Levi’s® Stadium to Host Bay Area’s 17th Annual Bowl Game on December 31, 2018
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
The San Francisco 49ers and FOX Sports announced today that the Bay Area’s annual bowl game will be played on Monday, December 31st at Levi’s Stadium. The 17th installment of the game that launched in 2002 as the San Francisco Bowl will kick off at Noon PT—pitting teams from the Pac-12 and Big Ten. The game will be televised on the FOX broadcast network with a Spanish-language simulcast on FOX Deportes as the first half of a FOX Sports New Year’s Eve double-header, followed by the San Diego Credit Union Holiday Bowl at 3:30 p.m. PST on FS1.
The 49ers also announced that Ryan Oppelt has been promoted to executive director of the San Francisco Bowl. Oppelt has played a critical role in the staging of the event since its inception and will continue to serve as the primary liaison with both conferences and FOX Sports, as well oversee all marketing and hospitality aspects for the game.
“Having been involved with this game since its beginnings, I’ve never been more excited as we prepare to serve as the warm-up act for the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi’s Stadium one week later,” said Oppelt. “Our partnership with FOX Sports provides our game with an elevated level of exposure that will provide great value to our next naming-rights partner. We are currently talking to a shortlist of potential partners and look forward to having an announcement on that front in the coming months.”
Again this year, the competing teams will support the community’s ongoing fight against hunger as players and coaches will participate in a day of service during their visit to the Bay Area. Representatives from the Pac-12 and Big Ten will once again serve meals to those in need at GLIDE and St. Anthony’s in San Francisco.
In last year’s game, first year head coach Jeff Brohm and the Boilermakers, in their first postseason appearance since 2012, narrowly defeated Arizona, 38-35. After trailing 31-14 in the first half, the Wildcats took a 35-31 lead with 3:21 left in the third quarter. Purdue QB Elijah Sindelar threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Anthony Mahoungou with 1:44 left in the game, capping off the Boilermakers dramatic win.
The 2018 NFL Draft saw nine bowl alumni from Arizona, Indiana, Purdue, UCLA, Stanford and Maryland selected, with two players being chosen in the first round: UCLA QB Josh Rosen (Arizona Cardinals – 10th overall) and T Kolton Miller (Oakland Raiders – 15th overall).
In addition to his role with the San Francisco Bowl, Oppelt serves as the director of the Bay Area Host Committee for the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship, set for Levi’s Stadium on January 7, 2019. Prior to joining the Bowl in 2002, Oppelt worked in marketing and operations for FOX Sports and handled sponsorship sales and fulfillment for IMG.
