Mayonnaise is one of those condiments you either love or hate.
But if it means your team wins the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and gets to make a $10,000 charitable donation, a coach might learn to tolerate the creamy spread.
South Carolina Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer and North Carolina Tar Heels coach Mack Brown both addressed the idea of a celebratory mayo bath at a news conference.
“I’m not a big mayonnaise guy. I mean, I’ll gladly take one for the team on that one if it means we won a football game, but woof,” Beamer said.
“It’s for a great cause: $10,000 to a charity is worth it. We need to win. I said somewhere I’d let someone hit me with a frying pan 365 days if we won; mayonnaise is easy,” Brown said.
As bowl season continues, mayo isn’t the only food that could replace the typical postgame Gatorade shower. Thanks to bowl game sponsors, french fries, cereal and more could be used.
How much of any food can fill a cooler? Our method is based on filling a 7-gallon drink cooler, which equates to 896 ounces. We crunched numbers for how much mayonnaise or other foods could be poured on coaches.
Formerly known as the Belk Bowl, Duke’s Mayo became the sponsor for the game before the 2020 bowl season.
Last year, the South Carolina-based condiment company said the winning coach could be showered in mayonnaise after the contest. That never came to fruition, but fans could see it happen this time.
We apologize… pic.twitter.com/jKJRc1cNPo
— Duke’s Mayo Bowl (@DukesMayoBowl) December 5, 2021
Both Brown and Beamer have agreed to a mayo shower if their squad wins. On Dec. 22, Duke Mayo Bowl’s Twitter account posted a picture of them preparing its product for the mayo dump.
Based on North Carolina’s response, the school looks ready.
https://t.co/4AiYZTKOzc pic.twitter.com/u4qmigJpsr
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) December 22, 2021
How much mayo? It takes about 28 32-ounce jars of mayonnaise to fill a 7-gallon cooler.
The mayonnaise brand also received some love from another bowl game sponsor who brought out french fries for its postgame celebration.
Duke’s Mayo is the #1 ingredient in fry sauce! ❤️ you https://t.co/T3UqoHNTVe
— FamousID Potato Bowl (@IDPotatoBowl) December 21, 2021
Since its inception in 1997, this game, known by its current name since 2011, has taken place in Boise, Idaho, the “Potato Capital of the World.” So it’s only natural that its postgame celebration includes food made from the plant.
In 2020’s edition of the Potato Bowl, then-University of Ohio coach Frank Solich was showered with french fries after a win over Nevada. The following year, then-Wolf Pack coach Jay Norvell got the same treatment but was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct because some stray fries got on the field before time ran out.
Nothing better than a french fry bath after a win at the @IDPotatoBowl 🍟😼🏈 pic.twitter.com/hSikoIBK8W
— Ohio Football 🏈 (@OhioFootball) January 4, 2020
This year, Cowboys quarterback Levi Williams had himself a day, accumulating over 300 total yards and five touchdowns (four rushing, one passing) in a 52-38 win over the Golden Flashes. He became the first FBS quarterback to rush for 200 yards and four scores in a bowl game, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Wyoming coach Craig Bohl got the french fry shower after securing the victory.
1:16
Craig Bohl gets doused with french fries after Wyoming defeats Kent State 52-38 to win the Idaho Potato Bowl.
How many fries? A large fries container from McDonald’s is 5.9 ounces, according to a Buzzfeed analysis comparing McDonald’s food sizes. It would take roughly 152 of them to fill up a cooler.
No. 19 Clemson battled against Iowa State in this year’s Cheez-It Bowl, and the snack company made sure they didn’t arrive empty-handed.
Hope you’re hungry, @ClemsonFB & @CycloneFB pic.twitter.com/ZszIHYnAtZ
— Cheez-It Bowl (@CheezItBowl) December 20, 2021
The game was a defensive affair throughout. The Tigers scored 20 points or fewer for the fourth time this season, but it was enough to defeat the Cyclones. Clemson notched its 11th consecutive 10-win season, the third-longest streak in FBS history. It trails only Alabama (14 straight from 2008 to 2021) and Florida State (14 straight from 1987 to 2000).
Tigers coach Dabo Swinney enjoyed a lightly toasted cheese cracker bath afterward, as his players doused him in the snack, continuing this unique bowl game celebration.
0:42
Dabo Swinney gets a glorious Cheez-It bath as Clemson seals a 20-13 win over Iowa State in the Cheez-It Bowl.
Clemson players had an easier time finding their coach than Oklahoma State‘s, who had to search for Mike Gundy before initiating the cheesy coronation in 2020.
It took them a while to find Coach Gundy for the Cheez-It bath 😂 pic.twitter.com/4fWw4RcpFB
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 30, 2020
How many Cheez-Its?: It takes nearly 72 regular boxes (12.4 ounces) of Cheez-Its to fill a sideline drink cooler.
Finding the perfect combination of Cheez-Its is more complex than it sounds. Just ask Andrew Zingone, former director of cheese operations for the Cheez-It Bowl.
Preparing the postgame Cheez-It bath isn’t an easy job. Luckily, we’ve got a guy. #CheezItBowl pic.twitter.com/Oos6Lpi5uG
— Cheez-It Bowl (@CheezItBowl) December 29, 2020
The Sun Bowl, being played for the 88th time, is one of the older bowl games in college football. Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes has been the sponsor since 2019.
Washington State and Central Michigan will meet in El Paso, Texas, after the Miami Hurricanes withdrew because of COVID-19 issues.
The 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl champion could receive a deluge of cereal when the game ends.
In 2019, Arizona State Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards was greeted with a downpour of Frosted Flakes from his players after a 20-14 win over Florida State. Last bowl season, there were no cereal showers because the Sun Bowl was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Legendary coach ✅
Legendary cereal ✅Herm Edwards got a Frosted Flakes bath! pic.twitter.com/s5twyeF1d0
— ESPN (@espn) January 1, 2020
How much cereal? It would take approximately 37 family-size boxes (24 ounces) of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes to fill a cooler.
ESPN Stats and Information contributed to this story