The LA Bowl is done.
The game’s organizers announced Thursday that the bowl game would cease to exist after five seasons. Washington beat Boise State on Dec. 13 in what turned out to be the final LA Bowl ever.
“After five great years, the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium will no longer be moving forward,” a statement said. “It has been an honor for our staff and volunteers to bring college football to one of the world’s greatest venue. We want to thank the athletes and football programs who participated and, most importantly, the college football fans who joined us over these past five seasons.”
The game first took place in 2021 when Utah State beat Oregon State. The LA Bowl kicked off bowl season in 2025 and had been one of the first games of each bowl season in the 2020s.
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It launched as a game between the Mountain West and the Pac-12, but the Pac-12 ceased to exist in its previous form after the 2023 football season. Former Pac-12 teams were still eligible for the game, however. That’s why Big Ten member Washington played in 2025 and Cal, now a member of the ACC, was in the game in 2024.
The Mountain West is also in the midst of change — thanks to the Pac-12. The rebooted Pac-12 has taken teams like Boise State and Utah State from the Mountain West as it rebuilds itself around Oregon State and Washington State.
The LA Bowl is the second bowl to disappear from the bowl schedule in recent months. The Bahamas Bowl was not played in 2025 and was replaced by the Xbox Bowl in Texas. Though there will always be a place for bowl games during the holidays — ESPN needs the programming and there is a willing audience to watch football— the current bowl system is in flux given recent changes to transfer rules and another potential expansion of the College Football Playoff.
