Snoop Dogg gets his own bowl game with Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice
Snoop Dogg is ready to "bring the juice" back to college football. Gin and juice that is.
The rap icon is getting into the bowl sponsorship game, and the Arizona Bowl will officially be known as the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop.
Launched in February, Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop is a nod to the famous song with Dr. Dre off Snoop's 1993 album "Doggystyle." As the presenting sponsor, it marks the first time an NCAA-sanctioned bowl game will be presented by an alcohol product.
"It's time that we get back to the roots of college football. When it was focused on the colleges, the players, the competition, the community, the fan experience and the pageantry," Snoop said in social media video. "It's only fitting that I step up and help get this thing right. I'm ready to bring the juice back to college football."
The game, previously known as the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl, pits a team from the Mountain West Conference and Mid-American Conference at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, home of the Arizona Wildcats. The deal with Snoop is a multi-year sponsorship, according to bowl organizers, and was brought together by the game’s consulting partners, Playfly Sports.
"We’re thrilled about our groundbreaking partnership with Snoop and Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop," Kym Adair, executive director of the Arizona Bowl, said in a statement. "This year, the Arizona Bowl is bringing sports, libations, and entertainment into a singular bowl game, and we are changing the definition of what a brand partnership is in the NCAA."
Snoop has long been part of football, including the launch of his Snoop Youth Football League in 2005. He was frequently seen at Southern California games during the program's dominance in the 2000s, and his son Cordell Broadus was a member of the UCLA football team before stepping away from the game.
In addition to the game, a "SNOOPER Bowl" will take place, which will bring "the top California and Arizona youth football teams to battle it out." The Arizona Bowl will take place Dec. 28 at 2:30 p.m. MT.