Winning team of Pop-Tarts Bowl to get unique honor

The Pop-Tarts Bowl — yes, the Pop-Tarts Bowl is a real game — will take the idea of edible treats to a whole new level.

The late December game played in Orlando's Camping World Stadium, was rechristened after the frosted breakfast pastries for 2023. Since Pop-Tarts are a staple food — tasty if not exactly the healthiest — for children and starving college students alike, what better way to get the toaster and microwave-friendly treat atop the mind than having the winning team devour some?

According to a press release from corporate parent Kellanova (formerly the Kellogg Company), the presenting brand will offer something never seen before to the victors, a chance to eat the first "Edible Mascot" for a sporting event:

"For sixty years, Pop-Tarts has sacrificed everything in the name of Crazy Good flavor, so why wouldn't that include our beloved Football Mascot, too?" said Heidi Ray, Senior Director of Marketing at Pop-Tarts. "Since we announced our title sponsorship of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, fans have been speculating on the larger-than-life game day experiences we will be tackling, and this is the first of many traditions that fans can expect Pop-Tarts to upend on game day."

Thankfully, no one will be bathed in a vat of mayonnaise as is the winning coach of the Duke's Mayo Bowl, a huge bonus for those of us who retch at the sight of the common sandwich spread.

Clearly, the players who partake in the post-game snack won't be chewing on sweaty fabrics, but college football teams have dozens upon dozens of very hungry athletes looking for something to eat after a game. And speaking of those athletes, ideally, the person who will be wearing this uniform won't be a fellow student as is the norm for school mascots. Whoever is the brave soul that chooses to parade the stands all game until a large part of their costume is consumed by a bunch of offensive linemen will be fairly compensated for this unique branding stunt.

The game itself will feature the third-best team from the Big 12 and the second-best squad from the ACC, which could either be the team that lost the conference championship game or one of the second-place teams in either of its divisions. Prior to the 2023 version, the Pop-Tarts Bowl traces its history back to 1991 when it was known as the Blockbuster Bowl and was most recently the Cheez-It Bowl for the last three seasons.