College Bowl Games History

Every year college football teams compete to play in year-end bowl games. Since college football has no playoff system, bowl games are used as a measure of a team's accomplishments.

  1. Rose Bowl

    • The Tournament of Roses was first played in 1900, with Michigan defeating California 49-0. In 1923, the game was played in the stadium known as the Rose Bowl and the event was renamed.

    Orange Bowl

    • The Orange Bowl began in 1933 as the Palm Festival and featured the University of Miami against Manhattan College. It was renamed the Orange Bowl in 1935.

    Alamo Bowl

    • The Alamo Bowl was first played in 1947 and became a regular bowl game in 1993 in San Antonio, Texas.

    Bowl Championship Series

    • The Bowl Championship Series, in place since 1998, is college football's ranking system and is designed to give the top two teams the chance to play in the equivalent of a national championship game.

    Other Bowls

    • Some short-lived bowl games have been played over the years, including the Delta Bowl, the Cigar Bowl, the Dixie Bowl, the Oil Bowl, the Harbor Bowl and the Great Lakes Bowl.

    Sponsorship

    • Corporate sponsorship of bowl games began in 1988 when the Sugar Bowl was renamed the USF&G Sugar Bowl. Corporate sponsorship has been common ever since.