Since 2024, the game has been sponsored by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop, the gin-based cocktail brand co-founded by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg;[2] it was previously sponsored by the mortgage broker company Nova Home Loans (2015–2019), the real estate agency Offerpad (2020) and Barstool Sports (2021–2023).

Founded by the Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission (ASEC), Alan Young, Kemp Ellis, Nikki Balich, the Mountain West Conference and Campus Insiders in a joint venture,[5] the inaugural game was scheduled to be held on December 29, 2015.

[7] In May 2016, it was announced that the Sun Belt had reached a four-year deal to serve as a primary tie-in for the Arizona Bowl through 2019, replacing Conference USA.

[9][10] On October 30, 2020, it was announced that the 2020 game would be played behind closed doors with no spectators admitted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona.

[12][13] Their scheduled opponent, the Central Michigan Chippewas, were named as a replacement team for the Sun Bowl.

[17] On August 10, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to pull its nearly $40,000 in funding for the game, citing objections to "inflammatory statements and tweets" made in the past by David Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, including a post from 2010: "Though I never condone rape, if you’re a Size 6 and wearing skinny jeans, you kind of deserve to be raped, right?

The Arizona Bowl would have a "digitally-focused" broadcasting strategy, according to organizers, who announced that the website Campus Insiders (a joint venture of IMG College and Silver Chalice) would hold online streaming rights to the game as its "primary digital media partner".

Campus Insiders, in turn, partnered with 120 Sports (a digital sports network that is a joint venture of Silver Chalice, MLB Advanced Media, and Time Inc.)[30] to provide interactive in-game content, as well as pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows for the webcast.