In the weeks leading up to the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl – which will serve as the College Football Playoff Semifinal and take place at State Farm Stadium on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 – AZ Big Media is sitting down every Friday with a member of the Fiesta Sports Foundation family to shine a light on the event itself and also all the ways that the Foundation drives economic growth, delivers engaging experiences and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans during and outside of college football Bowl Season. Today we sit down with Patrick Davis, who works with Urban Luxe Real Estate and serves on the Fiesta Sports Foundation Yellow Jacket Committee.
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You have a deep connection to the organization, we hear?
I do. I grew up in the Valley and attended Horizon High School, where I played football. Now, that is not the connection but certainly fuels my passion for the organization. My dad, who was in homebuilding for 45 years, had myriad ties with the Fiesta Sports Foundation, including our dear family friend Rudy Guzman. At the time, Rudy chaired the Fiesta Bowl Committee and is today a Life Director. Thanks to Rudy, my family had the great honor of attending some of the greatest college football bowl games in history, during which time we also got a behind-the-scenes look at who the Yellow Jackets were and the impact they had on the field and off.
The seed to one day be part of the Fiesta Sports Foundation was born back then, and now life has come full circle!
Of all the games you attended, which ones stood out the most?
Tough question – I have a tie.
The 1999 BCS National Championship game between #1 Tennessee and #2 Florida State was insanely epic. Tennessee won the game 23-16, securing the national championship, with key plays including a 79-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tee Martin to wide receiver Peerless Price.
I am also partial, like so many are, to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl because it featured a massive upset. Ohio State famously ended Miami’s historic 34-game win streak in a controversial double-overtime finish. I will also always remember it because I was sitting next to my dad’s boss, of all people, and during the game running back Willis McGahee suffered a catastrophic knee injury that I can still see in my nightmares.
And when did you start formally volunteering for the Fiesta Sports Foundation?
After high school, I attended and graduated from Arizona State University and got into business, eventually getting married and starting a family of my own. When my son was 7 or 8, I started coaching his sports teams, through which I reconnected with a friend from high school, Nate Dominguez, whose son played as well. By that time, he was a Yellow Jacket himself and leading BNI Arizona. Getting involved in BNI, I connected with Elroy Masters, who was also looking for ways to give back. With Nate’s support, we both became Yellow Jackets, and it has exceeded all of my expectations.
I started volunteering amid COVID, so it was very different than now, mostly online and helping fundraise. Now, we are able to be so much more hands-on, which is feeding my soul in ways I never imagined. In addition to Nate and Elroy, I also have to note Yellow Jacket Kelly Peru here in my journey. When I first started, she gave me amazing advice. She told me to get out and try everything – meaning all of the volunteer roles, philanthropic projects, and actual football stuff, too – so I could find what I loved best about the organization. As a result, I’ve been able to coach football clinics, assist with golf tournaments, hand out backpack goodies to kids at Luke Air Force Base, and provide boots on the ground support to NotMyKid. And that just scratches the surface.
Tell us about your role this year?
This year, I am the Assistant Chair of the hospitality suite at the Rate Bowl after serving as the Pregame Parties Chair last year. In my role, I will lead the volunteer team in welcoming the teams on the tarmac when they arrive and then ensuring we are their liaisons for all things fun, enjoyment, and nourishment during their time in our great state. I see the role as being an ambassador for Arizona and giving players, coaches, and their families something special to remember their entire lives. Our goal is to provide the “three-second wow,” which involves grabbing their attention in three seconds or less to make an impact and then continuing that on for the duration of their stay.
The Fiesta Sports Foundation’s slogan is “Our Season Never Ends.” Share one example of how the Foundation is helping the community outside of the Bowl games themselves?
Given my family’s connection to playing football, I am so passionate about the Arizona Milk Producers Fiesta Bowl Youth Football Clinic. During the event, boys and girls ages 5-14 have the opportunity to participate in a free, non-contact clinic that includes NFL alumni, guest speakers, celebrity coaches, and drills that teach them skills to succeed on and off the football field.
