DALLAS – More than 300 members attended the Bowl Season Annual Meeting last week at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona, marking the first gathering of its kind in more than two years. Representatives from the 44 bowl games, the College Football Playoff (CFP), ESPN, sponsors and vendors took advantage of the opportunity to meet, network, brainstorm and plan for the coming season. The 2020 meeting was postponed to this date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The keynote speaker for the general session was ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips.
 
"Coming together for the first time in two years, we felt the excitement of the college football community in full force," said Nick Carparelli, executive director of Bowl Season. "I am passionately committed to serve alongside bowl game leadership across the country, in a celebration of student-athletes and the grand tradition of college football. Bowl games matter, and their impact is incredibly meaningful." 
 
Bowl Season and CFP Foundation Partnering to Impact Teachers
One of the highlights from the Annual Meeting was the announcement of a new partnership between the CFP Foundation and Bowl Season. The CFP Foundation is the largest sports entity supporting K-12 educators in America, having collectively invested over $47 million in support of education. It has joined forces with Bowl Season to provide an opportunity for all 44 bowl games to celebrate and support teachers across the country. Each bowl game will have the opportunity to participate in an Extra Yard for Teachers recognition and grant-matching program during Bowl Season. This new Bowl Season Extra Yard for Teachers program will be made available to bowl games and is in addition to the funding provided through existing bowl partnerships. This program has the potential to bring upwards of $400,000 in additional support to teachers and students. Elements of the partnership include access to a teacher celebration and marketing kit as well as matching grant funds to support the funding of teacher resources. 
 
"We are excited to be able to partner with Bowl Season to support teachers all across the country," said College Football Playoff Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. "Numerous bowls have been very generous in their support already, but to be able to make this opportunity available to all Bowl Games is special, and we are very grateful."

Entering this season, the established relationships with bowl games through teacher programs and grant activations has resulted in more than $10 million already invested to support teachers since the Foundation's inception.

"We're thrilled to be able to join with the CFP Foundation and impact teachers in communities across the Bowl Season footprint," said Carparelli. "Teachers are framing our country's future through our kids and we couldn't be more proud to be associated with Extra Yard for Teachers."

Panel Discussions
The Bowl Season Annual Meeting featured four in-depth panel discussions -- Modern Day Storytelling, the Evolving Landscape of Community Impact, Fan Engagement in the Post-Pandemic Era, and Name, Image and Likeness. Each panel, which ran an hour and 15 minutes, included experts in the sports and entertainment industry and were well-received.

Honors Dinner
Bowl Season held its traditional Honors Dinner at the Annual Meeting, recognizing sponsors and partners, as well as the people who dedicate their life and career to bowl games. Select executive directors were honored with milestone years of service. The Legacy Award, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the bowl(s) they served or to the industry in general, was given to Rick Catlett of the Tax Slayer Gator Bowl and Pete Derzis of ESPN Events. Former Football Bowl Association (now Bowl Season) Executive Director Wright Waters was honored for his service to college football with the Champions Award, presented annually to an individual who has throughout their career supported the purposes of the Bowls with special emphasis on student-athlete welfare.

Sponsors
Bowl Season would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of the wonderful sponsors of the Bowl Season Annual Meeting and Trade Show:
 

Presenting Sponsors	Jostens/MTM Recognition	Riot Creative Imaging
Dyehard Fan Supply	K&K Insurance	SCA Promotions
REVEL XP	L5	SoHoodie
	Learfield	SportsSystems
Sponsors	Legends	Stitch Golf
BirdieBox	Logitix	Team IP Sports
CLC	lululemon	TicketManager
CrowdSync Technology	Noms Cookie	Ticketmaster
DVSport	Opendorse	TicketSmarter
Elevate	Paramount and Co.	Ticket Time Machine
ESPN	Performance Award Center	Versus
Fishbait	Prolific 1	Winstead
ID&C LLC	Reveal Suits