The Holiday Bowl looks a little different since the last time Arizona football head coach Brent Brennan was in attendance.Β
The differences are more than just a surfing snowman design for the end zone, which was revealed this week.Β
For starters, the Holiday Bowl is no longer at Qualcomm Stadium; it's played at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego State's home football venue, which the Wildcats opened in 2022.
Brennan is also competing in the Holiday Bowl rather than observing from the stands.Β
The first time Arizona played in the Holiday Bowl in 1998, Brennan was one of roughly 120 family members and friends there to support then-Arizona wide receiver Brad Brennan. Brent Brennan had just finished his first season as a graduate assistant at Hawaii and attended the highly anticipated Holiday Bowl matchup between Arizona and the defending national champion Nebraska to support little bro.
"Tons of family, tons of friends, it was quite a party, for sure," Brad Brennan said.Β
Arizona's Brad Brennan (13) runs for the touchdown along with UA Jeremy McDaniel (15)Β during first quarter against Oregon in 1998.
The younger Brennan put on a show, too. He caught a touchdown to give the Wildcats a 16-13 lead over the Cornhuskers in 1998. UA won, 23-20. Arizona quarterback Keith Smith was named Offensive MVP of the 1998 Holiday Bowl. Arizona ended the season 12-1, which is still considered the best team in UA football history.Β
"It was awesome," said Brent Brennan during his news conference this week. "It was a super hard-fought game. We had a huge crew of family and friends there for the game. Obviously Arizona had a magical season up to that point. ... At that time, that was when Nebraska was rolling at a crazy level. It was a big-time football game. It was fun. Brad made a handful of catches in that game, scored a touchdown, had one called back. It's a great memory for me and a great memory for my family."
Now, the roles are somewhat reversed. Brad Brennan, who played at Arizona from 1996-2000, will be with the dozens of Brennan family members and friends to support the Brent Brennan-coached Wildcats in the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl against SMU on Jan. 2.Β
"This is going to be special," Brad Brennan said. "Everyone that has come up along this journey with our family and Brent's coaching career. Everyone has been so supportive. We have the best friends and family and everyone wants to support. It's cool. We're going to have a big group out there. I can't wait."Β
Brad Brennan recently joined "Spears & Ali" on ESPN Tucson to reflect on Arizona's win over Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl and the current rendition of the Wildcats. Here's what Brennan discussed:
How has it been watching and monitoring the success of your brother and alma mater this season?
A: "It's pretty impressive. In today's world with NIL and everything, to watch teams do it with less resources and do it with the power of team and community belief, it's special. I'm excited for him and the whole university."
Was it challenging to see the criticism of your brother and the UA football program in the last year following their 4-8 season last season?
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan gets a hug from his son, wide receiver Scotty Brennan (81), after the Wildcats beat Weber State 48-3, Sept. 6, 2025, in Tucson.
A: "Fans, we love them because they're passionate, but they can drive you crazy at the same time because of that passion. In today's world, hyper-quick hits and dopamine β we need everything right now. Often, they don't let a guy come in and build it the right way.
"I think that has been one of the biggest detriments to Arizona football, is we've seen coaches come in and out of there. Some of them are a result of not letting the right person go in and do it the right way. This is showing validation.
"Your initial response (for the criticism), '(Expletive) the haters,' but that's where you're at. Brent is super process-oriented and focused on that one step, that one kid and developing those players and that collective group. That's what you're seeing."Β
What do you remember about the 1998 Holiday Bowl and how it capped a historic season for the program?
A: "The whole lead-up was very special. ... It's wild to think in today's world, with the playoff and everything, where that team could've ended up. We had this crazy locker room culture with that team. That's what gives success to the teams that end up being great.
"That day in San Diego was a culmination of a lot of days of hard work and the grind. That was a special day. I had a fun day myself, but as a team, everyone showed up and made plays that day."Β
What was coach Dick Tomey's mindset during the week of the Holiday Bowl?
A: "Coach Tomey, he was such a great guy and coach and mentor for so many, he knew bowl games were special. You don't go to them every year β some programs more than others. But he realized it was a very special thing. He made sure we stayed out of trouble the whole week, because you're in an environment where there's a lot going on, there's distractions and you're trying to win this game.
"But he also made sure we had a good time because we earned it. The practice days, everything was dead serious. We weren't going there to lose that game or just have a cool bowl experience, there was definitely a focus on winning that game.
"The 'N' (decal) on Nebraska's helmet, Coach Tomey said that N doesn't stand for Nebraska, it stands for 'Not Today.' We took that to heart and that was not going to be Nebraska's day."Β
Arizona's Brad Brennan (13) is caught from behind by Nebraska's Clint Finley (19) on a 63-yard reception from quarterback Keith Smith during the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30, 1998, in San Diego.
What do you remember about the touchdown you caught?
A: "I was supposed to run a hitch over the middle. Keith had a progression that was basically going to one side, catch me in the middle and then come back to the other side, because that's how the timing of the route and scheme worked.
"We walked up to the line, I had noticed the safety was outside of me for some reason and left inside vulnerable. We didn't typically see it set up that way, Keith looked at me, we made eye contact, and we both just nodded. It was weird, we both just knew what we were going to do. I was supposed to be buttoned in the middle, but I ran a slant and Keith piped that thing in there and I was lucky to get my hands on the ball.
"I don't know if you've ever caught a pass from Keith Smith, but since he was a baseball player, that thing came in hot. I was lucky to get my hands on it and it was a very special moment for me and my team."Β
Considering that week was the final hurrah with arguably the best team in UA history, was the time spent with your teammates in the days leading up to the game just as memorable β or more memorable β than the game itself?
Arizona coach Dick Tomey, right, and players lift the Holiday Bowl trophy after Arizona defeated Nebraska 23-20 on Dec. 30, 1998, in San Diego.
A:Β "We get to do events with the other team, which you never see. You're at events together, you're at the bars and clubs together, meeting those guys and getting to hang out and get a sense of what their world is like. Nebraska and Arizona are two very different places, different states and it's just a different way of how people grew up.
"It was cool to have that week with my team and those games. You come out on game day and you have these fun memories of hanging out with them, but you're ready to smash them and win that game. It was special."Β
