'This is not a joke': Jimmy Kimmel named title sponsor of inaugural L.A. Bowl
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Jimmy Kimmel is joining, in his words, the "memorable, colorful" names of sponsored college football bowl names with an inaugural self-named bowl kicking off this December.
"This is not a joke. This is a real bowl game named after me, so mark your calendars," Kimmel said in announcing the game Wednesday night on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
The Jimmy Kimmel L.A. Bowl will be played Dec. 18 on ABC, home of his late-night show, from SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams. It will pit the Mountain West's No. 1 selection against the Pac-12's No. 5 selection.
Finally, a college football bowl named after a human being…the inaugural Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl on December 18th at @SoFiStadium pic.twitter.com/SylNjHUPK2
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) June 17, 2021
Bowl games have taken on larger and longer sponsor names in the title over recent seasons, but none currently have an individual's name in it at the Division I level.
“Never before has a bowl game been named after a human being (as far as I know, I didn’t check). On December 18, my dream of being forever enshrined alongside orange, rose, cotton and peach comes true,” Kimmel said in a press release.
The partnership came about after Kimmel entered a first-of-its-kind multi-year deal with SoFi Stadium that gave the host official naming rights of the L.A. Bowl, the inaugural game announced for SoFi Stadium.
The L.A. Bowl was initially scheduled to launch in December of 2020, but was postponed a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The game will be the first college football game played at SoFi Stadium.
The bowl will incorporate football and entertainment, said Jason Gannon, the executive director of the Jimmy Kimmel L.A. Bowl.
"Jimmy Kimmel L.A. Bowl will not only bring an incredible game day experience to fans, but it will also focus on supporting our community 365 days a year," Gannon said.
The bowl game's community partners include One For All, Boys and Girls Club L.A. Harbor and Boys and Girls Club L.A. Metro.
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