The Tampa Bay Bowl Association officially announced that ReliaQuest will be the new title sponsor of the postseason college football game formerly known as the Outback Bowl.
“We are thrilled to welcome ReliaQuest as the title sponsor of the bowl,” chairman Troy Atlas said in a press release. “ReliaQuest is the leader in cybersecurity and a key business leader in the Tampa Bay region. This is a 21st-century partnership with a fantastic 21st-century company.
“We look forward to working with (founder and CEO) Brian Murphy and the ReliaQuest team to showcase their brand nationally and internationally while continuing to positively impact both the sport of college football and the Tampa Bay community, which we both call home.”
This marks the fourth name for the game that was known as the Hall of Fame Bowl from its inception in 1986 through 1995. It was sponsored by Outback Steakhouse from 1996 until the partnership ended after last season, making it the longest-running title sponsor in college football history.
It was then briefly named the Tampa Bay Bowl in March, but no game was ever played under that moniker.
The bowl was originally played at Tampa Stadium – known then as Houlihan’s Stadium – which was demolished after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved next door to Raymond James Stadium ahead of the 1998 season.
ReliaQuest will be the title sponsor of the game through the 2025-26 bowl season. It will continue to be played on New Year’s Day (unless it falls on a Sunday), pit teams from the Big Ten and SEC and be televised by the ESPN family of networks.
“The Tampa Bay Bowl has a rich history as an iconic game played on one of the biggest sports days of the year,” Murphy said. “We’ve always believed that security is a team sport and ReliaQuest is proud to continue this game’s great tradition.”
The 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl will take place on Jan. 2 at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Photos courtesy of the Tampa Bay Bowl Association.