SAN DIEGO — Thousands of college football fans headed to the 2023 Holiday Bowl will get an extra special treat: free tickets to SeaWorld San Diego.
For the second year in a row, organizers of the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl are giving away one-day park admission tickets to the first 10,000 fans at Petco Park after the gates open at 3 p.m. on gameday.
Kickoff for the game featuring the 15th-ranked Louisville Cardinals (ACC) and USC Trojans (Pac-12) is set for 5 p.m. Verified resale tickets are still available starting at $52 through Ticketmaster.
It will be Louisville's first appearance in the annual bowl game, while the Trojans will be returning for the fourth time. The game will mark the two teams' first time playing each other.
“We are so grateful to SeaWorld San Diego, partners of the non-profit bowl game effort for decades,” said Mark Neville, CEO of the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl. “In what already is a premium fan event, this year’s DIRECTV Holiday Bowl fan experience was just made even better thanks to our friends at SeaWorld."
According to Holiday Bowl organizers, SeaWorld has been a partner for San Diego's signature collegiate football game for more than 35 years.
“As a longstanding partner and supporter of the Holiday Bowl and the benefits it brings to our city, we’re excited to bring back this ticket offer for locals and tourists attending the game,” SeaWorld San Diego President Jim Lake said in a statement. “Visiting SeaWorld is a great way to complete a San Diego trip for travelers of all ages visiting our city or it can make for a fun day out for locals."
Fans will be able to get one ticket per person at each of Petco Park's main entrances while supplies last. Every ticket handed out, which are non-transferrable, will remain valid from Dec. 28, 2023 to Jan. 31, 2024.
Aside from the SeaWorld ticket giveaway, Holiday Bowl organizers have plenty of extra special festivities in store for fans, including the 101.5 KGB Sky Show and the pre-game Holiday Bowl Parade.
For those that want to tune into the game from the comfort of their home, it will be broadcast live on FOX 5 at 5 p.m. PST.
This year’s Holiday Bowl will mark the 44th year the event has been held, which was previously played in Mission Valley before moving to downtown.