: The 93rd annual Old El Paso Sun Bowl will take place.
Season Trajectory
This sponsorship refreshes the identity of a legacy bowl game within the shifting landscape of college football post-season branding. It maintains the event's stability in the bowl schedule while signaling new commercial strategies for bowl associations.
Fans can expect the game to be broadcast on CBS at 2pm ET on the final day of 2026. This transition replaces the prior Tony the Tiger brand identity that previously defined the bowl's public-facing title.
The takeaway
This partnership highlights the trend of food brands leveraging local identity to anchor sports marketing campaigns. Attendees and viewers can look forward to seeing the brand's mascot, Elroy, integrated into the game's presentation.
Further reading
For more on the latest developments in collegiate athletics, visit the Football section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bleeding Cool.
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