Why was the LA Bowl renamed after Rob Gronkowski?

The LA Bowl was officially renamed "LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk" following a multi-year deal between SoFi Stadium and former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski.

On Dec. 16, the Boise State Broncos and the UCLA Bruins faced each other. The Bruins, from the Pac-12 Conference, defeated the Broncos, from the Mountain West Conference, by 35-22.

They announced the renaming on Oct. 21. This meant Gronkowski would return to the LA Bowl, who played in the previous "Las Vegas Bowl" conference match-up before it was relocated to Los Angeles and renamed in 2020.

Tracie Jackson is the senior director of marketing at SoFi Stadium. The stadium owns and runs the bowl game. She said,

"This helps him [Gronkowski] parlay and grow his reach in college sports."

The "Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl" and the "Starco Brands LA Bowl hosted by Gronk" are unique in that celebrities didn't pay to have their names in the title, unlike traditional sponsorships.

The attendance on Dec. 16 was recorded at 32,780.

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Rob Gronkowski’s eventful role in the LA Bowl festivities

Rob Gronkowski was scheduled to participate in several tasks on game day for the LA Bowl. He was expected to sing the national anthem, toss the coin, interact with the crowd and dance with mascots.

Before the game began, NFL Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski challenged Blitz, the Boise State tee retriever, to a race.

"Yo Blitz. This is Gronk, your Kryptonite, your opponent,” Gronkowski said in a self-made clip. "The guy you have been fearing your whole entire life. And I just want to let you know Blitz, I'm giving Blitz Zero tomorrow.”