Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl

The Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl is a college football postseason game played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu each year. First contested in 2002 and traditionally played on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, the bowl usually matches up a team from either the Pac-12 Conference or Conference-USA against a Mountain West opponent. As part of the bowl's agreement with the Mountain West, the University of Hawaii receives a bid to the game as long as it is bowl-eligible and not part of the Bowl Championship Series games. The Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television.

The Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl originated in 2002, after two other bowls played in Honolulu (the Aloha and Oahu Bowls) had lost their certification from the NCAA. ConAgra Foods served as the game's sponsor in that initial year, when Tulane topped the University of Hawaii, 36-28, on Christmas Day in 2002.

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts Hawaii became the game's title sponsor the following year, and the annual game's official name was changed to the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl. The University of Hawaii returned as the representative of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), winning a three-overtime thriller over Houston, 54-48, in the 2003 game. The Warriors topped 50 points once again on Christmas Eve 2004, to claim back-to-back victories in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl after defeating UAB, 59-40.

The University of Central Florida accepted a bid to the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl in 2005, to make its first-ever appearance in a bowl game in school history. The Knights scored a last-minute touchdown to force that game to overtime before falling to Nevada, 49-48. The University of Hawaii returned for the 2006 contest and claimed a third Hawaii Bowl victory in four years by winning over the Pac-10's Arizona State. The Pac-10 had become the WAC's opposition for the annual postseason game that year, with Conference-USA remaining an option in successive seasons if no Pac-10 team was eligible.

Another change had moved the date of the game to Christmas Eve each year, but scheduling conflicts forced the 2007 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl to be played on Dec. 23, when East Carolina topped Boise State. Hawaii appeared in the game once again in 2008, but failed to continue its success in the Hawaii Bowl after losing to Notre Dame.

SMU qualified from Conference-USA for the 2009 edition, making the school's first postseason appearance since its football program was shut down by the NCAA over 20 years earlier. The Mustangs made the most of their appearance by defeating Nevada at Aloha Stadium by a 45-10 score.

Hawaii returned to the game in 2010 after a one-year absence, but once again failed to earn a victory, falling to Tulsa, 62-35. The 62 points for the Golden Hurricane were the most in Hawai'i Bowl history, breaking the record set by Hawaii in 2004.

In 2011, Nevada served as the WAC representative, playing its final game as a member of the conference. Nevada took on Conference-USA champion Southern Miss, falling 24-17.

Aloha Stadium is an outdoor football and multipurpose arena located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Home to the University of Hawaii's football team and the state's largest outdoor arena, Aloha Stadium has hosted the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl since 2002 and has been the site for the NFL's Pro Bowl game 30 times.

Opened in 1975, Aloha Stadium is owned by the state of Hawaii and managed by the Stadium Authority, State of Hawaii. Improvements to the facility over the years have included replacement of the field's artificial turf as well as an increase to its seating capacity, which is currently estimated at 50,000. The stadium's construction allows for a number of movable sections to create various seating configurations to accommodate other sporting and entertainment events.

Besides being home to the University of Hawaii football team, Aloha Stadium was home field for the Hawaii Islanders of baseball's Pacific Coast League in the 1970s, and in 1997 hosted a three-game, regular-season series between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. The stadium has been the site of many musical concerts over the years, and also hosted the inaugural Pan-Pacific Soccer Championship in 2008.