The Bowl Challenge Cup is a competition among NCAA college football conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly called Division I-A, based on win–loss records in the bowl games that take place annually during December and January. The winner is the conference that has the highest winning percentage, among conferences with a minimum of three teams appearing in bowl games.
Awarded for | Best college football bowl record among Division I Football Bowl Subdivision conferences |
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Country | United States |
Presented by | ESPN |
History | |
First award | 2002–03 |
Most wins | Mountain West (5) |
Most recent | Big Ten (2023–24) |
The Challenge was created in 2002 by ESPN,[1] who also occasionally refers to it as the "Bowl Cup Challenge" when promoting it.[2] Originally sponsored by Cooper Tire,[3] ESPN went several years without a sponsor; since the 2015–16 bowl season, Progressive has been the sponsor.
The ten Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) conferences that compete in the Bowl Challenge Cup are:
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Former conferences that competed in the Bowl Challenge Cup were:
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The Mountain West earned its first Bowl Challenge Cup after registering a 2-1 record in bowl competition during the 2004 season