EL PASO, Texas -- Bowl Season has announced the winners of the inaugural "Bowl Season Besties Awards," created to recognize "best in class" among the bowl games membership among five categories. The winners were recognized at an awards ceremony as part of the Bowl Season Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn., last week. The awards ceremony also recognized contributors and partners, as well as the valuable people who dedicate their lives and careers to bowl games.
 
Bowl Season put together an awards committee over the last year to organize and create the inaugural Bowl Season Besties, reflected from efforts around the 2022-23 Bowl Season. The committee, which was comprised of various key constituents of Bowl Season, identified five categories in which bowl organizations could put nomination submissions: Best in Events, Best in Student-Athlete Experience, Best in Community Engagement, Best in Marketing, and Best in Game Presentation.
 
"The awards ceremony is always one of the highlights of the Annual Meeting, and having the Bowl Season Besties Awards made it that much more exciting," said Bowl Season Executive Director Nick Carparelli. "We were also very excited to honor some longtime valued contributors to bowl games and college football. We appreciate these friends who have given so much back to the game. Each of these award recipients is most deserving and we thank them for their dedication and service."
 
The finalists and winners were voted on by a committee comprised of Bowl Executive Directors and the Bowl Season Awards Committee.
 
The five categories and winners of the Second Annual Bowl Season Besties are:
 
Best in Events: Many people think that bowls are "just a football game" – however, that is simply not the case. All bowls host multiple ancillary events in the days, weeks and months leading up to the game for the teams and for the fans. The winner of Best in Events will be selected based on the criteria of creativity, meeting set goals (For example: Tickets sales to an event, raising funds for the community, etc.)
2023-24 Winner: UNION HOME MORTGAGE GASPARILLA BOWL
 
Best in Student-Athlete Experience: The student-athlete experience is ultimately what the bowls are all about. Creating positive, unique, and memorable experiences for the teams is a top priority for all of Bowl Season membership. The winner of Best in Student-Athlete Experience will be selected based on creativity, student-athlete impact, and community impact based on stated goals for the experience.
2023-24 Winner: Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
 
Best in Community Engagement: Engaging the community is one of the keys to the success of Bowl games. The winner of Best in Community Engagement will be selected based on creativity and community impact.
2023-24 Winner: TAXSLAYER GATOR BOWL
 
Best in Marketing: Social media, traditional media, digital media – there are so many ways to market your bowl/brand. The winner of Best in Marketing will be selected based on the criteria of creativity, usefulness, and effectiveness through data (for example: increased ticket sales, social media followers, etc.).
2023-24 Winner: DUKE'S MAYO BOWL
 
Best in Game Presentation: From fans to football players to sponsors to viewers watching on TV, game presentation is everything! The winner for Best in Game Presentation will be selected based on design and implementation creativity, impact and operational execution within your respective stadium.
2023-24 Winner: POP-TARTS BOWL
 
Other award recipients included:
 
The Wright Waters Legacy Award
The Wright Waters Legacy Award, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the bowl(s) they served or to the industry in general, was awarded to Bill Hancock, who has achieved a unique trifecta at the highest echelon of intercollegiate athletics. He was the first full-time director of the NCAA Final Four, the first executive director of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and the first executive director of the College Football Playoff (CFP).

The Champions Award
Created in 2009, the Champions Award is presented annually to an individual who has throughout their career supported the purposes of the Bowls with special emphasis on student-athlete welfare. Bob Bowlsby and Chuck Neinas were this year's recipients. Bowlsby has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in collegiate sports. He served as the athletic director for the University of Iowa and Stanford University before he served as the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.  Neinas served as the commissioner for two different conferences, the Big 8 and the Big 12. 
 
Bowl Season Leadership Hall of Fame
Bowl Season welcomed four new members into the Leadership Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes individuals or groups who through their actions have contributed significantly to College Football Bowl organizations specifically and to the entire bowl system generally. The Leadership Hall of Fame commemorates the history and tradition of college football bowl games by saluting the people who devoted themselves to furthering the benefits of bowl games for the advancement of their communities and college football.
 
Consideration requires that an individual or group must have held a senior position, either as a staff member or a volunteer, and/or have played a significant leadership role in benefitting the bowl, the community, bowl participants and college football in general. Honorees shall have been inactive in the bowl for at least five years. Any of these criteria may be waived by a two-thirds vote of the selection committee. The Class of 2024 includes: Pete Derzis, ESPN Events; Dr. Morrison Warren, Fiesta Bowl; Fred Smith ,Liberty Bowl; and Keith Tribble, Orange Bowl.
 
 
Select executive directors were also honored at the awards ceremony with milestone years of service.
 
 
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