Legends of the Sun Bowl

CBS Sports 2017

The Sun Bowl Association inducted CBS Sports as a Sun Bowl Legend this year in accordance with the celebration of 50 years of partnership.

“We have such a great relationship with CBS and they have treated us extremely well over the years, it’s simply the logical and right thing that we honor the company as a Sun Bowl Legend,” Sun Bowl Association Executive Director Bernie Olivas said. “CBS has helped put us among the best-of-the-best bowl games in the country and we cannot thank them enough.”

The Sun Bowl was first televised on CBS in 1968 when Auburn defeated Arizona 34-10 with Lindsey Nelson and Hall-of-Famer Frank Gifford announcing the game. Other notable announcers that CBS Sports has provided over the years include Verne Lundquist, Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, Burt Reynolds, Pat Haden, Pat O’Brien, Dan Fouts, Ara Parseghian, Michele Tafoya, Tracy Wolfson, Brent Musburger and Jim Nantz.

Jim Nantz, who called the play-by-play action for the Sun Bowl numerous times, has also called the Master’s for 32 consecutive year on CBS.

“The Hyundai Sun Bowl’s history is on the field and in the booth,” Olivas said. “El Paso has been lucky to have CBS showcase the game and the City of El Paso for 50 straight years.”

Announcers Verne Lundquist, Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier along with producer Craig Silver have all been inducted as Sun Bowl legends in the past. Summerall and Brookshier, who called the game together from 1977-80 were inducted in 1997 while Lundquist was inducted in 2005.

Producer Craig Silver was inducted in 2008 after producing the game from 1983-2005. He also produced the game in 2008 and again from 2009-17. Silver has been a part of over half of the CBS broadcasts and has won multiple sports Emmy Awards and has produced multiple Winter Olympic broadcasts on CBS. He also produced several NCAA basketball tournament broadcasts, including the 1992 NCAA East Regional final between Duke and Kentucky, when Christian Laettner hit the buzzer-beater to lift the Blue Devils over the Wildcats to advance to the Final Four.