09/23/2026 | Press release | Archived content
EL PASO, Texas - The Sun Bowl Association today announced that Old El Paso, the Tex-Mex food brand from General Mills, is the new title sponsor of the historic Sun Bowl football game, bringing together two names with deep ties to the El Paso community. As a result, the game will now be known as the Old El Paso Sun Bowl.
"Being the first bowl game to have a corporate title sponsor, the Sun Bowl has been blessed with tremendous partners. Now to have someone whose origins are here in El Paso, it could not have been a better match," said Sun Bowl Association Executive Director Bernie Olivas. "This partnership fits perfectly with our community. It allows us to promote not only the city, but a great company that encompasses what El Paso is known for: quality tacos."
The Old El Paso brand traces its roots to 1917, when the Mountain Pass Canning Company began producing canned foods in the El Paso region. In 1938, the company adopted the Old El Paso name, which helped establish the brand as a leader in Mexican-inspired foods in the United States. Over the following decades, Old El Paso expanded its offerings, introducing products such as hot sauce, taco shells, seasonings, and one of the first Mexican meal kits. Today, Old El Paso is on a mission to bring families together over flavorful meals, proving that originality shouldn't have to come at the cost of convenience. Believing that no two taco nights should ever be the same, the brand offers a wide variety of quick, easy, and customizable options that make mealtime anything but boring.
"We are absolutely thrilled to bring Old El Paso back to its roots as the title sponsor of the Sun Bowl," said Ben Bienert, Old El Paso Business Unit Director at General Mills. "At Old El Paso, we believe that just like a great football game, a family taco night is all about bringing people together, having fun, and making memories. Partnering with such an iconic, community-first event in the very city where our story began is a true homecoming for us. We can't wait to kick off this exciting new chapter and fans can definitely expect Elroy, our larger-than-life singing cowboy, to bring his signature swagger and flair to the celebration, both in the stadium and around the dinner table!"
Scheduled for December 31, 2026, the 93rd annual Old El Paso Sun Bowl will kick off at and air live on CBS at 2pm ET/12pm MT. CBS has broadcast the Sun Bowl since 1968, making its relationship with the Sun Bowl Association one of the network's longest running. This year's game will feature a matchup between universities from the ACC and Legacy Pac-12 Conferences.
The partnership was brokered by THE·TEAM, the global sport, music and entertainment company, through its dedicated U.S. Rights Sales group, which represents the Sun Bowl Association's commercial rights.