The Tropical Bowl was a college football bowl game played at Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The game was played between 1951 and 1953 between historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The first game in 1951 was organized by Jacksonville businessmen after the 1951 Florida A&M Rattlers football team neglected to play a game in Jacksonville. [1]
Date | Winner | Loser | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 1, 1951 | Morris Brown | 21 | Alcorn A&M | 0 | [2] |
December 13, 1952 | Bethune–Cookman | 54 | Albany State | 0 | [3] |
December 12, 1953 | Virginia Union | 13 | Bethune–Cookman | 0 | [4] |
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, usually contested on or around New Year's Day. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first televised nationally. The game was originally played at Gator Bowl Stadium through the December 1993 game. The December 1994 game was played at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville after the namesake stadium was demolished to make way for a replacement venue, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. That venue, now known as EverBank Stadium, has been home to the Gator Bowl since the January 1996 game.
Camping World Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Orlando, Florida, United States located in the West Lakes neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, west of new sports and entertainment facilities including the Kia Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and Inter&Co Stadium. It opened in 1936 as Orlando Stadium and has also been known as the Tangerine Bowl and Florida Citrus Bowl. The City of Orlando owns and operates the stadium.
The Heritage Bowl was an NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) bowl game held by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The bowl pitted a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) against a team from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). It was hoped that it would become a true national championship game for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). It was a successor to the Pelican Bowl, which matched MEAC and SWAC teams during the 1970s, and a predecessor to the Celebration Bowl of the 2010s.
Rashean Jamil Mathis is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Bethune–Cookman Wildcats, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft. He also played for the Detroit Lions. Mathis is regarded as one of the best defensive players in Jaguars history.
Daytona Stadium, originally known as Municipal Stadium, is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida, that opened in 1988. The stadium is home to the Bethune–Cookman University Wildcats football team, which competes in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). It is also used to host home games for the Mainland High School and Seabreeze High School football teams. The gridiron is known as Larry Kelly Field, a name honoring Lawrence J. Kelly, a former mayor of Daytona Beach.
The Florida Classic is the annual college football rivalry game between Bethune–Cookman University and Florida A&M University. The game has been televised nationally by ESPN Classic as a part of a multi-year contract with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), which had been both schools' home conference until their July 2021 departure for the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The game is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that also organizes the Pop-Tarts Bowl and Citrus Bowl. The Classic has approximately a $31 million impact on Orlando's economy; it was the largest MEAC conference football game before the schools left for the SWAC, and remains the largest Division I FCS football game in Florida.
The 2002 Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented Bethune-Cookman University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In its fifth season under head coach Alvin Wyatt, the team compiled an 11–2 record and won the MEAC championship. The team played its home games at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The 1978 Florida A&M Rattlers football team represented Florida A&M University in the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Rattlers had an overall record of 12–1 and were the Division I-AA national champions.
The 1960 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1960 college football season. In their 16th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a 9–1 record, including a victory over Langston in the Orange Blossom Classic. The team was ranked No. 5 in the final 1960 UPI small college poll. The team played its home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
The 1947 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M College as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1947 college football season. In their third season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a 9–1 record, including a victory over Hampton in the Orange Blossom Classic. The Rattlers played their home games at Sampson-Bragg Field in Tallahassee, Florida.
The 1951 Morris Brown Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented Morris Brown College in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1951 college football season. In their second season under head coach Edward Clemons, the team compiled a 10–1 record, defeated Alcorn A&M in the Tropical Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 449 to 56.
The 1947 Grambling Tigers football team represented Grambling College as an independent during the 1947 college football season. In their fifth season under head coach Eddie Robinson, the Tigers compiled an 10–2 record. In two post-season game, the Tigers defeated Bethune-Cookman in the Lions Bowl and lost to Central State in the Vulcan Bowl.
The 1947 Lane Dragons football team, also sometimes known as the "Red Dragons", was an American football team that represented Lane College in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1947 college football season. In their 11th season under head coach Edward Clemon, the Dragons compiled a 6–5 record, lost to Bethune–Cookman in the Flower Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 194 to 87. The team was ranked No. 18 among the nation's black college football teams according to the Pittsburgh Courier and its Dickinson Rating System. The team played its home games at Lane College Athletic Field and Rothrock Field, both located in Jackson, Tennessee.
The 1947 Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented Bethune Cookman College as a member of the Southeastern Athletic Conference (SEAC) during the 1947 college football season. In their second season under head coach Bunky Matthews, the team compiled a 10–2 record, shut out eight of twelve opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 331 to 66. The team won the SEAC championship and was also ranked No. 2 among the nation's smaller black college football teams by the Pittsburgh Courier using the Dickinson Rating System. The team played its home games in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The Flower Bowl was an annual post-season American college football bowl game played at Durkee Field in Jacksonville, Florida, from 1942 to 1948.
Alfred Haywood is a former American football running back who played one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos. He also played two seasons in the World Football League (WFL) as a member of the Jacksonville Sharks and Jacksonville Express.
The Lane Dragons football are the college football team representing Lane College. The Dragons compete in NCAA Division II as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. They play their home games at Rothrock Stadium in Jackson, Tennessee and are currently led by head coach Vyron Brown, a former Grambling State University player and offensive coordinator.
The 1946 Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented Bethune Cookman College as a member of the Southeastern Athletic Conference (SEAC) during the 1946 college football season. In their first season under head coach Bunky Matthews, the team compiled an 8–1–1 record, held opponent to an average of 4.5 points per game, and outscored all opponents by a total of 283 to 45.
The 1951 Texas College Steers football team represented Texas College as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1951 college football season. In their third season under head coach Fred T. Long, the Steers compiled an overall record of 5–3–2 with a mark of 4–1–2 in conference play, tying for second place in the SWAC. Texas College was invited to the Steel Bowl, where the Steers lost to Bethune–Cookman.
The 1981 Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team represented Bethune–Cookman College as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by third-year head coach Bobby Frazier, the Wildcats compiled an overall record of 7–4, with a mark of 3–2 in conference play, and finished third in the MEAC.