Dec 07, 2025

Arizona and SMU to Meet In 46th Trust & Will Holiday Bowl

SAN DIEGO, Calif., (December 7, 2025) –The 17th-ranked Arizona Wildcats (9-3, 6-3) from the Big 12 Conference and the SMU Mustangs (8-4, 6-2) from the ACC have accepted invitations to play in the 46^th annual Trust & Will Holiday Bowl. The bowl game is scheduled for Friday, January 2 at 5:00 p.m. It will air on FOX and be played at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium. This will be the first time the Holiday Bowl has ever been played in January.

“The Trust and Will Holiday Bowl is well known for explosive, high-scoring games and down-to-the-wire finishes,” said Mark Neville, CEO of Sports San Diego, organizers of the annual Holiday Bowl. “This matchup between potent offenses and exciting styles of football should provide another exciting chapter in the history of San Diego’s bowl game.  Expect the Wildcats and Mustangs to put on quite a show!”

This will be Arizona’s third appearance in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl.  The first was in 1998 when the Wildcats defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers 23-20.  The other was in 2009 when they lost to the Cornhuskers 33-0.  Arizona is riding a five-game winning streak.  The most recent victory was by a score of 23-7 on the road against their rivals Arizona State.

This will be SMU’s second appearance in San Diego’s bowl game.  The lone Mustangs appearance was a memorable one when they were defeated 46-45 in 1980 by the BYU Cougars with no time remaining on the clock.  The SMU backfield that year was known best as the “Pony Express” and included the legendary running back duo of Eric Dickerson and Craig James.

Arizona and SMU have played each other twice.  SMU won the first matchup 29-7 during the 1938 season.  Arizona beat third-ranked SMU 28-6 in 1985.

“We can’t wait to welcome teams, bands, cheer squads and fans from SMU and Arizona to San Diego later this month,” said Nancy Rohland-Heinrich, this year’s Sports San Diego president. “Our volunteers, partners and staff have been working tirelessly to prepare for an incredible game and bowl week experience for all.”

Game ticket prices start at $50 and can be purchased at www.HolidayBowl.com. Information on Bowl Week events, including the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade presented by Kaiser Permanente and the Port of San Diego Game Day 5K can also be found at www.HolidayBowl.com.

 

#       #        #

 

About Sports San Diego

Recognizing that San Diego is a premier tourist destination, the mission of Sports San Diego, a non-profit 501c3 organization, is to generate tourism, visibility, and economic impact for the San Diego region by producing the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl, Rady Children’s Invitational, California State Games and recruiting outstanding sports events and experiences to San Diego by serving as San Diego’s sports commission.  Since 1978, the association has generated more than $1 billion in economic benefit for the San Diego region.

About Trust & Will:

Founded in 2017, Trust & Will is the leading digital estate planning platform in the U.S., trusted by over one million individuals and families. Our simple, secure, and attorney-approved online solutions empower Americans to create wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and other essential estate planning documents tailored to state-specific laws. As a certified B Corporation and Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), our mission to help every family leave a meaningful legacy is embedded into our business model, ensuring estate planning is accessible, affordable, and inclusive for all.

In 2025, we introduced EstateOS™, the first intelligent platform built to modernize legacy planning and preservation. EstateOS powers connected estate plans for families and offers AI-enabled workflows, document extraction, and client collaboration designed specifically for professionals.

Today, our platform supports 20,000+ financial advisors and 200+ enterprise partners, including banks, financial institutions, attorneys, nonprofits, real estate agents, and technology platforms. Notable partners include AARP, Fifth Third Bank, UBS, USAA, LPL Financial, and Northwestern Mutual. By enabling diverse professionals and organizations to integrate digital estate planning into their services, we’re broadening estate planning access and fostering proactive, multi-generational financial conversations.

With more than one million users and over $200 billion in self-reported estate assets, Trust & Will is redefining estate planning as a strategic pillar of modern financial wellness. Recognized for innovation and leadership, we have earned spots on the CNBC Disruptor 50, Inc. 5000, and Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ lists.

Learn more at trustandwill.com or about our commitment as a certified B Corp.