Buell's Eye: College Football in Central Florida is History in the Making

In the inaugural Tangerine Bowl in 1947, played at what is now known as the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, Catawba defeated Maryville 31-0. Not all that impressive, even for the 9,000 fans in attendance.

And where in the world is Catawba? Well, at least all the proceeds went to charity, earning the game its nickname as the “Little Bowl with the Big Heart.

61 years later, the game still contributes to charity, exhibits a new name and sponsor (Capital One), and continues to call the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium home. Yes, it has developed quite a bit along the way, and currently it offers the largest pay-out of any of the non-Bowl Championship Series bowls at $4.25 million per team.

“In what is labeled as a ‘tourist town,’ Orlando has accelerated its stature by becoming a major player in the national market for college football,” stated Steve Hogan. He is the Executive Director for Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit organization that heads up not only the Capital One Bowl, but the Champs Sports Bowl, as well.

With those two bowl games played just days apart in the Central Florida area, that proves to be a little more impressive, doesn’t it? That should probably bring in a little more than 9,000 fans, too.  

Establishing Central Florida as that “major player” in college football is the end result of a long, arduous process that has involved a plethora of different phases and faces along the way.

“We are fortunate that we are able to watch four major teams, in two highly important games, at the same location so close to home. Nowhere else in the country can people say that they have that privilege.”

From 1947-1982, the Tangerine Bowl blossomed in Central Florida. In 1983, it transformed into the Florida Citrus Bowl, merging with CompUSA as a sponsor in 1994, and then Ourhouse.com in 2000.

When the new millennium rolled around, Capital One arrived on the scene and wound up becoming the exclusive sponsor in 2003 for the game that consists of the No. 2 team in both the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conferences.

The new millennium also delivered the birth of a second bowl game in Central Florida: the Champs Sports Bowl.

Originally in Miami, this game didn’t don its name until the 2004 season. Before then, Blockbuster, Carquest, MicronPC, and Mazda all took turns backing the game that entertains the No. 4 team from the Atlantic Coast and the Big Ten Conferences, and was once known as the “Sunshine Classic.”

Despite the continuously revolving door of sponsors, corporations, and contractual agreements that has unpacked its bags at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, Florida Citrus Sports continues to reign as the mainstay company. They decide who may enter, and who may go.

In addition, they also continue their involvement with the “Florida Classic,” the annual meeting between Bethune-Cookman College and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

When a bid to transform the Capital One Bowl into a fifth BCS bowl game was unsuccessful, action was taken to convert the minor setback into positive momentum. 

They cited the aging conditions of the stadium that was built in 1936—back when it was known as the Orlando Stadium—as the reason. Then the Orange County Commissioners voted to fund the renovation of the Florida Citrus Bowl, which is designed to be completed by January of 2011.

“The entire lower section will be gutted and taken away,” Hogan said. “We’ll have new concourses, restrooms, aisles, seats, and many other new-age upgrades.”

Improvements to the playing site in Orlando go hand-in-hand with the recent advancement that has landed Central Florida on the map in the college football world.

“This renovation removes all obstacles, with adjustments made and money spent, helping to solidify Orlando on top of the list for future considerations in the way of what we went after in 2004,” continued Hogan.

With the Champs Sports Bowl and the Capital One Bowl having contracts with ESPN and ABC, respectively, that type of national television exposure certainly does help to congeal the city of Orlando, particularly since both games are played after Christmas and with the Capital One Bowl becoming known as a New Year’s Day tradition.

“We are fortunate,” concluded Hogan, “that we are able to watch four major teams, in two highly important games, at the same location so close to home. Nowhere else in the country can people say that they have that privilege.”