The Sun Bowl began in 1935 and the matchup currently features schools from the ACC and Pac-12 conferences. The game takes place at Sun Bowl Stadium from El Paso, Texas. This bowl, along with the Sugar and Orange bowls, are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl game.
The Pac-12 has won seven of the last nine Sun Bowls, which includes Arizona State's 20-14 win over Florida State in the 2019 installment.
Texas Tech holds the record for the most appearances in this game with nine and also has the most losses (1-8).
The 2020 installment of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl was wiped out due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The game returned Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, and there was a late shift. Washington State of the Pac-12 was to face Miami (Fla.) of the ACC. COVID issues within the Hurricanes' program caused them to pull out. Central Michigan was to face Boise State in the Arizona Bowl, but when the Broncos pulled out due to their own COVID outbreak, CMU moved to fill the vacancy in the Sun Bowl.
| Year | Matchup | Spread, Totals | ATS Result |
| 2019 | Arizona State 20 Florida State 14 | Arizona State -3, 52 | Favorite, Under |
| 2018 | Stanford 14 Pittsburgh 13 | Stanford -3.5, 53 | Underdog, Under |
| 2017 | N.C. State 52 Arizona State 31 | North Carolina State -4.5, 63 | Favorite, Over |
| 2016 | Stanford 25 North Carolina 23 | Stanford -2.5, 55.5 | Underdog, Under |
| 2015 | Washington State 20 Miami (FL) 14 | Washington State -1.5, 62.5 | Favorite, Under |
| 2014 | Arizona State 36 Duke 31 | Arizona State -7.5, 64.5 | Underdog, Over |
| 2013 | UCLA 42 Virginia Tech 12 | UCLA -7, 46 | Favorite, Over |
| 2012 | Georgia Tech 21 USC 7 | USC -7.5, 63 | Underdog, Under |
| 2011 | Utah 30 Georgia Tech 27 (OT) | Georgia Tech -1.5, 49 | Underdog, Over |
| 2010 | Notre Dame 33 Miami (FL) 17 | Miami (FL) -2.5, 48 | Underdog, Over |
| 2009 | Oklahoma 31 Stanford 27 | Oklahoma -10.5, 54 | Underdog, Over |
| 2008 | Oregon State 3 Pittsburgh 0 | Oregon State -1.5, 51 | Favorite, Under |
| 2007 | Oregon 56 USF 21 | South Florida -5.5, 52.5 | Underdog, Over |
| 2006 | Oregon State 39 Missouri 38 | Oregon State -3.5, 53 | Underdog, Over |
| 2005 | UCLA 50 Northwestern 38 | UCLA -3, 74 | Favorite, Over |
| 2004 | Arizona State 27 Purdue 23 | Purdue -7.5, 52 | Underdog, Under |
| 2003 | Minnesota 31 Oregon 30 | Minnesota -5.5, 60.5 | Underdog, Over |
| 2002 | Purdue 34 Washington 24 | Washington -2, 56 | Underdog, Over |
| 2001 | Washington State 33 Purdue 27 | Washington State -6, 47 | Push, Over |
| 2000 | Wisconsin 21 UCLA 20 | Wisconsin -4.5, 55.5 | Underdog, Under |
| 1999 | Oregon 24 Minnesota 20 | Minnesota -2, 53 | Underdog, Under |
| 1998 | TCU 28 USC 19 | USC -17.5, 42.5 | Underdog, Over |
| 1997 | Arizona State 17 Iowa 7 | Iowa -7.5, 44 | Underdog, Under |
| 1996 | Stanford 38 Michigan State 0 | - | - |
| 1995 | Iowa 38 Washington 18 | - | - |
| 1994 | Texas 35 North Carolina 31 | - | - |
| 1993 | Oklahoma 41 Texas Tech 10 | - | - |
| 1992 | Baylor 20 Arizona 15 | - | - |
| 1991 | UCLA 6 Illinois 3 | - | - |
| 1990 | Michigan State 17 USC 16 | - | - |
| 1989 | Pittsburgh 31 Texas A&M 28 | - | - |
| 1988 | Alabama 29 Army 28 | - | - |
| 1987 | Oklahoma State 35 West Virginia 33 | - | - |
| 1986 | Alabama 28 Washington 6 | - | - |
| 1985 | Arizona 13 Georgia 13 | - | - |
| 1984 | Maryland 28 Tennessee 27 | - | - |
| 1983 | Alabama 28 SMU 7 | - | - |
| 1982 | North Carolina 26 Texas 10 | - | - |
| 1981 | Oklahoma 40 Houston 14 | - | - |
| 1980 | Nebraska 31 Mississippi State 17 | - | - |
| 1979 | Washington 14 Texas 7 | - | - |
| 1978 | Texas 42 Maryland 0 | - | - |
| 1977 | Stanford 24 LSU 14 | - | - |
| 1976 | Texas A&M 37 Florida 14 | - | - |
| 1975 | Pittsburgh 33 Kansas 19 | - | - |
| 1974 | Mississippi State 26 North Carolina 24 | - | - |
| 1973 | Missouri 34 Auburn 17 | - | - |
| 1972 | North Carolina 32 Texas Tech 28 | - | - |
| 1971 | LSU 33 Iowa State 15 | - | - |
| 1970 | Georgia Tech 17 Texas Tech 9 | - | - |
| 1969 | Nebraska 45 Georgia 6 | - | - |
| 1968 | Auburn 34 Arizona 10 | - | - |
| 1967 | UTEP 14 Mississippi 7 | - | - |
| 1966 | Wyoming 28 Florida State 20 | - | - |
| 1965 | UTEP 13 TCU 12 | - | - |
| 1964 | Georgia 7 Texas Tech 0 | - | - |
| 1963 | Oregon 21 SMU 14 | - | - |
| 1962 | West Texas State 15 Ohio 14 | - | - |
| 1961 | Villanova 17 Wichita State 9 | - | - |
| 1960 | New Mexico State 20 Utah State 13 | - | - |
| 1959 | New Mexico State 28 North Texas 8 | - | - |
| 1958 | Wyoming 14 Hardin-Simmons 6 | - | - |
| 1957 | George Washington 13 UTEP 0 | - | - |
| 1956 | Wyoming 21 Texas Tech 14 | - | - |
| 1955 | UTEP 47 Florida State 20 | - | - |
| 1954 | UTEP 37 Southern Miss 14 | - | - |
| 1953 | Pacific 26 Southern Miss 7 | - | - |
| 1952 | Texas Tech 25 Pacific 14 | - | - |
| 1951 | West Texas State 14 Cincinnati 13 | - | - |
| 1950 | UTEP 33 Georgetown 20 | - | - |
| 1949 | West Virginia 21 UTEP 12 | - | - |
