The Peach Bowl is called the Peach Bowl because it is played in Atlanta, Georgia, a state famously nicknamed the “Peach State,” and the name was chosen to highlight Georgia’s peach-growing agricultural identity and local pride.

Name origin

The bowl was created in 1968 in Atlanta, and organizers picked “Peach” to tie the game to Georgia’s well-known reputation for peaches and to give the event a distinctly local flavor. Using a regional symbol in the name follows a long tradition of bowl games celebrating local agriculture or industry, similar to other bowls named after regional products or features.

Georgia and the peach

Georgia has long promoted itself as the “Peach State,” and peaches became an emblem of the state’s farming economy and cultural identity. Naming a major football bowl after the fruit reinforced Atlanta’s connection to Georgia’s image and helped market the game as something rooted in local heritage rather than a generic postseason matchup.

From charity game to major bowl

The Peach Bowl originally began as a fundraiser event in Atlanta, then steadily grew into a major college football postseason game while keeping its peach-themed branding. Even as it joined the group of top bowls used in the College Football Playoff rotation, the event retained the Peach name to preserve its historical and regional identity.

TL;DR: It is called the Peach Bowl because it was founded in Atlanta and named after Georgia’s signature fruit to showcase the state’s “Peach State” identity and local pride.