The Foster Farms Bowl logo highlights the college football bowl’s sporting character and its Foster Farms sponsorship. The emblem’s simplicity reflects the event’s local identity and its direct connection to the region’s agricultural industry traditions.
The Foster Farms Bowl started in San Francisco in 2002 as the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl, sponsored by Diamond Foods. The inaugural game, featuring Virginia Tech and Air Force, was played at Pacific Bell Park, drawing a crowd of 25,000 spectators.
In 2004, it was renamed the Emerald Bowl, and from 2010 it became the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, which supports anti-hunger initiatives. In 2014, Fostr Farmse became the sponsor, and the bowl relocated to Levi’s Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, in Santa Clara.
In 2016, management transferred fully to the 49ers, and Fox became the broadcaster. Two years later, video rental chain Redbox became the title sponsor, renaming it the Redbox Bowl.
The last game occurred on December 30, 2019, between California and Illinois. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 events were canceled, and the project was permanently discontinued.
Meaning and History
What is Foster Farms Bowl?
It was an annual college football bowl game held in Santa Clara, California. University teams from prestigious athletic conferences participated in the event. The game was popular during the New Year period and was sponsored by a major California food producer.
2014 – 2017
The Foster Farms Bowl logo was created during the tournament’s rebranding, when Foster Farms became the event’s title sponsor for the first time. The new tournament emblem was an example of integrating a food brand with the identity of a major sports event, helping it stand out among other NCAA bowls at the time.
The logo is a vertically oriented heraldic shield divided into three thematic sections that convey the event’s key ideas and values. At the top is the Foster Farms emblem, featuring a rooster against a grassy background, directly taken from the company’s consumer packaging and emphasizing its focus on natural products, primarily chicken. The yellow background with red accents reinforces brand recognition and consumer loyalty.
The middle section of the shield is highlighted by the word “BOWL” in yellow letters on a red background. This element refers to the traditions of college football. The font style is strict and sans serif, with slight angles specifically chosen to enhance the tournament’s sporting energy and visual impact.
The lower section of the shield features a stylized illustration of the Bay Bridge, a symbol of the San Francisco and Santa Clara region, alongside a football. It emphasizes the event’s geographic connection to Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. It symbolizes the unity of teams, cities, and the sports community. The green and brown colors create a strong association with the field and the game itself, highlighting the importance of the sporting context.
The emblem was used in all aspects of the event, from stadium decorations and ESPN broadcasts to tickets, banners, and team uniforms. An interesting fact is that, for the first time in the history of football bowls, a food brand’s packaging style was incorporated directly into a tournament emblem, making the logo a unique example in sports branding.
The use of this logo ended after Foster Farms ceased its sponsorship. However, during its short lifespan, the emblem became a vivid part of the visual history of NCAA college football.



