Snoop Dogg makes grand entrance at Arizona Bowl tailgate, catches kickoff during game

Seen and heard before and during the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop:

Snoop Dogg knows how to make an entrance.

As thousands of fans eagerly awaited his arrival near the Gin & Juice House at the east end of the UA mall Saturday afternoon, Snoop surprised them by pulling up on the top deck of The PRIME Leaf double-decker bus, which had been repurposed for the Arizona Bowl.

The bus was parked at Bear Down Field and escorted Snoop, his entourage and Arizona Bowl officials through the tailgating area. Snoop and others fired T-shirts into the crowd, which went 15-20 deep around the white fence that formed a yard in front of the Gin & Juice House.

About 20 minutes after exiting the bus, Snoop appeared on the porch and addressed his adoring fans.

“We’re baaaack,” he said. “Thank y’all for showing out and showing up for the Arizona Bowl. Adults, make sure y’all get some Gin & Juice. Children, make sure y’all get some apple juice.”

Snoop then offered to take pictures with fans and said he would sign a “Doggystyle” album if anybody had one.

Inside Casino Del Sol Stadium, Snoop participated in the opening coin toss, flipping the coin and bro-hugging the captains for Fresno State and Miami (Ohio).

During the second quarter, while chatting with sideline reporter Wes Bryant of The CW, Snoop fielded a kickoff. Miami’s return men conceded the touchback on Dylan Lynch’s boot. Snoop made a rolling, bobbling grab near the back of the north end zone.

Then, at halftime, Snoop led both schools’ marching bands in renditions of some of his most famous songs, including “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)”

Red (Impala) zone

Another new feature in Year 2 of the Snoop Dogg sponsorship: low-rider Impalas parked inside the stadium during the game.

Two red Chevy Impalas were stationed beyond the south end zone — close enough to the back pylons that coaches could be seen pacing off the distance during pregame warmups.

The hard-top Impala was about 7 yards past the right pylon, while the convertible was 8 yards beyond the left pylon. Thankfully, no players Imapala'd themselves.

Free fingers

One of the Arizona Bowl’s sponsors, Raising Cane’s, had a prominent presence at the pregame tailgate.

The Cane’s setup included a mini-locker room where fans could take pictures, a football-tossing game and the most popular attraction besides Snoop himself — free samples. Customers lined up and received a free chicken finger in a cup from Cane’s employees standing beneath a disco ball hanging from the food truck.

Raising Cane’s CEO and founder Todd Graves was on hand, and he presented an oversized $100,000 check to the Snoop Youth Football League during the first quarter.

Faces in the crowd

In addition to the D-O-double-G, the Arizona Bowl had a list of notable visitors, including a former Arizona Wildcats assistant coach. 

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Fresno State radio analyst Pat Hill was Arizona's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 1990 and '91 under former UA head coach Dick Tomey. The 74-year-old Hill, who also coached in the NFL, was Fresno State's head coach from 1997-2011.

Two Tucson-area football players were honored as the Bijan Robinson Arizona Player of the Year during the game. Desert View star sophomore running back Jaylee Abraham, who led the Jaguars to their first-ever undefeated regular season, was recognized as the top tackle football player. Abraham rushed for 1,716 yards and 33 touchdowns this season. 

Salpointe Catholic girls flag football quarterback and defensive back Isla Collins, who completed 76% of her passes for 2,319 yards, 47 touchdowns and three interceptions, was also honored. She led the Lancers with 841 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. As a defensive back, she had 27 tackles and a team-high 10 interceptions. Collins led the Lancers to a Class 4A state championship and became the first Southern Arizona girls flag football team to win a state titlle. 

Games and snacks

Miami coach Chuck Martin raved about the RedHawks’ experience at the Arizona Bowl last year — especially the players’ lounge at The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa.

Tucson media were given a glimpse of the lounge, and it lived up to the hype.

One wall of the ballroom was filled with arcade games, including a customized version of Pandora Saga DX Plus featuring Arizona Bowl and Miami logos. Another wall was devoted to more modern gaming — Xbox consoles with flat screens.

Other entertainment options included air hockey, billiards and cornhole. Duffel bags filled with team gear and a fully stocked snack table also awaited the players.

It’s all part of the red-carpet treatment Arizona Bowl officials seek to provide for the visiting teams. La Paloma employees wore Miami T-shirts and bucket hats. A mariachi band, Mariachi Valenzuela, serenaded the RedHawks as they strolled into the hotel.

‘Dream come true’

One of the vertical banners positioned throughout La Paloma was unlike the others.

It depicted Miami fifth-year tight end Brian Shane, who nearly walked away from football during the offseason.

Shane had spent four years at Miami as a lightly used walk-on. His first career reception came in last year’s Arizona Bowl.

Shane was set to graduate, retire from football and get a job in the real world. But Martin persuaded him to come back for spring practice.

“I kind of retired for a couple days,” Shane told the Journal-News of Hamilton, Ohio. “But Coach Martin called me in — I talked with my other coaches — and they said there could be a big opportunity for me next year if I came back.”

Shane became a scholarship player and a rotation regular. After playing only 20 offensive snaps in his first four seasons, Shane logged 446 this year entering the Arizona Bowl. He had 12 receptions for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

“This whole year has been a dream come true,” Shane told the Journal-News. “I’m just so glad I stayed.”

By the numbers

1: The upcoming Trust & Will Holiday Bowl matchup between No. 17 Arizona and SMU is the only bowl game this season to feature two teams that play home games at bowl venues. Arizona's Casino Del Sol Stadium hosts the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, while SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium is the host of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. 

65: Degrees at kickoff. It was 57 in Fresno and 46 in Oxford, Ohio.

1,782: Miles from from Oxford to Tucson. Fresno State traveled just over 700 miles to the Old Pueblo. 

37,232: Announced attendance for the Arizona Bowl at Casino Del Sol Stadium. 

Photos: Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl tailgate presented by Gin & Juice