View source for Pop-Tarts Bowl

{{Short description|Annual college football bowl game in Orlando, Florida}}
{{Infobox college football bowl game
| name               = Pop-Tarts Bowl
| full_name          =
| nickname           = 
| logo               = File:Pop-Tarts Bowl.png
| caption            = 
| stadium            = [[Camping World Stadium]]
| previous_stadiums  = [[Hard Rock Stadium|Joe Robbie Stadium]] (1990–2000)
| location           = [[Orlando, Florida]]
| previous_locations = [[Miami Gardens, Florida]] (1990–2000)
| years              = 1990–present
| champ_affiliation  = [[Bowl Coalition]] ([[1992 NCAA Division I-A football season|1992]])
| conference_tie-ins = [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]], [[Big 12 Conference|Big 12]]
| previous_tie-ins   = [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]], [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]]
| payout             = 6,071,760 (2019)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/bowl-schedule/2019/ |title=2019 Bowl Schedule |website=collegefootballpoll.com |access-date=December 13, 2019}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://poptartsbowl.com/}}
| sponsors           = {{ubl
 |[[Blockbuster Video|Blockbuster]] (1990–1993)
 |[[Carquest]] (1994–1997)
 |[[Micron Technology|MicronPC]] (1998–2000)
 |[[Visit Florida|Florida Tourism]] (2001)
 |[[Mazda]] (2002–2003)
 |[[Champs Sports]] (2004–2011)
 |[[Russell Athletic (brand)|Russell Athletic]] (2012–2016)
 |[[Camping World]] (2017–2019)
 |[[Kellogg's|Kellogg's / Kellanova]] (2020–present)
 }}
| former_names       = {{ubl
 |Sunshine Classic (1990, working title)
 |Blockbuster Bowl (1990–1993)
 |Carquest Bowl (1994–1997)
 |MicronPC Bowl (1998)
 |MicronPC.com Bowl (1999–2000)
 |Visit Florida Tangerine Bowl (2001)
 |Mazda Tangerine Bowl (2002–2003)
 |Champs Sports Bowl (2004–2011)
 |Russell Athletic Bowl (2012–2016)
 |Camping World Bowl (2017–2019)
 |Cheez-It Bowl (2020–2022){{efn|name=cheezit|Not to be confused with the earlier [[Cheez-It Bowl (2018–2019)]].}}
 }}
| prev_matchup_year  = 2023
| prev_matchup_season= 2023
| prev_matchup_teams = [[2023 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]] vs. [[2023 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]]
| prev_matchup_score = Kansas State 28–19
| next_matchup_year  = 2024
| next_matchup_season= 2024
| next_matchup_teams = [[2024 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State]] vs. [[2024 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (FL)]]
| next_matchup_date  = Iowa State 42–41
}}
The '''Pop-Tarts Bowl''' is an annual [[college football]] [[bowl game]] that is played in [[Orlando, Florida]], at [[Camping World Stadium]]. Originally commissioned as the '''Sunshine Classic''', it has undergone many name changes due to [[Naming rights|sponsorship rights]]. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the [[Citrus Bowl]] and the [[Florida Classic]]. It was first played in 1990 in [[Miami Gardens, Florida]], before moving to Orlando in 2001. The game has tie-ins with the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] (ACC) and [[Big 12 Conference]]. In the [[College Football Playoff]] (CFP) era, the bowl seeks to match the top non-CFP selection from the ACC (inclusive of [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]]) against the second non-CFP selection from the Big 12.

Since 2020, the bowl has been sponsored by [[Kellogg's|Kellogg's / Kellanova]] through its [[Cheez-It]] and [[Pop-Tarts]] brands.<ref name="poptartsbowl">{{cite press release |url=https://newsroom.kelloggcompany.com/2023-05-31-POP-TARTS-R-INTERCEPTS-COLLEGE-FOOTBALL-FANDOM-WITH-FIRST-EVER-POP-TARTS-BOWL |title=Pop-Tarts® Intercepts College Football Fandom With First-Ever Pop-Tarts Bowl |agency=[[PR Newswire]] |website=kelloggcompany.com |date=May 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230808115556/https://newsroom.kelloggcompany.com/2023-05-31-POP-TARTS-R-INTERCEPTS-COLLEGE-FOOTBALL-FANDOM-WITH-FIRST-EVER-POP-TARTS-BOWL |archive-date=August 8, 2023 |via=[[Wayback Machine]]}}</ref>

==History==
The bowl was founded in 1990 by [[Raycom Sports]]<ref name="Book">{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qv3gy101wnAC&pg=PA171|title=The Making of a Blockbuster: How Wayne Huizenga Built a Sports and Entertainment Empire from Trash, Grit, and Videotape|access-date=2008-01-01|publisher=Wiley|year=1997|isbn=978-0-471-15903-2 }}</ref> and was originally played at [[Joe Robbie Stadium]] outside the city of [[Miami]]. It was formed as the '''Sunshine Football Classic''', but due to corporate title sponsorships, was never contested under this name, nor even referred to as such except during brief intervals between corporate sponsors.  During its Miami existence, it successively went by the names '''Blockbuster Bowl''' (three editions), '''CarQuest Bowl''' (five editions), and the '''MicronPC Bowl''' (three editions).

In 2001, the bowl changed hands, and was relocated to Orlando. The bowl was played three times as the '''Tangerine Bowl''', a historical moniker that was the original title of the [[Citrus Bowl]]. [[Foot Locker]], the parent company of [[Champs Sports]], purchased naming rights in 2004, naming it the '''Champs Sports Bowl''', under which eight games were played. In early 2012, naming rights were bought by [[Russell Athletic (brand)|Russell Athletic]];<ref>{{cite web|url=https://russellathleticbowl.com/history/|title=Russell Athletic Bowl History|work=RussellAthleticBowl.com|access-date=28 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229170458/https://russellathleticbowl.com/history/|archive-date=29 December 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> five games were played as the '''Russell Athletic Bowl'''. In early 2017, [[Camping World]] became the title sponsor of the game through 2019;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://campingworldbowl.com/2017/04/11/camping-world-signs-on-as-title-sponsor-of-orlando-bowl/ |title=CAMPING WORLD SIGNS ON AS TITLE SPONSOR OF ORLANDO BOWL |website=campingworldbowl.com |date=April 11, 2017 |access-date=December 24, 2017}}</ref><ref name=about>{{cite web |url=http://campingworldbowl.com/about/ |title=About |website=campingworldbowl.com |date=2017 |access-date=December 24, 2017}}</ref> three editions were staged as the '''Camping World Bowl''', concluding with the 30th playing of the bowl. In May 2020, [[Kellogg's]] signed on as the new sponsor of the game, naming the game the '''Cheez-It Bowl''',{{efn|name=cheezit}} after the company's [[Cheez-It|brand of snack crackers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cheezitbowl.com/2020/05/26/cheez-it-bowl-heads-to-orlando-to-join-florida-citrus-sports-beginning-with-2020-season/ |title=Cheez-It® Heads To Orlando To Join Florida Citrus Sports Beginning With 2020 Season |website=cheezitbowl.com |date=May 27, 2020 |access-date=May 27, 2020 |archive-date=September 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928110452/https://cheezitbowl.com/2020/05/26/cheez-it-bowl-heads-to-orlando-to-join-florida-citrus-sports-beginning-with-2020-season/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In May 2023, it was announced that the sponsorship would be switched to the [[Pop-Tarts]] brand (Kellogg's had acquired the naming rights to the [[Citrus Bowl]], concurrently moving the Cheez-It sponsorship to that game).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cheez-It Signs on as Title Sponsor of Citrus Bowl |url=https://bowlseason.com/news/2022/11/15/general-cheez-it-signs-on-as-title-sponsor-of-citrus-bowl.aspx |access-date=2024-12-28 |website=BOWL SEASON |language=en}}</ref> The new trophy for the bowl was unveiled in December and features two slots for Pop-Tarts atop a metallic football. The mascot, named "Strawberry", is a large anthropomorphic Pop-Tart that was deemed the "first-ever edible mascot";<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rasmussen |first=Karl |date=December 28, 2023 |title=Pop-Tarts Bowl Unveiled New Mascot Using Giant Toaster at Midfield |url=https://www.si.com/college/2023/12/28/pop-tarts-bowl-mascot-giant-toaster |magazine=Sports Illustrated |accessdate=December 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last=Mandel | first=Stewart | title=How Pop-Tarts turned an easy-to-forget bowl into one of the college football season's best moments | date=March 4, 2025 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6172855/2025/03/04/pop-tart-bowl-game-college-football | work=[[The New York Times]] }}</ref> it was lowered into a giant toaster and presented for players to eat after the game, having been replaced by an edible replica.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chery |first=Samantha |date=December 29, 2023 |title=How Strawberry, the Pop-Tarts Bowl mascot, took over the internet |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/12/29/pop-tarts-bowl-mascot/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=December 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Jace |date=December 28, 2023 |title=Kansas State celebrates Pop-Tarts Bowl win by eating Pop-Tarts mascot |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2023/12/28/pop-tarts-bowl-mascot-eaten-kansas-state-nc-state/72053400007/ |work=USA Today |accessdate=December 30, 2023}}</ref> 

For the 2024 game, the bowl held a fan vote of three flavors to serve as main mascot: Cinnamon Roll, Hot Fudge Sundae, and Wild Berry.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-04 |title=The Pop-Tarts Bowl picked the worst flavor possible for its new creepy mascot |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2024/12/pop-tarts-bowl-mascot-worst-flavor |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=For The Win |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last6=License |title=Pop-Tarts will send another edible mascot to 'mouth heaven' at bowl game |url=https://www.marketingdive.com/news/pop-tarts-edible-mascot-return-bowl-game-campaign/733181/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=Marketing Dive |language=en-US}}</ref> Cinnamon Roll was declared the winner on December 6.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weisholtz |first=Drew |date=2024-12-04 |title=Fan-favorite flavor revealed as Pop-Tarts Bowl's third mascot that will return to shelves |url=https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/ncaaf/pop-tarts-bowl-mascots-flavors-toaster/3486506/?os=wtmb5utKCxk5refappFutm_sourcesyndication&ref=app |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=NBC 6 South Florida |language=en-US}}</ref> The 2024 trophy was also a functional toaster, manufactured by [[GE Appliances]], with a weight of 77 pounds.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Phillips |first=Ryan |date=2024-12-15 |title=Pop-Tarts Bowl Unveils New Trophy That Includes Working Toaster |url=https://www.si.com/college-football/pop-tarts-bowl-unveils-new-trophy-working-toaster |access-date=2024-12-16 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Strawberry received a memorial outside the stadium, and was subsequently "resurrected" following a tribute during the first half—taking the form of a mascot now resembling the replica after it was eaten.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bucholtz |first=Andrew |date=2024-12-28 |title=The Pop-Tarts Bowl saw a resurrected mascot, mascot combine drills, and Cole Cubelic in a costume |url=https://awfulannouncing.com/college-football/pop-tarts-bowl-resurrected-mascot-cole-cubelic-costume.html |access-date=2024-12-29 |website=Awful Announcing |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Miami===
The bowl arose from a desire to hold a second bowl game in the Miami area. It was to be an accompaniment to the traditional [[Orange Bowl]], showcasing the [[Sun Life Stadium|brand new stadium]] in the area that was built in 1987. The Orange Bowl game was still being played in the aging [[Miami Orange Bowl|old stadium]], whereas this new game would be played in the new stadium.

[[Miami Dolphins]] owner [[Wayne Huizenga]] quickly joined forces with bowl organizers and brought in [[Blockbuster Inc.|Blockbuster Video]], which he owned, as title sponsor.<ref name="Book"/> The inaugural game, played on December 28, 1990, pitted [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State]] and [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]], and two legendary coaches, [[Bobby Bowden]] versus [[Joe Paterno]] in front of over 74,000 at Joe Robbie Stadium.<ref name="Book"/> Subsequent games were unable to match the success of the first, even though the bowl was moved to the more prestigious New Year's Day slot in 1993.

In 1994, [[Carquest|CarQuest Auto Parts]] became the title sponsor after Huizenga sold Blockbuster Video to [[Viacom (1952–2006)|Viacom]]. The New Year's Day experiment was short lived as the organizers of the more established Orange Bowl received permission to move their game into [[Joe Robbie Stadium]] beginning in 1996.<ref name="Book"/> That bumped the Carquest Bowl back to the less-desirable December date. After the 2000 playing, Florida Citrus Sports took over the game and moved it to Orlando.

Before gaining Blockbuster Entertainment as the corporate sponsor for the inaugural event, the game was tentatively referred to as the Sunshine Classic.<ref name="Book"/>

===Orlando===
[[File:Citrus Bowl Orlando City.jpg|277x277px|Camping World Stadium in 2015|alt=Camping World Stadium in 2015.|thumb]]
From 2006 to 2010, the bowl matched teams from the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] (ACC) and the [[Big Ten Conference]]. Under the terms of a television deal signed with [[ESPN]] in 2006, the bowl was to be held after [[Christmas|Christmas Day]] from 2006 onward, and be shown on ESPN in [[prime time]]. The change was made to move the game from the less-desirable pre-Christmas date utilized from 2001 to 2004.

From 2005 to 2009, the stadium faced challenges in preparing the stadium for two bowl games in less than one week (the Citrus Bowl is traditionally held New Year's Day). This was also in part due to the Florida high school football championship games being held at the stadium shortly before the bowls. In 2009, rainy weather turned the stadium's grass field into a muddy, sloppy, quagmire for both bowl games. In 2010, the stadium switched to artificial turf, facilitating the quick turnaround necessary.

In 2009, the bowl announced that the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]] was to be one of the tie-in conferences for four years starting in 2010, with the bowl having the option of selecting [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] once during the four years.  In October 2009, the bowl announced that they had extended their agreement with the ACC for the same term.  The game would match the third pick from the ACC against the second selection from the Big East. The previous agreement had matched the 4th pick from the ACC against the 4th or 5th pick from the Big Ten.<ref>{{cite news |last=Adelson |first=Andrea |title=College football: ACC improves deal with Champs Sports Bowl; will send No. 3 team to Orlando beginning in 2010 |website=OrlandoSentinel.com |url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-college-football-champs-bowl-acc-100709,0,12816.story |date=October 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091009001116/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-college-football-champs-bowl-acc-100709,0,12816.story |archive-date=October 9, 2009 |via=[[Wayback Machine]]}}</ref> ACC and Big East teams subsequently met in the 2010 through 2013 games, except for 2011 when Notre Dame was selected (as permitted in the agreement with the Big East) and in 2013 when the [[Louisville Cardinals football|Louisville Cardinals]] of the [[American Athletic Conference]] were selected ("The American" became the football successor to the Big East in 2013).

Since 2014, the game features the second pick from the ACC after the [[College Football Playoff|New Year's Six]] bowls make their picks—usually the losing team from the [[ACC Football Championship Game]], or one of the division runners-up—against the third pick from the Big 12.

==Game results==
Note: the bowl has twice adopted naming that was previously used by games with a different lineage.
* For earlier bowl games known as the Tangerine Bowl, see [[Tangerine Bowl (1947–1982)]]
* For earlier bowl games known as the Cheez-It Bowl, see [[Cheez-It Bowl (2018–2019)]]

All rankings are taken from the [[AP Poll]] prior to the game being played.
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|No.
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Date
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Bowl Name
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;" colspan="2" | Winning Team
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;" colspan="2" | Losing Team
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Attendance
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|1 || December 28, 1990 || [[1990 Blockbuster Bowl|Blockbuster Bowl]]
|'''{{small|6}} [[1990 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]]''' || '''24''' || {{small|7}} [[1990 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]] || 17
| 74,021
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|2 || December 28, 1991 || [[1991 Blockbuster Bowl|Blockbuster Bowl]]
| '''{{small|8}} [[1991 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]]''' || '''30''' || {{small|15}} [[1991 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]] || 25
| 46,123
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|3 || align=right|January 1, 1993 || [[1993 Blockbuster Bowl|Blockbuster Bowl]]
| '''{{small|13}} [[1992 Stanford Cardinal football team|Stanford]]''' || '''24''' || {{small|21}} [[1992 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]] || 3
| 45,554
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|4 || align=right|January 1, 1994 || [[1994 Carquest Bowl|Carquest Bowl]]
| '''{{small|15}} [[1993 Boston College Eagles football team|Boston College]]''' || '''31''' || [[1993 Virginia Cavaliers football team|Virginia]] || 13
| 38,516
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|5 || align=right|January 2, 1995 || [[1995 Carquest Bowl (January)|Carquest Bowl]]
| '''[[1994 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]]''' || '''24''' || [[1994 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]] || 21
| 50,833
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|6 || December 30, 1995 || [[1995 Carquest Bowl (December)|Carquest Bowl]]
| '''[[1995 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]]''' || '''20''' || {{small|24}} [[1995 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]] || 10
| 34,428
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|7 || December 27, 1996 || [[1996 Carquest Bowl|Carquest Bowl]]
| '''{{small|19}} [[1996 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (FL)]]''' || '''31'''|| [[1996 Virginia Cavaliers football team|Virginia]] || 21
| 46,418
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|8 || December 29, 1997 || [[1997 Carquest Bowl|Carquest Bowl]]
| '''[[1997 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team|Georgia Tech]]''' || '''35''' || [[1997 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]] || 30
| 28,262
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|9 || December 29, 1998 || [[1998 MicronPC Bowl|MicronPC Bowl]]
| '''{{small|24}} [[1998 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (FL)]]''' || '''46''' || [[1998 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]] || 23
| 44,387
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|10 || December 30, 1999 || [[1999 MicronPC.com Bowl|MicronPC.com Bowl]]
| '''[[1999 Illinois Fighting Illini football team|Illinois]]''' || '''63''' || [[1999 Virginia Cavaliers football team|Virginia]] || 21
| 31,089
|-
| bgcolor=Lavender|11 || December 28, 2000 || [[2000 MicronPC.com Bowl|MicronPC.com Bowl]]
| '''[[2000 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]]''' || '''38''' || [[2000 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team|Minnesota]] || 30
| 28,359
|-
| 12 || December 20, 2001 || [[2001 Tangerine Bowl|Tangerine Bowl]]
| '''[[2001 Pittsburgh Panthers football team|Pittsburgh]]''' || '''34''' || [[2001 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]] || 19
| 28,562
|-
| 13 || December 23, 2002 || [[2002 Tangerine Bowl|Tangerine Bowl]]
| '''[[2002 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team|Texas Tech]]''' || '''55''' || [[2002 Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson]] || 15
| 21,689
|-
| 14 || December 22, 2003 || [[2003 Tangerine Bowl|Tangerine Bowl]]
| '''[[2003 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]]''' || '''56''' || [[2003 Kansas Jayhawks football team|Kansas]] || 26
| 26,482
|-
| 15 || December 21, 2004 || [[2004 Champs Sports Bowl|Champs Sports Bowl]]
| '''[[2004 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team|Georgia Tech]]'''|| '''51''' || [[2004 Syracuse Orange football team|Syracuse]] || 14
| 28,237
|-
| 16 || December 27, 2005 || [[2005 Champs Sports Bowl|Champs Sports Bowl]]
| '''{{small|23}} [[2005 Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson]]''' || '''19''' || [[2005 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]] || 10
| 31,470
|-
| 17 || December 29, 2006 || [[2006 Champs Sports Bowl|Champs Sports Bowl]]
| '''[[2006 Maryland Terrapins football team|Maryland]]''' || '''24''' || [[2006 Purdue Boilermakers football team|Purdue]] || 7
| 40,168
|-
| 18 || December 28, 2007 || [[2007 Champs Sports Bowl|Champs Sports Bowl]]
| '''{{small|14}} [[2007 Boston College Eagles football team|Boston College]]'''||'''24''' || [[2007 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]] || 21
| 46,554
|-
| 19 || December 27, 2008 || [[2008 Champs Sports Bowl|Champs Sports Bowl]]
| '''[[2008 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]]'''||'''42''' || [[2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team|Wisconsin]] || 13
| 52,692
|-
| 20 || December 29, 2009 || [[2009 Champs Sports Bowl|Champs Sports Bowl]]
| '''{{small|24}} [[2009 Wisconsin Badgers football team|Wisconsin]]'''||'''20''' || {{small|14}} [[2009 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (FL)]] || 14
| 56,747
|-
| 21 || December 28, 2010 || [[2010 Champs Sports Bowl|Champs Sports Bowl]]
| '''[[2010 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]]'''||'''23''' || {{small|22}} [[2010 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]] || 7
| 48,962
|-
| 22 || December 29, 2011 || [[2011 Champs Sports Bowl|Champs Sports Bowl]]
| '''{{small|25}} [[2011 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]]'''|| '''18''' || [[2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]] || 14
| 68,305
|-
| 23 || December 28, 2012 || [[2012 Russell Athletic Bowl|Russell Athletic Bowl]]
| '''[[2012 Virginia Tech Hokies football team|Virginia Tech]]'''|| '''13''' || [[2012 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team|Rutgers]]  || 10 {{small|(OT)}}
| 48,129
|-
| 24 || December 28, 2013 || [[2013 Russell Athletic Bowl|Russell Athletic Bowl]]
| '''{{small|18}} [[2013 Louisville Cardinals football team|Louisville]]'''|| '''36''' || [[2013 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (FL)]]  || 9
| 51,098
|-
| 25 || December 29, 2014 || [[2014 Russell Athletic Bowl|Russell Athletic Bowl]]
| '''{{small|18}} [[2014 Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson]]'''|| '''40''' || [[2014 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]] || 6
| 40,071
|-
| 26 || December 29, 2015 || [[2015 Russell Athletic Bowl|Russell Athletic Bowl]]
| '''{{small|18}} [[2015 Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]]'''|| '''49''' || {{small|10}} [[2015 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]] || 38
| 40,418
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| 27 || December 28, 2016 || [[2016 Russell Athletic Bowl|Russell Athletic Bowl]]
| '''[[2016 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (FL)]]'''  || '''31''' || {{small|14}} [[2016 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]] || 14
| 48,625
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| 28 || December 28, 2017 || [[2017 Camping World Bowl|Camping World Bowl]]
| '''{{small|17}} [[2017 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team|Oklahoma State]]''' || '''30''' || {{small|22}} [[2017 Virginia Tech Hokies football team|Virginia Tech]] || 21
| 39,610
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| 29 || December 28, 2018 || [[2018 Camping World Bowl|Camping World Bowl]]
| '''{{small|17}} [[2018 Syracuse Orange football team|Syracuse]]''' || '''34''' || {{small|15}} [[2018 West Virginia Mountaineers football team|West Virginia]] || 18
| 41,125
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| 30 || December 28, 2019 || [[2019 Camping World Bowl|Camping World Bowl]]
| '''{{small|14}} [[2019 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]]''' || '''33''' || [[2019 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State]] || 9
| 46,948
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| 31 || December 29, 2020 || [[2020 Cheez-It Bowl|Cheez-It Bowl]]
| '''[[2020 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team|Oklahoma State]]''' || '''37''' || {{small|18}} [[2020 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (FL)]] || 34
| align=center|0{{efn|Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], there was no reported attendance at the 2020 game.<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 Cheez-It Bowl Game Notes |url=https://dbukjj6eu5tsf.cloudfront.net/sidearm.sites/okstate.com/stats/football/2020/pdf/20201229110417-20CHZIT.pdf |website=OKState.com}}</ref>}}
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| 32 || December 29, 2021 || [[2021 Cheez-It Bowl|Cheez-It Bowl]]
| '''{{small|22}} [[2021 Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson]]''' || '''20''' || [[2021 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State]] || 13
| 39,051
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| 33 || December 29, 2022 || [[2022 Cheez-It Bowl|Cheez-It Bowl]]
| '''{{small|13}} [[2022 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State]]''' || '''35''' ||  [[2022 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]] || 32
| 61,520
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| 34 || December 28, 2023 || [[2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl|Pop-Tarts Bowl]] || '''[[2023 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]]''' || '''28''' || {{small|19}} [[2023 NC State Wolfpack football team|NC State]] || 19
| 31,111
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| 35 || December 28, 2024 || [[2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl|Pop-Tarts Bowl]] || '''{{small|18}} [[2024 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State]]''' || '''42''' || {{small|15}} [[2024 Miami Hurricanes football team|Miami (FL)]] || 41
| 38,650
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
|}
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cheezitbowl.com/cheez-it-bowl-history/ |title=Game Scores |website=cheezitbowl.com |date=December 29, 2022}}</ref>
:Games 1–11 played in [[Miami Gardens, Florida]]
:Games 12–present played in [[Orlando, Florida]]

==MVPs==
[[File:Joe Hamilton (American football) 2013.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|1997 MVP [[Joe Hamilton (American football)|Joe Hamilton]]]]
[[File:Graham Gano.JPG|thumb|right|upright=.8|2008 MVP [[Graham Gano]]]]
[[File:John Clay (running back).JPG|thumb|right|upright=.8|2009 MVP [[John Clay (running back)|John Clay]]]]
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Date
!style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|MVP
!style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|School
!style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Position
|-
|December 28, 1990 || [[Amp Lee]] || Florida State || RB
|-
|December 28, 1991 || [[David Palmer (American football)|David Palmer]] || Alabama || WR
|-
|January 1, 1993 || [[Darrien Gordon]] || Stanford || CB
|-
|January 1, 1994 || [[Glenn Foley]] || Boston College || QB
|-
|January 2, 1995 || [[Steve Taneyhill]] || South Carolina || QB
|-
|December 30, 1995 || [[Leon Johnson (running back)|Leon Johnson]] || North Carolina || RB
|-
|December 27, 1996 || [[Tremain Mack]] || Miami || SS
|-
|December 29, 1997 || [[Joe Hamilton (American football)|Joe Hamilton]] || Georgia Tech || QB
|-
|December 29, 1998 || [[Scott Covington]] || Miami || QB
|-
|December 30, 1999 || [[Kurt Kittner]] || Illinois || QB
|-
|December 28, 2000 || [[Philip Rivers]] || NC State || QB
|-
|December 20, 2001 || [[Antonio Bryant]] || Pittsburgh || WR
|-
|December 23, 2002 || [[Kliff Kingsbury]] || Texas Tech || QB
|-
|December 22, 2003 || [[Philip Rivers]] || NC State || QB
|-
|December 21, 2004 || [[Reggie Ball]] || Georgia Tech || QB
|-
|December 27, 2005 || [[James Davis (running back)|James Davis]] || Clemson || RB
|-
|December 29, 2006 || [[Sam Hollenbach]] || Maryland|| QB
|-
|December 28, 2007 || [[Jamie Silva]] || Boston College || FS
|-
|December 27, 2008 || [[Graham Gano]] || Florida State || K/P
|-
|December 29, 2009 || [[John Clay (running back)|John Clay]] || Wisconsin || RB
|-
|December 28, 2010 || [[Russell Wilson]] ||NC State|| QB
|-
|December 29, 2011 || [[Rashad Greene]] || Florida State || WR
|-
|December 28, 2012 || [[Antone Exum]] || Virginia Tech || CB
|-
|December 28, 2013 || [[Teddy Bridgewater]] || Louisville || QB
|-
|December 29, 2014 || [[Cole Stoudt]] || Clemson || QB
|-
|December 29, 2015 || Johnny Jefferson || Baylor || RB
|-
|December 28, 2016 || [[Brad Kaaya]] || Miami || QB
|-
|December 28, 2017 || [[Mason Rudolph (American football)|Mason Rudolph]] || Oklahoma State || QB
|-
|December 28, 2018 || [[Eric Dungey]] || Syracuse || QB
|-
|December 28, 2019 || [[Chase Claypool]] || Notre Dame || WR
|-
|December 29, 2020 || [[Spencer Sanders]] || Oklahoma State || QB
|-
|December 29, 2021 || [[Mario Goodrich]] || Clemson || DB
|-
|December 29, 2022 || [[Jordan Travis]] || Florida State || QB
|-
|December 28, 2023 || [[Avery Johnson (American football)|Avery Johnson]] || Kansas State || QB
|-
|December 28, 2024 || [[Rocco Becht]] || Iowa State || QB
|}
Source:<ref>{{cite tweet |user=CheezItBowl |number=1608650778062774272 |title=Congratulations to the 2022 #CheezItBowl MVP, @jordantrav13! |date=December 29, 2022 |accessdate=December 29, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |user=DScottFritchen |number=1740557037015097689 |title=The moment Avery Johnson is named Pop-Tarts Bowl MVP |date=December 28, 2023 |accessdate=December 28, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/college/football/2024/12/28/pop-tart-bowl-mascot-cinnamon-roll-iowa-state-miami/77293939007/ |title=It's Cinnamon Roll! Watch Pop-Tarts Bowl mascot get eaten by Iowa State football team |first=Dan |last=Rorabaugh |website=[[The Palm Beach Post]] |date=December 28, 2024 |accessdate=December 28, 2024}}</ref>

==Most appearances==
Updated through the December 2024 edition (35 games, 70 total appearances).

;Teams with multiple appearances
{|class = "wikitable sortable"
!style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Rank
!style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Team
!style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Appearances
!style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Won
!style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Lost
!style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Win pct.
|-
| 1 || [[Miami Hurricanes football|Miami (FL)]] || 7 ||| {{WinLossPct|3|4}}
|-
|2 || [[North Carolina State Wolfpack football|NC State]] || 6 || {{WinLossPct|3|3}}
|-
|3 || [[West Virginia Mountaineers football|West Virginia]] || 5 || {{WinLossPct|0|5}}
|-
| rowspan=2|4 || [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State]] || 4 || {{WinLossPct|4|0}}
|-
| [[Clemson Tigers football|Clemson]] || 4 || {{WinLossPct|3|1}}
|-
|rowspan="2"|6 || [[Iowa State Cyclones football|Iowa State]] || 3 || {{WinLossPct|1|2}}
|-
| [[Virginia Cavaliers football|Virginia]] || 3 || {{WinLossPct|0|3}}
|-
| rowspan="11" |8 || [[Boston College Eagles football|Boston College]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|2|0}}
|-
| [[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football|Georgia Tech]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|2|0}}
|-
| [[Oklahoma State Cowboys football|Oklahoma State]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|2|0}}
|-
| [[North Carolina Tar Heels football|North Carolina]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|1|1}}
|-
| [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|1|1}}
|-
| [[Syracuse Orange football|Syracuse]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|1|1}}
|-
| [[Virginia Tech Hokies football|Virginia Tech]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|1|1}}
|-
| [[Wisconsin Badgers football|Wisconsin]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|1|1}}
|-
| [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Oklahoma]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|0|2}}
|-
| [[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|0|2}}
|-
| [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]] || 2 || {{WinLossPct|0|2}}
|}

;Teams with a single appearance
Won (10): [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]], [[Baylor Bears football|Baylor]], [[Illinois Fighting Illini football|Illinois]], [[Kansas State Wildcats football|Kansas State]], [[Louisville Cardinals football|Louisville]], [[Maryland Terrapins football|Maryland]], [[Pittsburgh Panthers football|Pittsburgh]], [[South Carolina Gamecocks football|South Carolina]], [[Stanford Cardinal football|Stanford]], [[Texas Tech Red Raiders football|Texas Tech]]
<br>
Lost (6): [[Arkansas Razorbacks football|Arkansas]], [[Kansas Jayhawks football|Kansas]], [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State]], [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]], [[Purdue Boilermakers football|Purdue]], [[Rutgers Scarlet Knights football|Rutgers]]

[[Duke Blue Devils football|Duke]] and [[Wake Forest Demon Deacons football|Wake Forest]] are the only current ACC members yet to appeared in this bowl.  Former member Maryland and future member Stanford also played in the bowl, but [[California Golden Bears football|California]] and [[SMU Mustangs football|SMU]] have not.

==Appearances by conference==
Updated through the December 2024 edition (35 games, 70 total appearances).

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;" rowspan=2|Conference
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;" colspan=4|Record
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;" colspan=2|Appearances by season
|-
! style="border: 2px solid #000000;" |Games
! style="border: 2px solid #000000;" |W
! style="border: 2px solid #000000;" |L
! style="border: 2px solid #000000;" |Win pct.
! style="border: 2px solid #000000;" class=unsortable|Won
! style="border: 2px solid #000000;" class=unsortable|Lost
|-
| [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]] || 30 || {{WinLossPct|17|13}} || 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 || 1993*, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023, 2024
|-
| [[Big 12 Conference|Big 12]] || 14 || {{WinLossPct|6|8}} || 2002, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023, 2024 || 2003, 2005, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
|-
| [[American Athletic Conference|The American]] || 10 || {{WinLossPct|5|5}} || 1993*, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2013 || 1994*, 1997, 2004, 2010, 2012
|-
| [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]] || 6 || {{WinLossPct|2|4}} || 1999, 2009 || 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008
|-
| [[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|Independents]] || 5 || {{WinLossPct|2|3}} || 1990, 2019 || 1990, 1992*, 2011
|-
| [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] || 3 || {{WinLossPct|2|1}} || 1991, 1994* || 1995
|-
| [[Pacific-10 Conference|Pac-10]] || 1 || {{WinLossPct|1|0}} || 1992* || {{nbsp}}
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|''[[Big Eight Conference|Big Eight]]'' || 1 || {{WinLossPct|0|1}} || {{nbsp}} || 1991
|}

* Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
* The American record includes appearances of the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East Conference]], as The American retains the charter of the original Big East, following its [[2010–2013 Big East Conference realignment|2013 realignment]]. Teams representing the Big East appeared in nine games, compiling a 4–5 record.
* The Big Eight Conference dissolved after the 1995 season.
* Independents: Penn State (1990, 1992), Florida State (1990), Notre Dame (2011, 2019)

==Game records==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Team
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Record, Team vs. Opponent
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Year
|-
|-
|Most points scored (one team)
|'''63''', Illinois vs. Virginia
|1999
|-
|Most points scored (both teams)
|'''87''', Baylor vs. North Carolina
|2015
|-
|Most points scored (losing team)
|'''41''', Miami vs. Iowa State
|2024
|-
|Fewest points allowed
|'''3''', Stanford vs. Penn State
|1993 (Jan.)
|-
|Largest margin of victory
|'''42''', Illinois vs. Virginia
|1999
|-
|Total yards
|'''587''', Florida State vs. Oklahoma
|2022
|-
|Rushing yards
|'''645''', Baylor vs. North Carolina
|2015
|-
|Passing yards
|'''481''', NC State vs. Kansas
|2003
|-
|First downs 
|'''38''', Baylor vs. North Carolina
| 2015
|-
|Fewest yards allowed
| '''124''', Clemson vs. Colorado
|2005
|-
|Fewest rushing yards allowed
|'''–11''', Alabama vs. Colorado
|1991
|-
|Fewest passing yards allowed
|'''103''', Clemson vs. Oklahoma
|2014
|-
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Individual
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Year
|-
|All-purpose yards || '''327''', [[Koren Robinson]] (NC State) || 2000
|-
|Touchdowns (all-purpose) ||  || 
|-
|Rushing yards || '''299''', Johnny Jefferson (Baylor) || 2015 
|-
|Rushing touchdowns || '''3''', Johnny Jefferson (Baylor) || 2015
|-
|Passing yards || '''475''', [[Philip Rivers]] (NC State) || 2003 
|-
|Passing touchdowns || '''5''', [[Philip Rivers]] (NC State)  || 2003 
|-
|Receiving yards || '''202''', [[Johnny Wilson (wide receiver)|Johnny Wilson]] (Florida State)  || 2022 
|-
|Receiving touchdowns || '''3''', Brennan Presley (Oklahoma State) || 2020
|-
|Tackles || '''22''' Donnie Miles (North Carolina) || 2015 
|-
|Sacks || '''3.0''', Kendall Coleman (Syracuse) || 2018 
|-
|Interceptions || '''2''', shared by:<br>[[Brandon Jones (cornerback)|Brandon Jones]] (Rutgers)<br>[[Jamie Silva]] (Boston College)<br>[[Ronde Barber]] (Virginia)<br>Vincent Meeks (Texas Tech) || <br>2012<br>2007<br>1996<br>2002
|-
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Long Plays
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Year
|-
|Touchdown run  || '''84 yds.''', [[Tony Jones Jr.]] (Notre Dame) || 2019 
|-
|Touchdown pass  || '''87 yds.''', Mike Thomas to LC Stevens (North Carolina) || 1995 
|-
|Kickoff return  || '''90 yds.''', Gregory Gordon (NC State) || 2001 
|-
|Punt return || '''59 yds.''', [[Wes Welker]] (Texas Tech) || 2002 
|-
|Interception return ||'''47 yds.''', [[Ben Boulware]] (Clemson)  || 2014
|-
|Fumble return ||'''75 yds.''', [[Derek Nicholson]] (Florida State)  || 2008
|-
|Punt || '''68 yds.''', John Torp (Colorado) || 2005 
|-
|Field goal || '''51 yds.''', B. T. Potter (Clemson) || 2021
|-
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Miscellaneous
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Record, Teams
! style="background:#0055b8; color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000;"|Year
|-
| Longest Time of Possession || '''39:48''', Maryland vs. Purdue || 2006
|-
| Largest attendance || '''74,021''', Florida State vs. Penn State || 1990
|-
| Most Appearances || '''7''', Miami (FL) || 1996, 1998, 2009, 2013,<br>2016, 2020, 2024
|-
| Most Victories || '''4''', Florida State || 1990, 2008, 2011, 2022
|}
Source:<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://publogix.com/e/20-CHZITBG/ |magazine=Cheez-It Bowl Game Day Program |date=December 2020 |publisher=University Sports Publications Co. |agency=Florida Citrus Sports |title=Game Records |pages=20, 23 |access-date=December 27, 2020 |via=publogix.com}}</ref>

==Media coverage==
The bowl was televised by [[Raycom Media|Raycom]] in its inaugural year, followed by [[CBS Sports]] (four editions), [[TBS (U.S. TV channel)|TBS]] (six editions), and [[ESPN]] since 2001.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |url=https://www.amazon.com/Making-Blockbuster-Entertainment-Videotape-16-Nov-1995/dp/B013ILGKYW/ |title=The Making of a Blockbuster: How Wayne Huizenga Built a Sports and Entertainment Empire from Trash, Grit and Videotape |first=Gail |last=DeGeorge |date=1995 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-471-12269-2 }}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://poptartsbowl.com/}}

{{Pop-Tarts Bowl navbox}}
{{Bowl game navbox}}
{{Kellogg Company}}

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