R and L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

The R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl is a college football postseason game played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans each year. First contested in 2001 when the game featured teams from the Sun Belt and Mountain West conferences, the bowl now pits a representative from Conference USA against the champion (or another selection) from the Sun Belt Conference. In the 2011 edition of the R + L New Orleans Bowl, Louisiana-Lafayette defeated San Diego State, 32-30.

The origins of the New Orleans Bowl date back to 2001, when the Sun Belt Conference agreed to a temporary contract to play a team from the Mountain West Conference in a new postseason game at the Louisiana Superdome. In December of that year, Colorado State overpowered North Texas 45-20 to claim victory in the inaugural New Orleans Bowl.

In 2002, the game's organizers restructured the conference-affiliated agreement for the bowl and originated a multiyear contract between the Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts also became the game's sponsor that year, when it was officially known as the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl. North Texas returned as the Sun Belt representative to win that 2002 game over Cincinnati.

The Mean Green from North Texas continued their run of appearances in New Orleans for the following two years, ending up on the losing end to Conference USA teams in both 2003 and 2004, after which Wyndham's sponsorship came to an end.

The 2005 New Orleans Bowl had to be moved from the Superdome after the site suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina earlier that year. Cajun Field at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette played host that year, when Southern Mississippi topped Arkansas State 31-19.

2006 brought a return to the Superdome as well as a new sponsor for the game, with R + L Carriers beginning a multiyear agreement with the New Orleans Bowl. Troy, co-champion of the Sun Belt that season, defeated Rice 41-17. One year later, Florida Atlantic earned its first-ever berth in a bowl game and triumphed over Memphis in the 2007 R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

Southern Mississippi made a return to the New Orleans Bowl in 2008 -- edging Troy 30-27 in overtime -- before losing in an attempt for back-to-back bowl wins in the Superdome by falling to Middle Tennessee in 2009's game. Troy returned to the Superdome for the 2010 New Orleans Bowl and dominated Ohio by winning 48-21 for its second-ever bowl victory.

The following season, Louisiana-Lafayette made its FBS postseason debut against San Diego State. The Ragin' Cajuns, playing just 90 miles from their own campus, connected on a 50-yard field goal as time expired to earn a two-point win over the Aztecs, getting the first bowl win in school history.