CBS held the rights to airing the Cotton Bowl Classic beginning in 1958. It added the Sun Bowl in 1968, which continues to air on CBS as of 2023. From 1974 to 1977, it also aired the Fiesta Bowl, and from 1978 to 1986 it carried the Peach Bowl.
As the 1990s began, CBS' Division I-A college football coverage was reduced to its bowl game contracts, which it had with the then-John Hancock (reverted to Sun Bowl in 1994), Cotton and the then-Blockbuster bowls. However, it lost the rights to the Cotton Bowl to NBC after the 1992 game, leaving the network with just two bowl games to round out its college football coverage.
For 1995, CBS re-acquired the rights to the Cotton Bowl Classic and also gained rights to the Fiesta Bowl and the Orange Bowl from NBC. This was an important move for CBS as those two bowls would become part of the Bowl Alliance with the Sugar Bowl beginning that season; the goal was to try to guarantee an undisputed national champion in college football, something its predecessor the Bowl Coalition had also tried but did not fully succeed in doing.
Under the terms of the contract, which ran from 1995 through 1997, the Bowl Alliance games would be scheduled for New Year's Eve, New Year's Night, and January 2 with the last of the three serving as the national championship game. CBS would thus be guaranteed two national championship game matchups, with the Sugar Bowl airing on ABC.
CBS was the first network to air a Bowl Alliance national championship game, as Nebraska defeated Florida in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl (on the same token, CBS also aired the last Bowl Alliance national championship game, where Nebraska defeated Tennessee in the 1998 Orange Bowl to split that year's national championship vote as Michigan, which was #1 in both the AP and Coaches Polls going into the bowls, with the latter contractually obligated to name the Nebraska–Tennessee winner as the national champion, was obligated to play in that year's Rose Bowl). CBS also continued to air the Sun Bowl, but lost the rights to the Carquest Bowl after the game was moved from New Year's Day following the Orange Bowl's move to the home of the Carquest Bowl, Joe Robbie Stadium.
CBS lost the rights to three of its bowl games following the 1997 season, as ABC gained the rights to the Orange and Fiesta Bowls as the exclusive television home of the newly formed Bowl Championship Series and Fox acquired the rights to the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Date | Network | Play-by-play announcers | Color commentators | Sideline reporters |
---|---|---|---|---|
December 30, 1995 | CBS | Verne Lundquist | Pat Haden | |
January 2, 1995 | Dan Fouts | Michele Tafoya | ||
January 1, 1994 | ||||
January 1, 1993 | Jim Nantz | Randy Cross | ||
December 28, 1991 | Dan Fouts |
During the 1980 game, CBS announcer Lindsey Nelson was stricken with laryngitis and had to leave the telecast after the first quarter. Sideline reporter Frank Glieber took over the play-by-play for the remainder of the game.
Date | Network | Play-by-play | Color commentator(s) | Sideline reporter(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 1, 1992 | CBS | Jim Nantz | Terry Bradshaw | Jim Gray |
January 1, 1991 | Tim Brant | John Dockery | ||
January 1, 1990 | Pat Haden | |||
January 2, 1989 | Verne Lundquist | |||
January 1, 1988 | Brent Musburger | |||
January 1, 1987 | Verne Lundquist | Pat Haden and Ara Parseghian | ||
January 1, 1986 | Brent Musburger | Ara Parseghian | ||
January 1, 1985 | Lindsey Nelson | Pat Haden | ||
January 2, 1984 | ||||
January 1, 1983 | Pat O'Brien | |||
January 1, 1982 | Roger Staubach | Frank Glieber | ||
January 1, 1981 | ||||
January 1, 1980 | Paul Hornung | |||
January 1, 1979 | ||||
January 2, 1978 | Paul Hornung and Paul Alexander | Don Criqui | ||
January 1, 1977 | Paul Hornung | |||
January 1, 1976 | Alex Hawkins | |||
January 1, 1975 | Johnny Sauer | |||
January 1, 1974 | Tom Brookshier | |||
January 1, 1973 | ||||
January 1, 1972 | ||||
January 1, 1971 | ||||
January 1, 1970 | ||||
January 1, 1969 | Frank Glieber | Eddie LeBaron | ||
January 1, 1968 | Lindsey Nelson | Johnny Sauer | ||
December 31, 1966 | Jack Drees | Pat Summerall | ||
January 1, 1966 | Jack Whitaker | Frank Gifford | ||
January 1, 1965 | Jack Buck | George Connor | ||
January 1, 1964 | Chris Schenkel | Pat Summerall | ||
January 1, 1963 | Lindsey Nelson | Terry Brennan | ||
January 1, 1962 | Chris Schenkel | Johnny Lujack | ||
January 2, 1961 | Jack Drees | Terry Brennan | ||
January 1, 1960 | Forest Evashevski | |||
January 1, 1959 | Tom Harmon | Darrell Royal | ||
January 1, 1958 | Forest Evashevski |
Date | Network | Play-by-play | Color commentator(s) | Sideline reporter(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
December 31, 1997 | CBS | Tim Brando | Ed Cunningham | |
January 1, 1997 | Jim Nantz | Terry Donahue | ||
January 2, 1996 | ||||
December 25, 1977 | Lindsey Nelson | Tom Matte | Tim Ryan | |
December 25, 1976 | Paul Hornung | |||
December 26, 1975 | Pat Summerall | Tom Brookshier | ||
December 28, 1974 | Ray Scott | Wayne Walker | Phyllis George |
CBS Sports took over the television contract in 2007 and held the rights for four years.
Date | Network | Play-by-play announcers | Color commentators | Sideline reporters |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 1, 2010 | CBS | Verne Lundquist | Gary Danielson | Tracy Wolfson |
January 1, 2009 | Craig Bolerjack | Dan Fouts and Steve Beuerlein | ||
January 1, 2008 | Verne Lundquist | Gary Danielson | Tracy Wolfson | |
January 1, 2007 | ||||
December 31, 1987 | CBS | Verne Lundquist | Dick Vermeil | John Dockery |
December 27, 1986 | Pat Haden |
Date | Network | Play-by-play | Color commentator | Sideline reporters |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 2, 1998 | CBS | Sean McDonough | Terry Donahue | Ed Cunningham |
December 31, 1996 | Mike Mayock | Dave Logan | ||
January 1, 1996 | Pat Haden | |||
January 2, 1961 | CBS | Ray Scott | Paul Christman | |
January 1, 1960 | Joe Boland | Paul Christman | ||
January 1, 1959 | Jim McKay | |||
January 1, 1958 | Chris Schenkel | Johnny Lujack | ||
January 1, 1957 | Tom Harmon | |||
January 2, 1956 | Chris Schenkel | |||
January 1, 1955 | Bob Neal | |||
January 1, 1954 | Red Barber | |||
January 1, 1953 |
Date | Network | Play-by-play announcers | Color commentators | Sideline reporters |
---|---|---|---|---|
December 31, 1985 | CBS | Gary Bender | Steve Davis | |
December 31, 1984 | Verne Lundquist | |||
December 30, 1983 | ||||
December 31, 1982 | ||||
December 31, 1981 | Frank Glieber | Johnny Morris | Dick Stockton | |
January 2, 1981 | Curt Gowdy | Hank Stram | Frank Glieber | |
December 31, 1979 | Gary Bender | Sonny Jurgensen | ||
December 25, 1978 | Lindsey Nelson | Paul Hornung |
As previously mentioned, from 1968 until the present, the game has been broadcast by CBS Sports. [1] The Sun Bowl's contract with CBS Sports is the longest continuous relationship between a bowl game and one TV network. [2] [3]
The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Since 2022, it has been sponsored by Vrbo and officially known as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Previous sponsors include PlayStation, BattleFrog, Vizio, Tostitos, IBM (1993–1995) and Sunkist (1986–1990).
The Cotton Bowl Classic is an American college football bowl game that has been held annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its namesake stadium in Dallas before moving to Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington in 2010. Since 2014, the game has been sponsored by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and officially known as the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic; it was previously sponsored by Mobil (1989–1995) and Southwestern Bell Corporation/SBC Communications/AT&T (1997–2014).
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only by the Rose Bowl Game.
The College Football Bowl Coalition was formed through an agreement among NCAA Division I-A college football bowl games and conferences for the purpose of forcing a national championship game between the top two teams and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences. It was established for the 1992 season after there were co-national champions for both 1990 and 1991. The agreement was in place for the 1992, 1993, and 1994 college football seasons. It was the predecessor of the Bowl Alliance (1995–1997), and later the Bowl Championship Series (1998–2013) and the College Football Playoff (2014–present).
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences. The agreement, which replaced the Bowl Coalition, was in place for the 1995, 1996, and 1997 seasons. Each participating team in the Bowl Alliance Championship received $8.5 million from the television sponsors.
College football on television includes the broad- and cablecasting of college football games, as well as pre- and post-game reports, analysis, and human-interest stories. Within the United States, the college version of American football annually garners high television ratings.
College Football on CBS Sports is the blanket title used for broadcasts of college football games that are produced by CBS Sports, for CBS and CBS Sports Network.
ESPN College Football is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football across ESPN properties, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+, ABC, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPNews and ESPN Radio. ESPN College Football debuted in 1982.
When the Bowl Championship Series was formed in 1998, television coverage was consolidated on the ABC Television Network. Beginning with the 2006 season, the Fox Broadcasting Company took over television coverage of the Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl games. ABC retained the Rose Bowl game under a separate contract. Radio broadcast coverage has been on ESPN Radio.
College Football on NBC Sports is the de facto title used for broadcasts of NCAA college football games produced by NBC Sports.
The 1987 Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game that served as the final game of the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. Part of the 1986–87 bowl game season, the 1987 Fiesta Bowl also served as the National Championship Game, between the No. 1 ranked Miami Hurricanes, and the No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions. It was the bowl's 16th edition, played annually since 1971 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
ABC first began broadcasting regular season college football games in 1950, and has aired games of the now-National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) annually since 1966. After the ABC Sports division was merged into ESPN Inc. by parent company Disney in 2006, broadcasts have since been produced by ESPN, and have primarily used the ESPN College Football branding and presentation rather than College Football on ABC.
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game that has been played annually in the Miami metropolitan area since January 1, 1935. Along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, it is one of the oldest bowl games in the country behind only the Rose Bowl, which was first played in 1902 and has been played annually since 1916.
Fox College Football is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football games produced by Fox Sports, and broadcast primarily by Fox, FS1, and FS2.
On March 12, 1990, at the NFL's annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, the league new ratified four-year television agreements for the 1990 to 1993 seasons involving ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN and TNT. The contracts totaled US$3.6 billion, the largest package in television history. This contract saw each network having rights to one Super Bowl telecast as part of the package. The fourth Super Bowl (XXVIII) was up for a separate sealed bid. NBC won the bid, and since they were last in the rotation for Super Bowl coverage in the regular contract, ended up with two straight Super Bowls. CBS is the only other network to televise two Super Bowls in a row. NBC, which had held XXVII, was the only network to bid on XXVIII. Previously, the league alternated the Super Bowl broadcast among its broadcast network partners, except for Super Bowl I; CBS broadcast Super Bowl II, then the league rotated the broadcast between CBS and NBC until 1985 when ABC entered the rotation when that network broadcast Super Bowl XIX.
NBC broadcast the Rose Bowl beginning in 1952 until the 1988 Rose Bowl when ABC took over. It had the Orange Bowl from 1965 through 1995. NBC also aired the Gator Bowl in 1949 and again from 1969 through 1971 and 1996 through 2006, the Sugar Bowl from 1958 through 1969, the Sun Bowl in 1964 and again in 1966, the Fiesta Bowl from 1978 through 1995, the Citrus Bowl from 1984 through 1985, the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1988 through 1992, and the Cotton Bowl from 1993 to 1995.
Initial college football broadcasts on the Fox network were limited to selected bowl games, beginning with the Cotton Bowl Classic from 1999 to 2014. From 2006 to 2009, Fox broadcast the Bowl Championship Series. Fox also holds rights to the Redbox Bowl and Holiday Bowl.
ABC has been airing college football since acquiring the NCAA contract in 1966. Chris Schenkel and Bud Wilkinson were the number one broadcast team through 1973. Keith Jackson, its best-known college football play-by-play man, announced games from 1966 through 2005 on ABC, and was considered by many to be "the voice of college football." Jackson was ABC's lead play-by play man for 25 years, from 1974 through 1998. He originally was to retire after the 1999 Fiesta Bowl, but agreed to remain on a more restricted schedule and remained with ABC through the 2006 Rose Bowl.