The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is a real bowl game in college football. In fact, it’s a really big deal. Yes, there’s even a mascot. And yes, there is, in fact, a mayo bath for the winning coach.
How did the Duke’s Mayo Bowl come about? And what else do you need to know about the greatest bowl game tradition there is?
What Is the Duke’s Mayo Bowl?
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is an annual bowl game that features a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference facing off against a team from either the Big Ten or Southeastern Conferences. Undergoing several name changes over the year, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl has been around since the 2020 season when Wisconsin beat Wake Forest 42-28.
The Big Ten teams venture to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl during even number seasons, while the SEC ventures to the game during odd number years. Big 12 teams can make it as at-large opponents.
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Previous names of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl are the Continental Tire Bowl (2002-2004), the Meineke Car Care Bowl (2005-2010), and the Belk Bowl (2011-2019). The total payout as of 2019 for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl was announced at $4,780,461.
North Carolina leads the way with the most appearances (6), including an appearance in the 2023 iteration. West Virginia leads the way for non-ACC teams with their third appearance also coming in the 2023 Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Where Is the Duke’s Mayo Bowl?
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is played annually at Bank of America Field in Charlotte, North Carolina. On location since 2002, the game was first played with Duke’s Mayonaisse as the title sponsor in 2020.
No ACC team — despite in-state representation from UNC, Duke, and NC State — has won the game with Duke’s Mayo as the sponsor.
What Is the Mayo Bath?
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is famous for more than just the on-field play. In fact, some may say it’s more famous because of its mascot, Tubby, and the postgame tradition of dumping mayonnaise on the winning head coach.
Yes, there is truly a mayo bath at the end of the game. Representatives of the winning school join Tubby to dump a tub of mayo on top of the winning head coach with such memorable moments as a giant-hat-wearing Mike Locksley graciously accepting his Mayo Bath in 2022.
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