Fiesta Bowl Fun and Philanthropy

The countdown to kickoff is on! No. 2 ranked Michigan and No. 3 ranked Texas Christian University (TCU) will face off in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

Tens of thousands of fans will pack State Farm Stadium to cheer on their favorite college team as we say goodbye to 2022. The winner of the Fiesta Bowl will advance to the College Football National Championship game.

With a new title sponsor, the newly named Vrbo Fiesta Bowl has been a big deal in Arizona for decades as its impact reaches far beyond the game. Fiesta Bowl is like a triangle – a college football organization, an event company, and a nonprofit that champions charitable causes.Every ticket purchased for the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl helps support Fiesta Bowl Charities.

Fiesta Bowl impact by the numbers:

• An estimated $3 billion in economic impact over the last 13 years.
• The Fiesta Bowl organization is made up of 3,000 volunteers.
• In its seven years, Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program granted $5.7 million to 1,600 Arizona teachers, impacting 500,000+ students across the state.
• Fiesta Bowl was the first bowl to donate $1 million in charitable giving.
• Fiesta Bowl Charities has given approximately $28 million to the Arizona community in the last 12 years.

For all these reasons and more, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) has proudly partnered with Fiesta Bowl since the 2018-19 season.

“BCBSAZ has been a treasured partner of ours with a shared philosophy of giving back to our communities to make Arizona a better place to live,” Fiesta Bowl Chief Marketing Officer Jose Moreno said. “In our time together, our organizations have banded together for several standout events, and we continue to push the envelope to be creative in helping our communities.”

Partnership highlights:

1. Guinness World Record: Centered on health and wellness, Fiesta Bowl and BCBSAZ brought together 2,000+ kids to break the world record for the largest game of freeze tag! We had the opportunity to show children that anything is possible when they put their minds to it.
2. Resource Rooms: Each year, we identify a nonprofit organization to partner with and renovate a space that will provide much-needed resources for their community. From youth centers with a space to practice quiet mindfulness to science rooms, we try and meet the community’s needs and provide these organizations the opportunity to serve more youth and create safe and open spaces that spark connections.
3. Empowering Diversity Scholarship: We created this fund to help Arizonans achieve their educational goals. This year, a total of $86,000 in financial awards were given to 20 scholarship recipients looking to pursue post-secondary degree and/or a GED. Funds raised through the Guaranteed Rate Bowl and the Fiesta bowl 50/50 raffle go back to help support this impactful scholarship. In the three years of the scholarship fund, the Empowering Diversity Scholarship presented by Fiesta Bowl and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has awarded $259,000 to 66 Arizona minority students.
4. Hance Park Revitalization: BCBSAZ was one of the legacy partners who helped fund a state-of-the-art 20,000-foot mega playground in Downtown Phoenix which serves more than one million people a year. This safe place to play provides a location for kids to be active in Downtown Phoenix for years to come.

And of course, BCBSAZ never misses the Fiesta Bowl Parade - and you won’t be able to miss our balloon this year! Follow our social media pages for all the Fiesta Bowl fun.

Parade details

• When: December 17
• Where: two-mile march through Central Phoenix
• Time: 10 a.m.
• Recognized statewide as the highest-attended single day event with 100,000 attendees.
• This year marks the 50th edition of the Fiesta Bowl Parade.

Fiesta Bowl game day details

• When: December 31
• Where: State Farm Stadium
• Time: 2 p.m.
• For a game day guide from parking to policies, click here.

Fiesta Bowl history

The Fiesta Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played in Arizona since 1971. The mission of the Fiesta Bowl is to create a positive economic impact for Arizona and focus on the community while having some football fun. In the early years of the bowl, it was played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University. In 2007, the game moved to its current location at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The Fiesta Bowl has been a part of the College Football Playoff (CFP) since the playoff system was introduced in 2014. Over the years, the Fiesta Bowl has played host to some of the biggest names in college football, including Notre Dame, Penn State, Nebraska, Miami, and Ohio State. Some of the most memorable moments in Fiesta Bowl history include Penn State’s come-from-behind victory over Miami in 1987, Nebraska’s last-second win over Tennessee in 1998, and Ohio State’s dominant victory over Notre Dame in 2016.