Do You Know How Much that Fiesta Bowl Trophy is Worth?

STILLWATER – As they stood on the podium inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona after the beating No. 5 Notre Dame 37-35, only Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy knew how much that trophy on the stage with himself and ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden, offensive MVP Spencer Sanders, and defensive MVP Malcolm Rodriguez was truly worth. We are talking about a trophy that is worth $1.2 million. That’s right. Now, the trophy that gets sent home to the team is worth quite a bit, but not as much as the original that gets displayed at the coach’s news conference and at the game each season. The winning team gets a very well-made replica for their permanent collection.  

Honestly, I’ve always thought it was one of the most beautiful trophies in sports.

Oklahoma State has one of the trophies in the West End Zone football trophy case. That was won in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl with the win over Stanford. The original Fiesta Bowl trophy won by the 1974 Cowboys over BYU is in Heritage Hall inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The trophy in the West End Zone is like the one on display in Scottsdale in that it is 46 inches tall and weighs over 200-pounds.

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl Zoom

Mike Gundy and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman pose with the Fiesta Bowl Trophy the day before the game.

The base floor of the trophy has an inlay compass with the four cardinal directions spot lit, signifying the path the players take in the game and in life. Hand carved sterling silver linemen are the backbone of the team supporting the trophy and the sterling silver players at the top are guarding the ball. The diamond-encrusted football is fully removable from the trophy and has an internal power source that keeps the football illuminated even when removed.

​The dome is a lotus flower which symbolizes the purity, strength, power, and heart of the victors. Inscribed in a golden curtain below the dome is the ancient Greek word "Nivkh" - The Goddess of Victory.

​The center column is lapis with layers of carved gold depicting an Arizona sunset. The trophy is internally lit with LED illumination through the landscape, dome, Fiesta Bowl logo, and the 2,400 diamonds that have a total of 50 carats.

​This trophy was created by 12 craftsmen and celebrates the athlete's remarkable dedication and pursuit of personal best and attaining championship status.

​The Fiesta Bowl Trophy created by Molina Fine Jewelers now resides at the Ziegler Fiesta Bowl Museum for everyone to enjoy.