Snoop Dogg Name Bolsters Bowl

BizTUCSONOctober 21, 2025

3 minutes read

10th Arizona Bowl on Tap for Tucson

By Steve Rivera

When Kym Adair and her team went to the annual college bowl conference – mingling with the best of the best bowl officials in the country – Arizona’s little bowl that could, well, did. And in a big way.

It was presented with the Best In-Game Presentation for 2024 for the inaugural Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.

“We had no idea we had won,” said Executive Director Kym Adair, whose bowl game had been in the running twice before. “We were so excited to win because it was a recognition by our bowl season colleagues. They recognized what we did this (past) year. It was very rewarding.

“I think our peers appreciate that we aren’t complacent and that we’re always trying to push the envelope and do more, bringing more to the table and to the game.”

No doubt, Adair & Co. is “developing a reputation of thinking outside the box and doing things others are reluctant to do,” she said.

It didn’t hurt that Snoop Dogg, a worldwide pop culture personality and musician, played a lead role in the success, which, of course, included the record crowd of 40,076 fans.

“It couldn’t have gone better,” Adair said. “It was everything and more.”

Snoop Dogg was there for the coin toss, driving his low rider onto the field at game’s end, leading the band at halftime, and for his commentary of the game on TV. It seemed Snoop left his awe prints everywhere.

“We expect him to be a big part of it like that this year,” she said. “He’s very excited to come back − bigger, bolder. You should see more of him this coming year.”

And so, in Year 2 of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, game officials plan on the event being just as good as the first one. After all, when one does a great job one year, you’re expected to do an even better job the next, right?

The second game with Snoop Dogg in the name coincides with the Arizona Bowl’s 10th anniversary. Time flies when you’re having fun – and raising money for the community.

Since 2015, the game has brought in more than $100 million in economic impact and has delivered millions of dollars to more than 70 southern Arizona nonprofits. The Arizona Bowl will contribute another $500,000 total to charities in 2025.

“The measurement of our success is how much we are able to give back to charities,” Adair said. “We always put that pressure on ourselves (to do better) so we can give back to our community.”

What next?

Ali Farhang, an Arizona Bowl cofounder, gave his coach speak: “Our only limitation is our own imagination. So anything we can think of, we can make happen.”

So, expect anything and everything, he said.

“I tend to put really good people around myself,” he said. “It just has to be the best idea, not my idea, so we will go to our board, to our big group of Blue Blazers, to our 85 volunteers, to people in the community, and ask, ‘What do you think about this?’

“We’re always thinking of what we can do to make ourselves better.”

It’s too early to say what’s coming – but it’s coming.

“We have some things lined up we think people will enjoy,” Farhang said. “Be there and find out. I appreciate people’s gratitude about the game and that we’re doing a great job. But, I’d rather have them be there and have them tell me they enjoyed it, not that they just heard about it.”

They are in weekly meetings with Snoop’s people and coming up with ideas.

“We have some cool stuff (being tossed around),” he said, “but we want to make sure we do things (excellently).

“Last year, things happened that we didn’t even plan before the game, they just happened, and Snoop did what he did. I tell people, he’s as cool as you hope he would be, but he’s far cooler. He was great with people and so engaging.”

Now, on to 10 years of community, giving and, of course, football.

“I’d be exaggerating if I said this is exactly where I thought we’d be when we started,” Farhang said. “I always envisioned this game/event as being part of Tucson’s DNA, something like a party they must attend.

“There have been a number of pleasant surprises from it − the taco drop (on New Year’s) to having the most popular pop culture individual figure in the world as the title sponsor. Those are the things that have exceeded my every expectation.”