Sun Bowl Seventh Bowl Game Casualty of COVID-19

The Sun Bowl, played every college football postseason since 1935, will go dark this season, making it the seventh bowl game canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As reported by USA Today, the other six bowls to be canceled include the Redbox, Hawaii, Bahamas, Holiday, Quick Lane and Pinstripe. In addition, two games have been moved — the New Mexico Bowl will be played in Frisco, Texas, and the inaugural Fenway Bowl scheduled for Boston will move to Montgomery, Ala. The status of the Las Vegas Bowl is uncertain. If that game is not played, it would mean four games with Pac-12 tie-ins have been called off.

The Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl was to pit a Pac-12 representative against a team from the ACC.

"It's sad, and there is a lot of hurt in the Sun Bowl family, but canceling the game is better than the hurt COVID would cause," Sun Bowl football committee chairman  John Folmer told CBS4 in El Paso, Texas, site of the game that has been played for 86 consecutive years.

The bowl schedule for the 2020 season started at 43 games, including the College Football Playoff championship game.