49ers Thrilled with Opportunity to Operate Annual Foster Farms Bowl
Thursday, July 28, 2016
The San Francisco 49ers announced on July 12 that the organization would assume all management responsibilities for the Foster Farms Bowl. The annual college football postseason contest will continue to feature a member of the Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences.
On Thursday, representatives from the 49ers and the Pac-12 held a press conference at Levi’s® Stadium to explain the benefits of the partnership.
“When we built Levi’s® Stadium, we knew it was going to be for more than just 49ers football games,” said 49ers president Al Guido. “The Foster Farms game, we intend for that to be a showcase every year for college football. … We’re super proud to take ownership of the game.”
The 49ers franchise has long been an advocate for football at all levels. In addition to the Foster Farms Bowl, the 49ers also host the Pac-12 Championship game and will host the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The organization recently invited local high schools to Levi’s® Stadium for a media day and the team’s youth football camps reach 26,000 kids annually.
The 2016 Foster Farms Bowl will be the third at Levi’s® Stadium and marks the 15th anniversary of the Bay Area’s college football bowl game. This year’s contest will take place on Dec. 28 at 5:30 p.m. PT and will be televised on FOX. Foster Farms will be the only bowl game that will appear on the network.
Jamie Brandt, San Francisco’s vice president of ticketing and premium services, will now also assume the role as the executive director of the Foster Farms Bowl.
“(This game) has been a Bay Area staple for 15 years,” Brandt said Thursday. “We look forward to carrying out that great tradition.”
Community service has been, and will continue to be, a focal point of the festivities surrounding the bowl game under the 49ers direction. Brandt explained that the organization will champion the annual food drive associated with the Foster Farms Bowl.
Nebraska players lift the champions trophy after a 37-29 win over UCLA during the Foster Farms Bowl NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
“… we intend for that to be a showcase every year for college football … We’re super proud to take ownership of the game. ”
– Al Guido, 49ers President
The game itself will select the fourth-ranked Pac-12 team and sixth-ranked Big 10 team at season’s end. Last year, Nebraska topped UCLA, 37-29, in the Foster Farms Bowl.
“We certainly expect another competitive matchup this year at the game,” said Pac-12 CFO Ron McQuate. “On behalf of the Pac-12 conference, I’d like to thank Jamie, Al and the entire 49ers organization for your support and leadership, not only in the Foster Farms Bowl, but your support for college football in general in the Bay Area.”
To learn more about the Foster Farms Bowl, visit www.FosterFarmsBowl.com.
