College football returns to downtown Phoenix on Friday, as the New Mexico Lobos take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in what is now known as the Rate Bowl.
When it comes to bowl games — what’s in a name?
What debuted in Tucson in 1989 as the Copper Bowl has taken a long and winding road to its present name and location.
It moved to Phoenix in 2000, went to Tempe in 2006, then returned to Phoenix in 2016.
And the name has changed more often than the location. The Copper Bowl had a variety of sponsors, including Breathless, Domino’s Pizza and Weiser Lock, before it became the Insight-dot-com Bowl in 1997.
And the moniker kept changing: from Buffalo Wild Wings, to Cactus, to Cheeze-It, to Guaranteed Rate … which, last year, got shortened to simply the Rate Bowl.
The Rate Bowl kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Chase Field.
-
We think great stories start with curious questions, and KJZZ wants to investigate your questions — big or small — from the Valley or across the state. -
If you’ve driven down Interstate 17 near Northern Avenue in Phoenix lately, you’ve probably seen that progress is being made at the construction site that was once a former Kmart. -
Questions remain about whether the way the ballot order is set in Arizona is fair, and whether those listed first have a small but potentially significant advantage. -
On Sept. 8, KJZZ water reporter Alex Hager presented your questions and concerns to a panel of experts.
-
Heading into the 2026 general election in Arizona, residents will not see the governor or lieutenant governor candidates debate.
