On December 22, 1978, Naval Academy quarterback Bob Leszczynski ... before sellout crowd in the first annual Holiday Bowl in San Diego. But San Diego also won. The nationally televised game ...

Established in 1978, the Holiday Bowl emerged to grant the Western Athletic Conference an exclusive bowl bid after the Fiesta Bowl severed ties with the WAC. Initially hosting the WAC champion ...

The game is played at Petco Park in San Diego, California. The first Holiday Bowl took place in 1978, and the Navy defeated BYU 23-16. The 2020 and 2021 editions of the Holiday Bowl were canceled ...

which was played from 1978 to 2019 at San Diego Stadium/Jack Murphy Stadium/Qualcomm Stadium/SDCCU Stadium before moving to Petco for the 2022 and 2023 games. The Holiday Bowl was not played in ...