Cactus Bowl rebranded as Guaranteed Rate Bowl

The Fiesta Bowl Organization announced Thursday that the Cactus Bowl, played the past two years as the Cheez-It Bowl, will be rebranded after reaching an agreement with retail mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate.

The bowl game that has recently taken place at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, will remain a battle between Big Ten and Big 12 schools.

“College football is such a positive force within sports,” Guaranteed Rate president and CEO Victor Ciardelli said in a release. “We love the competition, respect the hard work and admire the sportsmanship.

“Every student athlete’s goal is to end their season with a bowl game win, and that’s a huge part of why we’re thrilled to bring the Guaranteed Rate Bowl to ESPN.”

The agreement between the Fiesta Bowl Organization and Guaranteed Rate includes “digital and social media, content, in-stadium exposure, on-site activation at the game and television advertisements,” according to the release.

“We’re excited to add one of the fastest-growing mortgage companies, and one that loves sports, into our family,” said chairman of the Fiesta Bowl Organization Board of Directors Patrick Barkley in a release. “Guaranteed Rate is innovative and thinks big, which enhances our efforts as a leader in hospitality, community impact and incredible events.”

The Guaranteed Rate Bowl held the name of the Cactus Bowl since May, when Cheez-It moved its bowl game to Florida to rebrand the Camping World Bowl. The new Cheez-It Bowl, which has taken place since 1990, features an ACC team, or Notre Dame, against a squad out of the Big 12. It was known as the Camping World Bowl from 2017-19.

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