The college football bowl season is not what it used to be — with players opting out to either prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft or because they’ve entered the transfer portal — but bowl games still matter a great deal to many programs around the country.
They’re a big part of what makes the sport special, and the postgame tradition of dumping a large cooler over the head of their coach or star player following a meaningful win is a staple, but many bowl games have put their own unique twist on the traditional Gatorade bath. These alternatives can still be very tasty, others not so much.
Let’s get to it!
Tastiest
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Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl
Iced coffee? Yes, please. Coffee is the second-most popular beverage in the U.S., with roughly 400 million cups consumed each day. Seeing as it’s such a fan favorite, we’ve deemed it one of the best postgame showers, and Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield got that honor this year when he was doused in a cold brew bath after his team beat West Virginia in the Frisco Bowl, 42-37, to finish the season at 11-2 and 25th in the AP Top 25 poll.
“It was actually refreshing,” Silverfield told reporters. “I’ll take it. … It smells delicious, thank you. We’ll know if I shower or not getting on the plane. It’s phenonmial. What a unique thing. … What a cool deal.”
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock was on the receiving end of a salty French fry bath following the Huskies’ thrilling 28-20 double-overtime win over Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The game marked just the second time in Northern Illinois history that it has won back-to-back bowl games. After Fresno State missed a game-winning field goal, the Huskies pulled out a series of trick plays to seal the victory.
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
The unexpected third-quarter squabble between Illinois‘ Bret Bielema and South Carolina‘s Shane Beamer garnered most of the attention in this year’s Citrus Bowl — even after hosting an on-field wedding and letting the Ched-Z mascot get kicked for a field goal. That said, Bielema enjoyed the highly coveted Cheez-It dump after the 21-17 win.
Pop-Tarts Bowl
The Pop-Tarts Bowl is only two years old in its current iteration, but it has already established itself as the silliest college football bowl game, complete with an edible mascot that is sent to “Mouth Heaven” and later resurrected, a toaster trophy and a Pop-Tarts bath.
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell enjoyed the sugary shower this year after his squad delivered a last-minute win over Miami (Fla.), 42-41.
Least tasty
Go Bowling Military Bowl
The final minute of East Carolina‘s 26-21 comeback win over in-state foe North Carolina State was marred by a wild brawl that left eight players ejected and one official injured. Even so, ECU head coach Blake Harrell got a moment at the end to bask in the victory, though his postgame bath consisted of two buckets of mini plastic bowling pins.
ECU coach Blake Harrell smiles after his bowling pin bath in the Go Bowling Military Bowl. (Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Mayonnaise is a polarizing condiment. Some people love it, while others would rather eat, well — miniature plastic bowling pins. But for the sake of this list, we’ve deemed it one of the worst postgame showers, though it has quickly become one of bowl season’s greatest traditions.
Former West Virginia head coach Neal Brown, a noted mayo hater, fell victim to the dump last season after the Mountaineers prevailed. This year, it’ll be Minnesota‘s P.J. Fleck or Virginia Tech‘s Brent Pry’s turn, as these two teams square off in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Friday night.
“That’s what’s so great about college football,” Fleck said last week. “I think it’s one of the quirky, really cool traditions. … I think everybody has done it a little bit differently, but I think both head coaches are really open to that because that’s what makes college football really, really special.
“Whether it’s, you know, Pop-Tarts or mayo or … Cheez-Its coming out of the Gatorade or the Powerade tub. I mean, that’s just what makes it a little bit unique and a lot of fun.”
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