Orange Bowl | |
---|---|
Capital One Orange Bowl | |
Stadium | Hard Rock Stadium |
Location | Miami Gardens, Florida (December 1996–1998, 2000–present) [a] |
Previous stadiums | Miami Field (1935–1937) Miami Orange Bowl (1938–January 1996, 1999) |
Previous locations | Miami, Florida (1935–January 1996, 1999) |
Operated | 1935–present |
Championship affiliation | |
Conference tie-ins | ACC (1999–present) SEC/Big Ten/Notre Dame (December 2014–present) |
Previous conference tie-ins | Big Eight (1954–1996) Big East (1999–2006) |
Payout | US$35 million/conference (As of 2009 [update] ) |
Website | orangebowl.org |
Sponsors | |
Federal Express/FedEx (1989–2010) Discover Financial (2011–January 2014) Capital One (December 2014–present) | |
Former names | |
Orange Bowl (1935–1988) Federal Express/FedEx Orange Bowl (1989–2010) Discover Orange Bowl (2011–January 2014) | |
2023 matchup | |
Florida State vs. Georgia (Georgia 63–3) | |
2024 season matchup | |
Notre Dame vs. Penn State (Notre Dame 27–24) |
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only by the Rose Bowl Game.
The Orange Bowl was originally held in the city of Miami at Miami Field before moving to the Miami Orange Bowl stadium in 1938. In 1996, it moved to its current location at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Since December 2014, the game has been sponsored by Capital One and officially known as the Capital One Orange Bowl. Previous sponsors include Discover Financial (2011–January 2014) and Federal Express/FedEx (1989–2010).
In its early years, the Orange Bowl had no defined conference tie-ins; it often pitted a team from the southeastern part of the country against a team from the central or northeastern states. From the 1950s until the mid-1990s, the Orange Bowl had a strong relationship with the Big Eight Conference. The champion (or runner-up in years in which the "no-repeat" rule was invoked) was invited to the bowl game in most years during this time; the 1979 Orange Bowl even had two representatives from the Big Eight. Opponents of the Big Eight varied; but were often major independents, runners-up in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), or champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Between 2007 and 2023, the Orange Bowl has hosted the ACC champion—unless they are involved in the national championship or playoff, in which case another high-ranking ACC team takes their place. [1]
Beginning in 1992, the Orange Bowl joined with several other bowls to create the Bowl Coalition in an effort to produce an undisputed national champion in college football. It would subsequently participate in the Bowl Alliance and Bowl Championship Series. From 1992 to 2006, the Orange Bowl served as the national championship game of these systems in 1994, 1995, 1998, 2001, and 2005. Miami Gardens and the Orange Bowl Committee hosted the BCS National Championship Game in 2009 and 2013 in addition to the regular Orange Bowl game.
In 2014, the Orange Bowl, along with the "New Year's Six" bowls, became a part of the College Football Playoff. As part of the four team playoff from 2014 to 2023, the Orange Bowl served as a semifinal game in 2015, 2018, and 2021. When not serving as a semifinal, the Orange Bowl featured the best available team from the ACC versus the second best team from the Big Ten or SEC or Notre Dame.
With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to twelve teams in the 2024–25 season, the Orange Bowl will serve as either a quarterfinal or semifinal each year. It served as a semifinal in 2025 and will serve as a quarterfinal in 2026. When serving as a quarterfinal, the Orange Bowl will host the ACC champion, if seeded in the top four. When serving as a semifinal, the game will be played one week after New Year's Day and, if the ACC champion is one of the top two seeds, the team will be assigned to the Orange Bowl. [2]
In 1890, Pasadena, California, held its first Tournament of Roses Parade to showcase the city's mild weather compared to the harsh winters in northern cities. As one of the organizers said: "In New York, people are buried in snow. Here, our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise." In 1902, the annual festival was enhanced by adding an American football game. [3]
In 1926, leaders in Miami, Florida, decided to do the same with a "Fiesta of the American Tropics" that was centered around a New Year's Day football game. Although a second "Fiesta" was never held, Miami leaders, including Earnest E. Seiler, later revived the idea with the "Palm Festival" (with the slogan "Have a Green Christmas in Miami"). [4]
In 1932, George E. Hussey, official greeter of Miami, organized the first Festival of Palms Bowl, a predecessor of the Orange Bowl. With Miami suffering from both the Great Depression and the preceding Florida land bust, Hussey and other Miamians sought to help its economy by organizing a game similar to Pasadena's Rose Bowl.
Two games were played in this series at Moore Park in Miami, both pitting an invited opponent against a local team, the University of Miami. In the first game, played on January 2, 1933, Miami defeated Manhattan College 7–0. In the second game, played on New Year's Day 1934, Duquesne defeated Miami 33–7. Duquesne was coached by Elmer Layden, one of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame.
These games are not recognized as bowl games by the NCAA because one team was guaranteed a berth regardless of record. However, following the success of these games, backers organized another game for New Year's Day 1935 under the Orange Bowl name. This game, unlike the Palm Festival Games, did not automatically grant a berth to one team, although the University of Miami was again a participant. For this reason, the 1935 Orange Bowl was later recognized by the NCAA as an official bowl game. [5]
The Orange Bowl was played at Miami Field [6] (located where Miami Orange Bowl was later built) from 1935 to 1937, the Miami Orange Bowl from 1938 to 1996, and again in 1999, and was moved to its current site, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, in December 1996. The game was played back at the namesake stadium in 1999 (which would be the final bowl game ever in the Miami Orange Bowl) because the game was played on the same day the Miami Dolphins hosted an NFL Wild Card Playoff game. Coincidentally, both of those games were aired on ABC.
On January 1, 1965, the Texas vs. Alabama Orange Bowl was the first college bowl game to be televised live in prime time. [7]
From 1954 onwards, the game usually featured the champion of the former Big Eight Conference. When the Big Eight Conference merged with four members of the defunct Southwest Conference in 1996, the newly formed Big 12 Conference moved its conference champion tie-in to the Fiesta Bowl. From 1998 to 2013, however, with the creation of the Bowl Championship Series system, team selection for the Orange Bowl was tied into the other three BCS Bowls and (from 2006 to 2013) the BCS National Championship Game.
From 1998 to 2005, the game hosted the champion of either the ACC or Big East conferences, unless they were invited to the National Championship game, or if the Orange Bowl itself was hosting the national championship matchup.
Starting with the 2006 season, the Orange Bowl has been exclusively tied with the ACC and has used the brand Home of the ACC Champion. As one of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowl games, the site of the Orange Bowl also hosted the national championship game one week after the Orange Bowl game; it did so on a four-year rotating basis with the other three BCS games (the others being the Sugar, Fiesta, and Rose Bowls). The tie-in with the ACC continued with the inception of the College Football Playoff after the 2014 season. However, following the expansion to a 12-team playoff format, the Orange Bowl's official relationship with the ACC ended as all New Year's Six bowls became permanent playoff fixtures.
From 1936 to 2001 (except for the World War II years), the Orange Bowl Committee also sponsored a parade. The very first King Orange Jamboree Parade was held the day before the 1936 game with 30 floats at an expense of $40,000 ($878,273 in 2023). [8] [9] An Orange Bowl Queen and court of Princesses was selected from young women who were residents of Florida. A coronation ball was held the beginning of the month of December before the game, and the queen and princesses would ride on a float during the parade on New Years Day and preside over the half-time show at the game. Babs Beckwith was chosen as the first Orange Bowl queen. [9] [10] Past Orange Bowl Queens include Victoria Principal and Jackie Nespral. [11] In its heyday, the parade was a nighttime New Year's Eve tradition, televised nationally with lighted floats and displays going down part of Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami to crowds as high as 500,000 people in the 1970s. However ratings dropped and the national television contract was lost in 1997, causing the parade to quickly become a shell of its former self since there were no sponsors for the elaborate floats. Attendance dwindled as well; by the turn of the millennium, the parade was lucky to draw 20,000 people. As a result, the committee chose to bring this tradition to an end in early 2002. [12]
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is locked into a 12-year deal (2014–2025) with the Orange Bowl, so if the ACC champion qualifies for the playoffs in a year when the Orange Bowl is not a semifinal host, the next-highest ranked ACC team will play in the Orange Bowl. For the secondary tie-ins, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Big Ten Conference are guaranteed three appearances each, and the University of Notre Dame can play in a maximum of two games, but is not guaranteed any appearances. The ACC team's opponent in a given year will be the highest-ranked available team from the SEC, Big Ten, and Notre Dame, subject to several constraints: the SEC and Big Ten champions are always excluded, and when an SEC and/or Big Ten team qualifies for the College Football Playoff, the next available team would also be excluded from participating in the Orange Bowl due to contractual obligations with the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl, respectively. Also, should a highest-ranked team create a rematch with the ACC team, the Orange Bowl has the option of passing over that team for the next-highest ranked team among the Big Ten, SEC, and Notre Dame, again subject to the noted constraints. Rankings are based on the College Football Playoff committee's rankings. ESPN holds the television rights for 12 years as well. [13]
All rankings are taken from the AP poll (inaugurated in 1936), before each game was played.
Date played | Winning team | Losing team | Venue | Attendance | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 1, 1935 | Bucknell | 26 | Miami (Florida) | 0 | Miami Field | 5,134 | notes |
January 1, 1936 | Catholic | 20 | Ole Miss | 19 | 6,568 | notes | |
January 1, 1937 | #14 Duquesne | 13 | Mississippi State | 12 | 9,210 | notes | |
January 1, 1938 | Auburn | 6 | Michigan State | 0 | Miami Orange Bowl | 18,972 | notes |
January 2, 1939 | #2 Tennessee | 17 | #4 Oklahoma | 0 | 32,191 | notes | |
January 1, 1940 | #16 Georgia Tech | 21 | #6 Missouri | 7 | 29,278 | notes | |
January 1, 1941 | #9 Mississippi State | 14 | #13 Georgetown | 7 | 29,554 | notes | |
January 1, 1942 | #14 Georgia | 40 | TCU | 26 | 35,786 | notes | |
January 1, 1943 | #10 Alabama | 37 | #8 Boston College | 21 | 25,166 | notes | |
January 1, 1944 | LSU | 19 | Texas A&M | 14 | 25,203 | notes | |
January 1, 1945 | Tulsa | 26 | #13 Georgia Tech | 12 | 23,279 | notes | |
January 1, 1946 | Miami (Florida) | 13 | #16 Holy Cross | 6 | 35,709 | notes | |
January 1, 1947 | #10 Rice | 8 | #7 Tennessee | 0 | 36,152 | notes | |
January 1, 1948 | #10 Georgia Tech | 20 | #12 Kansas | 14 | 59,578 | notes | |
January 1, 1949 | Texas | 41 | #8 Georgia | 28 | 60,523 | notes | |
January 2, 1950 | #15 Santa Clara | 21 | #11 Kentucky | 13 | 64,816 | notes | |
January 1, 1951 | #10 Clemson | 15 | #15 Miami (Florida) | 14 | 65,181 | notes | |
January 1, 1952 | #6 Georgia Tech | 17 | #9 Baylor | 14 | 65,839 | notes | |
January 1, 1953 | #9 Alabama | 61 | #14 Syracuse | 6 | 66,280 | notes | |
January 1, 1954 | #4 Oklahoma | 7 | #1 Maryland | 0 | 68,640 | notes | |
January 1, 1955 | #14 Duke | 34 | Nebraska | 7 | 68,750 | notes | |
January 2, 1956 | #1 Oklahoma | 20 | #3 Maryland | 6 | 76,561 | notes | |
January 1, 1957 | #20 Colorado | 27 | #19 Clemson | 21 | 72,552 | notes | |
January 1, 1958 | #4 Oklahoma | 48 | #16 Duke | 21 | 76,318 | notes | |
January 1, 1959 | #5 Oklahoma | 21 | #9 Syracuse | 6 | 75,281 | notes | |
January 1, 1960 | #5 Georgia | 14 | #18 Missouri | 0 | 75,280 | notes | |
January 2, 1961 | #5 Missouri | 21 | #4 Navy | 14 | 72,212 | notes | |
January 1, 1962 | #4 LSU | 25 | #7 Colorado | 7 | 62,391 | notes | |
January 1, 1963 | #5 Alabama | 17 | #8 Oklahoma | 0 | 72,880 | notes | |
January 1, 1964 | #6 Nebraska | 13 | #5 Auburn | 7 | 72,647 | notes | |
January 1, 1965 | #5 Texas | 21 | #1 Alabama | 17 | 72,647 | notes | |
January 1, 1966 | #4 Alabama | 39 | #3 Nebraska | 28 | 72,214 | notes | |
January 2, 1967 | Florida | 27 | #8 Georgia Tech | 12 | 72,426 | notes | |
January 1, 1968 | #3 Oklahoma | 26 | #2 Tennessee | 24 | 77,993 | notes | |
January 1, 1969 | #3 Penn State | 15 | #6 Kansas | 14 | 77,719 | notes | |
January 1, 1970 | #2 Penn State | 10 | #6 Missouri | 3 | 77,282 | notes | |
January 1, 1971 | #3 Nebraska | 17 | #5 LSU | 12 | 80,699 | notes | |
January 1, 1972 | #1 Nebraska | 38 | #2 Alabama | 6 | 78,151 | notes | |
January 1, 1973 | #9 Nebraska | 40 | #12 Notre Dame | 6 | 80,010 | notes | |
January 1, 1974 | #6 Penn State | 16 | #13 LSU | 9 | 60,477 | notes | |
January 1, 1975 | #9 Notre Dame | 13 | #2 Alabama | 11 | 71,801 | notes | |
January 1, 1976 | #3 Oklahoma | 14 | #5 Michigan | 6 | 76,799 | notes | |
January 1, 1977 | #11 Ohio State | 27 | #12 Colorado | 10 | 65,537 | notes | |
January 2, 1978 | #6 Arkansas | 31 | #2 Oklahoma | 6 | 60,987 | notes | |
January 1, 1979 | #4 Oklahoma | 31 | #6 Nebraska | 24 | 66,365 | notes | |
January 1, 1980 | #5 Oklahoma | 24 | #4 Florida State | 7 | 66,714 | notes | |
January 1, 1981 | #4 Oklahoma | 18 | #2 Florida State | 17 | 71,043 | notes | |
January 1, 1982 | #1 Clemson | 22 | #4 Nebraska | 15 | 72,748 | notes | |
January 1, 1983 | #3 Nebraska | 21 | #13 LSU | 20 | 68,713 | notes | |
January 2, 1984 | #5 Miami (Florida) | 31 | #1 Nebraska | 30 | 72,549 | notes | |
January 1, 1985 | #4 Washington | 28 | #2 Oklahoma | 17 | 56,294 | notes | |
January 1, 1986 | #3 Oklahoma | 25 | #1 Penn State | 10 | 74,178 | notes | |
January 1, 1987 | #3 Oklahoma | 42 | #9 Arkansas | 8 | 52,717 | notes | |
January 1, 1988 | #2 Miami (Florida) | 20 | #1 Oklahoma | 14 | 74,760 | notes | |
January 2, 1989 | #2 Miami (Florida) | 23 | #6 Nebraska | 3 | 79,480 | notes | |
January 1, 1990 | #4 Notre Dame | 21 | #1 Colorado | 6 | 81,190 | notes | |
January 1, 1991 | #1 Colorado | 10 | #5 Notre Dame | 9 | 77,062 | notes | |
January 1, 1992 | #1 Miami (Florida) | 22 | #11 Nebraska | 0 | 77,747 | notes | |
January 1, 1993 | #3 Florida State | 27 | #11 Nebraska | 14 | 57,324 | notes | |
January 1, 1994 BC | #1 Florida State | 18 | #2 Nebraska | 16 | 81,536 | notes | |
January 1, 1995 BC | #1 Nebraska | 24 | #3 Miami (Florida) | 17 | 81,753 | notes | |
January 1, 1996 | #6 Florida State | 31 | #8 Notre Dame | 26 | 72,198 | notes | |
December 31, 1996 | #6 Nebraska | 41 | #10 Virginia Tech | 21 | Pro Player Stadium ‡ | 63,297 | notes |
January 2, 1998 BA | #2 Nebraska | 42 | #3 Tennessee | 17 | 74,002 | notes | |
January 2, 1999 | #7 Florida | 31 | #18 Syracuse | 10 | Miami Orange Bowl † | 67,919 | notes |
January 1, 2000 | #8 Michigan | 35 | #5 Alabama | 34 | Pro Player Stadium ‡ | 70,461 | notes |
January 3, 2001 BCS | #1 Oklahoma | 13 | #3 Florida State | 2 | 76,835 | notes | |
January 2, 2002 | #5 Florida | 56 | #6 Maryland | 23 | 73,640 | notes | |
January 2, 2003 | #5 USC | 38 | #3 Iowa | 17 | 75,971 | notes | |
January 1, 2004 | #10 Miami (Florida) | 16 | #9 Florida State | 14 | 76,739 | notes | |
January 4, 2005 BCS | #1 USC †† | 55 | #2 Oklahoma | 19 | 77,912 | notes | |
January 3, 2006 | #3 Penn State | 26 | #22 Florida State | 23 | Dolphins Stadium ‡ | 77,773 | notes |
January 2, 2007 | #5 Louisville | 24 | #15 Wake Forest | 13 | Dolphin Stadium ‡ | 74,470 | notes |
January 3, 2008 | #8 Kansas | 24 | #5 Virginia Tech | 21 | 74,111 | notes | |
January 1, 2009 | #21 Virginia Tech | 20 | #12 Cincinnati | 7 | 73,602 | notes | |
January 5, 2010 | #10 Iowa | 24 | #9 Georgia Tech | 14 | Land Shark Stadium ‡ | 66,131 | notes |
January 3, 2011 | #5 Stanford | 40 | #12 Virginia Tech | 12 | Sun Life Stadium ‡ | 65,453 | notes |
January 4, 2012 | #17 West Virginia | 70 | #22 Clemson | 33 | 67,563 | notes | |
January 1, 2013 | #13 Florida State | 31 | #16 Northern Illinois | 10 | 72,073 | notes | |
January 3, 2014 | #12 Clemson | 40 | #7 Ohio State | 35 | 72,080 | notes | |
December 31, 2014 | #10 Georgia Tech | 49 | #8 Mississippi State | 34 | 58,211 | notes | |
December 31, 2015 SF | #1 Clemson | 37 | #4 Oklahoma | 17 | 67,615 | notes | |
December 30, 2016 | #10 Florida State | 33 | #6 Michigan | 32 | Hard Rock Stadium | 67,432 | notes |
December 30, 2017 | #6 Wisconsin | 34 | #11 Miami (Florida) | 24 | 65,326 | notes | |
December 29, 2018 SF | #1 Alabama | 45 | #4 Oklahoma | 34 | 66,203 | notes | |
December 30, 2019 | #6 Florida | 36 | #23 Virginia | 28 | 65,157 | notes | |
January 2, 2021 | #5 Texas A&M | 41 | #14 North Carolina | 27 | 13,737 | notes | |
December 31, 2021 SF | #3 Georgia | 34 | #2 Michigan | 11 | 66,839 | notes | |
December 30, 2022 | #6 Tennessee | 31 | #10 Clemson | 14 | 63,912 | notes | |
December 30, 2023 | #6 Georgia | 63 | #4 Florida State | 3 | 63,324 | notes | |
January 9, 2025 SF | #3 Notre Dame | 27 | #5 Penn State | 24 | 66,881 | notes |
Source: [14]
The bowl first named an MVP in 1965. From 1970 through 1998, two MVPs were named for each game. Since 1999, only a single MVP is named, except when the game is part of the College Football Playoff, in which case both an offensive and defensive MVP are named. [15] : 20–22
|
† CFP semifinal |
Updated through the January 2025 edition (91 games, 182 total appearances).
|
|
‡ USC's win–loss record and winning percentage exclude their vacated 2005 win.
Won (11): Bucknell, Catholic, Duquesne, Louisville, Rice, Santa Clara, Stanford, Tulsa, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Lost (14): Baylor, Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Kentucky, Michigan State, Navy, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, Ole Miss, TCU, Virginia, Wake Forest
Updated through the January 2025 edition (91 games, 182 total appearances).
Rank | Conference | Appearances | Record | # of Teams | Teams | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | Win % | |||||
1 | Big Eight | 42 | 20 | 22 | .476 | 5 | |
2 | SEC | 40 | 23 | 17 | .575 | 11 | |
3 | ACC | 29 | 11 | 18 | .379 | 10 |
|
4 | Independent | 29 | 14 | 15 | .483 | 15 |
|
5 | Big Ten | 11 | 5 | 6 | .455 | 5 |
|
6 (tie) | Big East | 8 | 4 | 4 | .500 | 6 |
|
6 (tie) | SWC | 8 | 4 | 4 | .500 | 6 | |
8 | Big 12 | 7 | 4 | 3 | .571 | 3 | |
9 | Pac-12 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 ‡ | 3 |
|
10 (tie) | SoCon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | Clemson (1–0) [A 7] |
10 (tie) | MVC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | Tulsa (1–0) |
10 (tie) | MAC | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | Northern Illinois (0–1) |
10 (tie) | SIAA | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | Miami (FL) (0–1) [A 9] |
‡ The Pac-12's win–loss record and winning percentage exclude USC's vacated 2005 win.
Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
---|---|---|
Most points scored (one team) | 70, West Virginia vs. Clemson | 2012 |
Most points scored (losing team) | 35, Ohio State vs. Clemson | Jan. 2014 |
Most points scored (both teams) | 103, West Virginia (70) vs. Clemson (33) | 2012 |
Fewest points allowed | 0, 8 times, most recent: Miami (FL) vs. Nebraska | 1992 |
Largest margin of victory | 60, Georgia (63) vs. Florida State (3) | 2023 |
Total yards | 673, Georgia vs. Florida State | 2023 |
Rushing yards | 452, Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State | 2014 |
Passing yards | 456, Florida vs. Maryland | 2002 |
First downs | 37, Georgia vs. Florida State | 2023 |
Fewest yards allowed | 28, Bucknell vs. Miami | 1935 |
Fewest rushing yards allowed | –8, Missouri vs. Navy | 1961 |
Fewest passing yards allowed | 0, shared by: Holy Cross vs. Miami Tennessee vs. Rice | 1946 1947 |
Individual | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
All-purpose yards | 280, Tavon Austin, West Virginia vs. Clemson (123 receiving, 117 return, 40 rush) | 2012 |
Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 4, shared by: Tavon Austin, West Virginia vs. Clemson Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska vs. Notre Dame | 2012 1973 |
Rushing yards | 206, Ahman Green, Nebraska vs. Tennessee | 1998 |
Rushing touchdowns | 3, most recent: Synjyn Days, Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State | 2014 2014 |
Passing yards | 453, Dak Prescott, Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech | 2014 |
Passing touchdowns | 6, Geno Smith, West Virginia vs. Clemson | 2012 |
Receiving yards | 227, Sammy Watkins, Clemson vs. Ohio State | 2014 |
Receiving touchdowns | 4, Tavon Austin, West Virginia vs. Clemson | 2012 |
Tackles | 31 (total), Lee Roy Jordan, Alabama vs. Oklahoma 13 (solo), most recently: Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma vs. Penn State | 1963 1986 |
Sacks | 4, Rusty Medearis, Miami vs. Nebraska | 1992 |
Interceptions | 3, Bud Hebert, Oklahoma vs. Florida State | 1980 |
Long Plays | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
Touchdown run | 94, Larry Smith, Florida vs. Georgia Tech | 1967 |
Touchdown pass | 92, Nyqwan Murray from Deondre Francois, Florida State vs. Michigan | 2016 |
Kickoff return | 100, C. J. Jones, Iowa vs. USC | 2003 |
Punt return | 87, Willie Reid, Florida State vs. Penn State | 2006 |
Interception return | 94, David Baker, Oklahoma vs. Duke | 1958 |
Fumble return | 99, Darwin Cook, West Virginia vs. Clemson | 2012 |
Punt | 82, Ike Pickle, Mississippi State vs. Duquesne | 1937 |
Field goal | 56, Greg Cox, Miami vs. Oklahoma | 1988 |
Source: [15] : 55–64
The game was previously officially known as the Discover Orange Bowl, since Discover Financial was announced as title sponsor on August 26, 2010, as part of a new four-year agreement. [17] The game had been called the FedEx Orange Bowl from 1989 to 2010, as FedEx sponsored the event during that period. Starting with the 2010–11 season, ESPN carried the Orange Bowl, replacing Fox after four seasons. [18] ABC aired the game from 1999 to 2006, with CBS (1995–1998) and NBC (1964–1994) previously carrying the game.
Discover stated that they would not renew their sponsorship of the game further on June 9, 2014; the game will be a part of the College Football Playoff in the future, and CFP rightsholder ESPN has asked for higher sponsorship fees, in return. [19] On September 22, 2014, Capital One was announced as the new title sponsor of the Orange Bowl, transferring their bowl game sponsorship from the Citrus Bowl. [20] [21] Subsequently, the company's "Capital One Mascot Challenge" winner naming ceremony also moved to the Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl Committee includes Corporate Members such as iHeart Media, Ernst & Young, Cinch Home Services, Bank of America, Amazon, American Airlines, AT&T, and Uber Technologies. [22] [23]
ESPN is the current rightsholder of the Orange Bowl, a relationship that began in 2011 as part of the contract to broadcast the Bowl Championship Series games. In anticipation of the transition to the College Football Playoff in the 2014–15 season, ESPN reached a new deal with the game's organizers in November 2012 to extend its rights through 2026, paying $55 million yearly. [24] The game is also broadcast nationally by ESPN Radio.
Prior to that, Fox held the rights to the event (along with the other BCS bowls) since 2007, preceded by ABC (1999–2006 and 1962–64), CBS (1996–98 and 1953–61), and NBC (1965–95). This game, along with the Fiesta Bowl, is one of only two bowl games ever to air on all the "big 4" U.S. television networks. ESPN Deportes added a Spanish language telecast of the game in 2013. [25]
The Fiesta Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area since 1971.
The Cotton Bowl Classic is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937.
The Rose Bowl Game is an annual American college football bowl game, traditionally played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2.
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 Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played annually in Atlanta, Georgia, since December 30, 1968.
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a college football post-season selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, including an opportunity for the top two teams to compete in a national championship game. The system was in place from the 1998 season to the 2013 season and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff.
In North America, a bowl game, or simply bowl, is one of a number of postseason college football games primarily played by NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. For most of its history, the FBS did not use a playoff tournament to determine an annual national champion, instead relying on a vote by sportswriters or coaches. In place of such a playoff, cities developed regional festivals featuring bowls. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals. Despite moves to establish a permanent system to determine the FBS national champion on the field — such as the Bowl Coalition from 1992 to 1994, the Bowl Alliance from 1995 to 1997, the Bowl Championship Series from 1998 to 2013, and the College Football Playoff from 2014 through the present — some bowls are still held.
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.
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, was a postseason college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), first played in the 1998 college football season as one of four designated bowl games, and beginning in the 2006 season as a standalone event rotated among the host sites of the aforementioned bowls.
The power conferences are the most prominent athletic conferences in college football in the United States. They are part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I, the highest level of collegiate football in the nation, and are considered the most elite conferences within that tier. Power conferences have provided most of the participants in the College Football Playoff (CFP) and its predecessors, and generally have larger revenue, budgets, and television viewership than other college athletic programs. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, and Southeastern Conference (SEC) are currently recognised as power conferences.
The teams that participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision earn the right to compete in a series of post-season games called bowl games. As of 2024, there are 42 bowl games, and all are contractually obligated to offer bids to specific conferences, a situation known as a "tie-in". The "top" six bowl games in the nation select their teams as part of the College Football Playoff (CFP), which was put into place for a minimum of 12 years, beginning with the 2014 season. Prior to 2014, the top five games in the country were chosen under the system known as the Bowl Championship Series. The bowls outside of the CFP have individual contracts with the conferences to offer preferential bids to teams from those conferences. As long as teams are bowl eligible, they may be selected by these bowls to meet these contracts.
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system used between 1998 and 2013 that replaced the previously similarly more controversial Bowl Coalition and Bowl Alliance that was used between 1992 and 1997 and was replaced by the College Football Playoff in 2014. The selection system was designed, through polls and computer statistics, to determine a No. 1 and No. 2 ranked team in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). After the final polls, the two top teams were chosen to play in the BCS National Championship Game which determined the BCS national champion team, but not the champion team for independent voting systems. This format was intended to be "bowl-centered" rather than a traditional playoff system, since numerous FBS Conferences had expressed their unwillingness to participate in a play-off system. However, due to the unique and often esoteric nature of the BCS format, there had been controversy as to which two teams should play for the national championship and which teams should play in the four other BCS bowl games. In this selection process, the BCS was often criticized for conference favoritism, its inequality of access for teams in non-Automatic Qualifying (non-AQ) Conferences, and perceived monopolistic, "profit-centered" motives. In terms of this last concern, Congress explored the possibility on more than one occasion of holding hearings to determine the legality of the BCS under the terms of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, and the United States Justice Department also periodically announced interest in investigating the BCS for similar reasons.
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of the 2024 season, there are 10 conferences and 134 schools in FBS.
The 2012–13 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football bowl games. They concluded the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and included 35 team-competitive games and four all-star games. The games began on Saturday, December 15, 2012, and, aside from the all-star games, concluded with the 2013 BCS National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida that was played on January 7, 2013.
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level of college football competition in the United States. It culminates in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. The inaugural tournament was held at the end of the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season under a four-team format. The CFP Board of Managers voted in 2023 to expand the playoff to twelve teams beginning in 2024, an arrangement that will last at least through the end of the 2025 season. After 2025, the current contract between all major entities expires and a new contract will be drawn up, with indications that additional expansion to a 14-team playoff or larger may take place at that time.
The 2013–14 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football bowl games. They concluded the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season and included 35 team-competitive games and three all-star games. The games began on Saturday, December 21, 2013, and, aside from the all-star games, ended with the 2014 BCS National Championship at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena that was played on January 6, 2014.
The 2015–16 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football bowl games. They completed the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The games began on December 19, 2015, and, aside from the all-star games, ended with the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship which was played on January 11, 2016.
The New Year's Six, sometimes abbreviated as NY6, are the following NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) bowl games: the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. These games are traditionally played annually on or around New Year's Day and represent six of the ten oldest bowl games played at the FBS level.
The 2022–23 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football games played to complete the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Team-competitive games began in mid-December and concluded with the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 9, 2023, which was won by the Georgia Bulldogs. The all-star portion of the schedule began on January 14 and concluded on February 25, 2023.