The Fiesta Bowl

The Fiesta Bowl was founded in 1971 as a way to provide postseason opportunities for Western Athletic Conference teams. It rose to national prominence in 1987 when it hosted the Miami-Penn State national championship, drawing one of the highest TV ratings in college football history (ESPN, 2017). Since then, the Fiesta Bowl has been home to legendary performances, dramatic finishes, and national championship implications. It has also become a platform for major brand sponsorships and high-value media campaigns (SB Nation, 2016).

Erik Moses is the Executive Director and CEO of the Fiesta Sports Foundation, which owns and operates the Fiesta Bowl, an annual college football bowl game played in Glendale, Arizona. Mr. Moses is an attorney with a long career of working in sports management. He worked for many years in Washington, DC, including as the CEO of the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission, and as the founding President of the XFL's DC Defenders. He became the first Black President and General Manager of Nashville Superspeedway, and joined the Fiesta Sports Foundation in 2022. Mr. Moses is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Duke University School of Law, and received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from LeMoyne-Owen College (Fiesta Sports Foundation, n.d.).

Mr. Moses shared with us his memories of watching the Fiesta Bowl, and some history and lore of the Fiesta Bowl:

Mr. Moses explained various business and legal issues relating to the Fiesta Bowl, including the shifting role of the Fiesta Bowl in college football over time, contrasting the original entrepreneurial spirit of the Fiesta Bowl’s early days with the current model, where organizations like the College Football Playoff (CFP) and ESPN now influence operations. He also discussed Fiesta Bowl trademarks, EA Sports, and the role of Collegiate Licensing Company.