Over the years the Holiday Bowl has enlisted some true sporting legends to serve as the game's honorary chairperson. The list includes luminaries from multiple different disciplines, including:
- Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton
- Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Don Coryell
- MLB Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones
- Marathoner Meb Keflezighi, one of five men to win both the NYC and Boston Marathons
In 2024, they're adding the G.O.A.T. of competitive eating to the list. Joey Chestnut, owner of more than 50 competitive eating world records and 16 Nathan's Hot Dog eating competitions, will be serving in two roles for San Diego's annual college football festival.
"They invited me out. Maybe they saw that I love San Diego. I was out there October fest, and I love college football," says Chestnut, who has family in Chula Vista and is a frequent visitor to America's Finest City.
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In addition to being this year's Holiday Bowl Honorary Chair, Chestnut will also serve as the "Chief Eggnog Official" and oversee the ceremonial dumping of eggnog on the winning coach.
“Joey Chestnut’s last name in itself is the perfect tie-in to the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl. He is known for his amazing competitive eating, and he trains for these titles like a world class athlete,” said Mark Neville, CEO of the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl and Sports San Diego, in a statement.
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Chestnut, 41, has become a household name for his culinary conquests. In September he topped his own world record by downing 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes in a Labor Day showdown against longtime rival Takeru Kobayashi.
Chestnut is on a bit of a college football barnstorming tour. Before Oregon beat Penn State in last weekend's Big 10 Championship Game in Indianapolis, the gastronomic great set a new world record by swallowing 21 pounds of cocktail shrimp from Indy restaurant staple St. Elmo's Steakhouse. He already owns the fish taco world record (30 in five minutes). The California Burrito was invented in San Diego, begging eh question: how many could Joey take down in 10 minutes?
"18 pounds of burritos in 10 minutes is my record," says Chestnut. "The ones with the french fries in them, those go down fast. They put a little more sauce in there, like a queso sometimes. It would be up there right around that number, 18. The food in San Diego is the best."
Syracuse and Washington State kick off the 45th annual Holiday Bowl at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 27 and Snapdragon Stadium.
