Holiday Bowl at Petco Park - History

Holiday Bowl – San Diego

The Holiday Bowl is an NCAA Division I postseason football game played annually in San Diego since 1978. The game moved to Snapdragon Stadium in 2024 after two seasons at Petco Park (2022-2023).

Holiday Bowl at Petco Park (2022-2023)

Petco Park hosted the Holiday Bowl for two seasons under a temporary arrangement. The baseball stadium was modified for football with additional seating, goalposts, and temporary structures that increased capacity to nearly 50,000 fans.

Notable Games at Petco Park:

2023 – USC 42, Louisville 28: USC quarterback Miller Moss, making his first career start, threw a Holiday Bowl-record six touchdown passes for 372 yards. The Trojans dominated despite losing five of their previous six games.

2022 – Oregon 28, North Carolina 27: Oregon’s Bo Nix threw the game-winning touchdown with 19 seconds remaining in the first Holiday Bowl ever played at Petco Park. Oregon RB Bucky Irving rushed for 149 yards and 2 TDs and was named Offensive MVP.

2021 – Canceled: The UCLA vs. NC State matchup was canceled hours before kickoff due to COVID-19 issues within the UCLA program. Final score: COVID-19 1, Everyone Else 0.

Holiday Bowl History

The first Holiday Bowl was played at San Diego Stadium on December 22, 1978, when Navy defeated BYU 23-16. The game has been a San Diego tradition for nearly half a century.

Current Holiday Bowl Location

The Holiday Bowl returned to Mission Valley at Snapdragon Stadium in 2024. View the Snapdragon Stadium seating chart.

Holiday Bowl Parade

The Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade takes place at 10:00 AM on game day, free to attend along the parade route. More parade information

Related San Diego Events

• Directions to Petco Park
• Hotels Near Petco Park
• Upcoming Events at Snapdragon Stadium