The 48th edition of the Tazon Azteca returns this historic bowl game to its roots as the top Mexican college players will take on an All Star selection of players from NCAA Div. II and III schools – coached by Jake Hale – on December 1 at Estadio Banorte.

The last time this happened was in 2022 when Mexico’s ONEFA All Stars defeated Team Air Raid Tour 27-2. In 2018, Mexico’s ONEFA All Stars defeated the Eagles 17-10. The most recent edition of the game before last year was played in 2019 but it was between the all stars of the then two Mexican university leagues, the ONEFA and the CONADEIP.

With the amalgamation of those two Mexican college leagues, the game has returned to its original format. And although the Mexican All Stars record against the US select team overall is a dismal 5-13, the squad from Mexico has won the last four (2015-2018).

Tazon Azteca XLVIII: Team USA vs Team Mexico, Dec. 2, 02:30 CET (2:30 am, 8:30 pm Dec. 2 ET)

First played in 1947

First played in 1947, the Tazon Azteca (Aztec Bowl) features an all-star team from the Mexican College Football season, currently being organized by the Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano (ONEFA). It is usually played in mid December, with an NCAA Division II & III all-star team as the opponent.

Some of the players who have played in the game include the former NFL players London Fletcher and Fred Jackson.

The game originated as a result of the growing popularity of football in Mexico, which rivaled the dominant soccer as the most popular sport among the student population. The first opponents were American Teams from US colleges, with Mexico defeating the Randolph Field Air Base in the first edition. For the first four years, the game was named the “Tazon de Plata” (Silver Bowl), a name adopted by the now-defunct Futbol Americano de Mexico (FAM) professional league.

The next victory for the Mexican side came in 1953 when a selection of Burros from the Polytechnic, Aztecs from Mexico City College (now UDLAP) and the Osos from the Militarized University Sports Pentathlon (PDMU) defeated the New Mexico University Greyhounds 45-26.In 1955 there was no international game, and the Bowl featured a game between a selection of veterans and a selection of active players with the latter winning 20-13.

Tazon Azteca XLVIII: Team USA vs Team Mexico, Dec. 2, 02:30 CET (2:30 am, 8:30 pm Dec. 2 ET)

The Bowl was played for the first and only time outside Mexico in 1957, with the game played in Alamo, Texas. Afterwards, the game was not held until 1964, with further hiatus from 1967-1969, 1972-1978, 1981-1983, 1985 and 1995.

A special edition was played in 1996, with the game featuring an overseas opponent: the Palermo Cardinals, from Italy. They were soundly defeated by the Mexican side with a score of 63-8.

From 1997 on, the game would feature a selection of ONEFA vs NCAA Div. III players. The only exception would be the most recently played edition, in 2019. That year, the rival CONADEIP College Football league lost to the ONEFA side 15-14 in a game that served as the start of negotiations for the reunification of both leagues.

The ONEFA has a record of 20 wins and 28 lost games but against NCAA select teams, the record is 6-13. However, the Mexican side has won the last five meetings, from 2015 to 2018 and then last year.

With the ONEFA now fully unified, the Mexican squad will feature a total of 80 players from the 33 teams that form the Liga Mayor.

Tazon Azteca XLVIII: Team USA vs Team Mexico, Dec. 2, 02:30 CET (2:30 am, 8:30 pm Dec. 2 ET)