Why is it called the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl? History of college football's Boise State bowl game

Zac Al-Khateeb

Why is it called the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl? History of college football's Boise State bowl game image

One of the more distinct games of the 2022-23 bowl season will play out in Boise, Idaho, on Tuesday in the form of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

The 2022 edition of this game will feature San Jose State out of the Mountain West vs. Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference. Whoever emerges as victor from that game — like a triumphant sprouting potato plant — will become part of a notable history in this game.

Though the game likely won't be compared to more prestigious bowls such as the Rose or Sugar, it nonetheless has a fascinating background with a noted history of producing entertaining games. And what more could you ask for in a bowl game?

MORE: Watch college football bowl games live with fuboTV (free trial)

With that, The Sporting News breaks down the history of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, including the origin of its name, location, trophy and game-by-game record:

Why is it called the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl?

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl isn't the original name of this game: It was originally called the Humanitarian Bowl from its inception in 1997 through 2003, and again from 2007 through 2010. The name stemmed from the title sponsor, the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in Boise, Idaho.

In between its two stints under that name, it was called the MPC Computers Bowl from 2004 through 2006. It wasn't until 2011 that the The Idaho Potato Commission emerged as the bowl game's long-term sponsor.

The decision to give the bowl its third different name has given it one of the most distinguishable monikers of the bowl season. Per the bowl's website:

"The Idaho Potato Commission emerged with a commitment as a long-term sponsor, giving the bowl its new identity, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Hear the name, and you know exactly what it is and where it is."

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Where is the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl played?

Another distinct feature of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is the fact it's played at Boise State's Albertsons Stadium, which has featured an iconic blue turf surface since 1986.

The game has been played there every year since the bowl's inception in 1997. Though the venue has remained the same since the game's inception, the name of the stadium has changed: It was previously Broncos Stadium from 1970 through 2014, when it was renamed Albertsons Stadium.

MORE: College football bowl picks, predictions for all 41 postseason games in 2022-23

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl trophy

The trophy of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is, appropriately, a giant glass of Idaho russet potatoes. The bowl, which has the bowl logo stamped on the glass, is affixed on top of a trophy stand that reads "CHAMPION" with the bowl logo placed underneath.

Also of note: The coach of the winning team has a distinct twist on the postgame Gatorade bath. Instead of getting doused in Gatorade, they instead get a "french fry shower," which sounds considerably better than the alternative.

MORE: College football bowl schedule: Complete list of selections for all 41 bowl games in 2022-23

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl history

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl has been played every year since its inaugural game in 1997, including the COVID-19-affected season in 2020. It has had various bowl tie-ins over the years, but currently features the Mountain West vs. the MAC.

Boise State is tied with Nevada and Utah State for most appearances in the game, though it should be noted that the Broncos do not have a team-specific tie-in to the bowl. That said, the Broncos do enjoy the highest win percentage of any teams to play in this game, going 3-1 (.750). Both the Wolf Pack and Aggies are 1-3 in their four appearances.

Below is the full breakdown of the bowl game's history, complete with conference tie-ins and game-by-game results:

Date Conference tie-ins Opponents Outcome
Dec. 29, 1997 Big West vs. C-USA Cincinnati vs. Utah State Cincinnati 35, Utah State 19
Dec. 30, 1998 Big West vs. C-USA Idaho vs. Southern Miss Idaho 42, Southern Miss 35
Dec. 30, 1999 Big West vs. C-USA Boise State vs. Louisville Boise State 34, Louisville 31
Dec. 28, 2000 Big West vs. WAC Boise State vs. UTEP Boise State 38, UTEP 23
Dec. 31, 2001 WAC vs. ACC Clemson vs. La Tech Clemson 49, La Tech 24
Dec. 31, 2002 WAC vs. Big 12 Boise State vs. Iowa State Boise State 34, Iowa State 15
Jan. 3, 2004 WAC vs. ACC Georgia Tech vs. Tulsa Georgia Tech 52, Tulsa 10
Dec. 27, 2004 WAC vs. ACC Fresno State vs. Virginia Fresno State 37, Virginia 34 (OT)
Dec. 28, 2005 WAC vs. ACC Boston College vs. Boise State Boston College 27, Boise State 21
Dec. 31, 2006 WAC vs. ACC Miami vs. Nevada Miami 21, Nevada 20
Dec. 31, 2007 WAC vs. ACC Fresno State vs. Georgia Tech Fresno State 40, Georgia Tech 28
Dec. 30, 2008 WAC vs. ACC Maryland vs. Nevada Maryland 42, Nevada 35
Dec. 30, 2009 WAC vs. MAC Idaho vs. Bowling Green Idaho 43, Bowling Green 42
Dec. 18, 2010 WAC vs. MAC Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State Northern Illinois 40, Fresno State 17
Dec. 17, 2011 WAC vs. MAC Ohio vs. Utah State Ohio 24, Utah State 23
Dec. 15, 2012 WAC vs. MAC Utah State vs. Toledo Utah State 41,& Toledo 15
Dec. 21, 2013 MWC vs. MAC San Diego State vs. Buffalo San Diego State 49, Buffalo 24
Dec. 20, 2014 MWC vs. MAC Air Force vs. Western Michigan Air Force 38, Western Michigan 24
Dec. 22, 2015 MWC vs. MAC Akron vs. Utah State Akron 23, Utah State 21
Dec. 22, 2016 MWC vs. Sun Belt Idaho vs. Colorado State Idaho 61, Colorado State 50
Dec. 22, 2016 MWC vs. MAC Wyoming vs. Central Michigan Wyoming 37, Central Michigan 14
Dec. 21, 2018 Independent vs. MAC BYU vs. Western Michigan BYU 49, Western Michigan 18
Jan. 3, 2020 MWC vs. MAC Ohio vs. Nevada Ohio 30, Nevada 21
Dec. 22, 2020 MWC vs. AAC Nevada vs. Tulane Nevada 38, Tulane 27
Dec. 21, 2021 MWC vs. MAC Wyoming vs. Kent State Wyoming 52, Kent State 38
Dec. 20, 2022 MWC vs. MAC Eastern Michigan vs. San Jose State TBD

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.