Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsTuesday, August 4, 2026

I don’t know how else to say this, but: Elk Grove Village, Illinois, is now the sponsor of the Bahamas Bowl

The town with the “largest industrial park in the United States,” which is located in Illinois, bought the naming rights to the Bahamas Bowl, which will now be called the ‘Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl,’ retiring Popeyes from its perch.

There’s been a college football bowl game in the Bahamas since the 2014 season. It’s called the Bahamas Bowl, and for the first three years, the sponsor was this great institution:

But the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl has been out. The Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl is now in.

What is “Makers Wanted,” you’re asking? ESPN, which owns the bowl, will tell you:

The Makers Wanted tagline serves as a call-to-action for Elk Grove Village’s thriving community and the thousands of businesses that are based there.

“Elk Grove Village is home to the largest industrial park in the United States, spurred by our village’s commitment to being beyond business-friendly,” said Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson. “Our relationship with the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl and ESPN Events is a perfect opportunity to use college football to share our message with the entire country. We were impressed by how the bowl game has been developed in the Bahamas over the past four years, and we share in the excitement that this event brings to their community.”

This is the first time a non-tourist municipality has ever sponsored a bowl game, and the sponsorship highlights the innovative thinking found in Elk Grove Village. With unparalleled transportation options for manufacturers and a town that is truly committed to supporting its industrial park tenants, Elk Grove Village has become a destination for businesses from across the United States.

“We are excited to have Elk Grove Village as the title sponsor of the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl,” said Richard Giannini, Executive Director of the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl. “It is a unique sponsorship that allows Elk Grove Village and its thriving business community to take the Makers Wanted message to a national audience on ESPN. We thank Mayor Craig Johnson for his innovative vision, and we look forward to another great bowl game this year.”

It’s not the CHERIBUNDI TART CHERRY BOCA RATON BOWL or the BAD BOY MOWERS GASPARILLA BOWL, but the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Sponsored By A Town With an Industrial Park Located In Illinois should be an instant hint.

Related

College Football
Heisman Trophy rankings: Predicting college football’s top contenders for 2026Heisman Trophy rankings: Predicting college football’s top contenders for 2026
College Football

College football’s long list of Heisman Trophy candidates entering 2026 season

By Mark Schofield
College Football
College Football Reacts: Are patch deals ok for the game?College Football Reacts: Are patch deals ok for the game?
College Football

Let us know how you feel about the takeover of patch deals in college football

By Kyle Thele
College Football
College football rankings: Preseason top-25 teams, according to usCollege football rankings: Preseason top-25 teams, according to us
College Football

Here’s our top-25 teams in college football.

By Mark Schofield
NFL Draft beat
How NFL-ready is Arch Manning?How NFL-ready is Arch Manning?
NFL Draft beat

Arch Manning is the presumptive QB1 in the 2027 draft class that’s supposed to be generational. What does he need to improve in order to make that a reality?

By Doug Farrar
College Football
College Football 27 review: The greatest meal that leaves a bad taste in your mouthCollege Football 27 review: The greatest meal that leaves a bad taste in your mouth
College Football

Brilliant in so many ways, flawed in one key area.

By James Dator
NFL
Brendan Sorsby stuck as NFL announces NO Supplemental Draft in 2026Brendan Sorsby stuck as NFL announces NO Supplemental Draft in 2026
NFL

Another setback for the QB.

By James Dator