The Los Angeles Bowl is no more - and with its departure, the Washington Huskies find themselves holding a unique piece of college football history.
In just his second season at the helm, head coach Jedd Fisch guided Washington through a notable leap forward. After a 6-7 campaign in 2024-25, the Huskies surged to a 9-4 finish last season, signaling real progress in a full-scale program rebuild. That rebuild began in earnest after former head coach Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama, and the team's star power - including quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Rome Odunze - departed for the NFL.
But the Huskies didn’t just weather the transition - they thrived. At the heart of their resurgence was sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who emerged as one of the most dynamic players in the Big Ten. Williams led the conference in total yards with 3,676 and accounted for 31 total touchdowns, showcasing a blend of poise, athleticism, and playmaking that gave Washington fans plenty to get excited about.
Williams capped off his breakout year in dominant fashion, leading the Huskies to a 38-10 rout over Boise State in the Los Angeles Bowl. He was responsible for four touchdowns in that game and walked away with Offensive MVP honors - a fitting finish to a season that saw him grow into the face of Washington’s new era.
That win, as it turns out, also secured Washington a rare double distinction in college football history.
The 2025 edition of the LA Bowl, held at SoFi Stadium - the home of the NFL’s Rams and Chargers - was the final chapter of the bowl’s short-lived run. The game’s six-year contract expired after the season, and it won’t be renewed. A mix of conference realignment and declining viewership played a major role in the decision to pull the plug.
When the LA Bowl was first introduced, it was designed as a postseason matchup between the Mountain West and the Pac-12. But both conferences have been reshaped dramatically in recent years.
The Pac-12, in particular, has undergone a seismic transformation. Only Washington State and Oregon State remain from the league’s former lineup, and beginning in 2026, the Pac-12 will relaunch as an eight-team football conference.
The new-look league will include Washington State, Oregon State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State, and Utah State - with Gonzaga joining as a non-football member.
With the LA Bowl now officially closed, Washington becomes the final champion of a game originally created to pit Pac-12 and Mountain West teams against each other. Even more remarkably, the Huskies also hold the distinction of being the last champions of the Power Five-era Pac-12, before their move to the Big Ten under Fisch.
The LA Bowl’s brief history featured a rotating cast of matchups and results: Utah State beat Oregon State in 2021, Fresno State topped Washington State in 2022, UCLA handled Boise State in 2023, UNLV took down Cal in 2024, and finally, Washington’s emphatic win over Boise State in 2025.
It’s a quirky bit of trivia, sure - but it also underscores just how much the college football landscape has shifted. In the span of a few years, entire conferences have been redefined, bowl games have come and gone, and programs like Washington have had to retool on the fly.
For the Huskies, though, the future looks promising. They’ve got a rising star at quarterback, a coach with a clear vision, and now, a pair of “lasts” that add a little historical flair to their ongoing rebuild.