Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse. It is organized by the Tampa Bay Bowl Association under Jim McVay, who has been the president and CEO since 1988.
Outback Bowl | |
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Stadium | Raymond James Stadium |
Location | Tampa, Florida |
Previous stadiums | Tampa Stadium (1986–1998) |
Operated | 1986–present |
Conference tie-ins | Big Ten, SEC |
Payout | US$6.4 million (2019 season)[1] |
Sponsors | |
Outback Steakhouse (1996–present) | |
Former names | |
Hall of Fame Bowl (1986–1995) | |
2019 season matchup | |
Minnesota vs. Auburn (Minnesota 31–24) | |
2020 season matchup | |
Ole Miss vs. Indiana (Ole Miss 26–20) |
History
Cigar Bowl
The Outback Bowl was not Tampa's first bowl game; the Cigar Bowl was played at old Phillips Field near downtown from 1947 to 1954. However, the earlier event matched small college teams, so the Outback / Hall of Fame Bowl is the first major bowl game to be played in the area.
Hall of Fame Bowl
The Hall of Fame Classic was held at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, from 1977 to 1985. In the spring of 1986, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame decided to discontinue their association with the bowl and realign with a new bowl game to be played in Tampa Stadium which would inherit the Hall of Fame Bowl name. Initially, the Hall of Fame Bowl did not have agreements with any conferences, so it usually matched a school from either the Southeastern Conference or the Atlantic Coast Conference against a team from another region of the country.
Outback Bowl
Outback Steakhouse became the game's title sponsor in 1995. At the same time, the newly renamed Outback Bowl signed agreements with the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten Conference, creating an annual inter-sectional matchup that has continued ever since.
In 1999, the Outback Bowl moved from Tampa Stadium into Raymond James Stadium, which had recently been built adjacent to the old stadium.
The game
The Outback Bowl is played on New Year's Day unless January 1 falls on a Sunday, in which case it is moved to the following Monday. It is usually the first game to start on a day which is traditionally full of college bowl games, and has kicked off as early as 11AM. ESPN has had television rights to the game since 1993. Under an extension of those rights signed in 2010, ESPN broadcasts the game on either ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2, in conjunction with the Citrus Bowl and the New Year's Six bowl games.[2] Before 1993, the Hall of Fame Bowl aired on NBC.
Upon signing agreements with the SEC and Big Ten in 1995, the Outback Bowl had the third pick of teams from each conference after the Bowl Championship Series teams were placed. Since 2014, both the SEC and Big Ten have worked with a group of several bowl games, including the Outback Bowl, to place their bowl-eligible teams after the College Football Playoff and associated bowls have made their selections.[3][4]
As of 2017, the Outback Bowl payout was $3.5 million for each team.
Game results
Rankings are based on the AP Poll prior to the game being played.
Date | Bowl name | Winning team | Losing team | Attendance | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 23, 1986 | Hall of Fame Bowl | Boston College | 27 | Georgia | 24 | 41,000 |
January 2, 1988 | Hall of Fame Bowl | Michigan | 28 | Alabama | 24 | 61,075 |
January 2, 1989 | Hall of Fame Bowl | #17 Syracuse | 23 | #16 LSU | 10 | 51,112 |
January 1, 1990 | Hall of Fame Bowl | #9 Auburn | 31 | #21 Ohio State | 14 | 68,085 |
January 1, 1991 | Hall of Fame Bowl | #14 Clemson | 30 | #16 Illinois | 0 | 63,154 |
January 1, 1992 | Hall of Fame Bowl | #16 Syracuse | 24 | #25 Ohio State | 17 | 57,789 |
January 1, 1993 | Hall of Fame Bowl | #17 Tennessee | 38 | #16 Boston College | 23 | 52,056 |
January 1, 1994 | Hall of Fame Bowl | #23 Michigan | 42 | NC State | 7 | 52,649 |
January 2, 1995 | Hall of Fame Bowl | Wisconsin | 34 | #25 Duke | 20 | 61,384 |
January 1, 1996 | Outback Bowl | #15 Penn State | 43 | #16 Auburn | 14 | 65,313 |
January 1, 1997 | Outback Bowl | #16 Alabama | 17 | #15 Michigan | 14 | 53,161 |
January 1, 1998 | Outback Bowl | #12 Georgia | 33 | Wisconsin | 6 | 56,186 |
January 1, 1999 | Outback Bowl | #22 Penn State | 26 | Kentucky | 14 | 66,005 |
January 1, 2000 | Outback Bowl | #21 Georgia | 28 | #19 Purdue | 25 (OT) | 54,059 |
January 1, 2001 | Outback Bowl | South Carolina | 24 | #19 Ohio State | 7 | 65,229 |
January 1, 2002 | Outback Bowl | #14 South Carolina | 31 | #22 Ohio State | 28 | 66,249 |
January 1, 2003 | Outback Bowl | #12 Michigan | 38 | #22 Florida | 30 | 65,101 |
January 1, 2004 | Outback Bowl | #13 Iowa | 37 | #17 Florida | 17 | 65,657 |
January 1, 2005 | Outback Bowl | #8 Georgia | 24 | #16 Wisconsin | 21 | 62,414 |
January 2, 2006 | Outback Bowl | #16 Florida | 31 | #25 Iowa | 24 | 65,881 |
January 1, 2007 | Outback Bowl | Penn State | 20 | #17 Tennessee | 10 | 65,601 |
January 1, 2008 | Outback Bowl | #16 Tennessee | 21 | #18 Wisconsin | 17 | 60,121 |
January 1, 2009 | Outback Bowl | Iowa | 31 | South Carolina | 10 | 55,117 |
January 1, 2010 | Outback Bowl | Auburn | 38 | Northwestern | 35 (OT) | 49,383 |
January 1, 2011 | Outback Bowl | Florida | 37 | Penn State | 24 | 60,574 |
January 2, 2012 | Outback Bowl | #12 Michigan State | 33 | #18 Georgia | 30 (3OT) | 49,429 |
January 1, 2013 | Outback Bowl | #11 South Carolina | 33 | #19 Michigan | 28 | 54,527 |
January 1, 2014 | Outback Bowl | #14 LSU | 21 | Iowa | 14 | 51,296 |
January 1, 2015 | Outback Bowl | #17 Wisconsin | 34 | #19 Auburn | 31 (OT) | 44,023 |
January 1, 2016 | Outback Bowl | Tennessee | 45 | #12 Northwestern | 6 | 53,202 |
January 2, 2017 | Outback Bowl | #20 Florida | 30 | #21 Iowa | 3 | 51,119 |
January 1, 2018 | Outback Bowl | South Carolina | 26 | Michigan | 19 | 45,687 |
January 1, 2019 | Outback Bowl | Iowa | 27 | #18 Mississippi State | 22 | 40,518 |
January 1, 2020 | Outback Bowl | #16 Minnesota | 31 | #9 Auburn | 24 | 45,652 |
January 2, 2021 | Outback Bowl | Ole Miss | 26 | #7 Indiana | 20 | 11,025 |
Source:[5]
MVPs
The bowl has named an MVP since inception; in the inaugural game, there were co-MVPs.[6]
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Most appearances
Updated through the January 2021 edition (35 games, 70 total appearances).
- Teams with multiple appearances
Rank | Team | Appearances | Record |
---|---|---|---|
T1 | Iowa | 6 | 3–3 |
T1 | Michigan | 6 | 3–3 |
T3 | South Carolina | 5 | 4–1 |
T3 | Florida | 5 | 3–2 |
T3 | Georgia | 5 | 3–2 |
T3 | Auburn | 5 | 2–3 |
T3 | Wisconsin | 5 | 2–3 |
T8 | Penn State | 4 | 3–1 |
T8 | Tennessee | 4 | 3–1 |
T8 | Ohio State | 4 | 0–4 |
T11 | Syracuse | 2 | 2–0 |
T11 | Alabama | 2 | 1–1 |
T11 | LSU | 2 | 1–1 |
T11 | Boston College | 2 | 1–1 |
T11 | Northwestern | 2 | 0–2 |
- Teams with a single appearance
Won: Clemson, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ole Miss
Lost: Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi State, NC State, Purdue
Appearances by conference
Updated through the January 2021 edition (35 games, 70 total appearances).
Conference | Record | Appearances by season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Games | W | L | Win pct. | Won | Lost | |
Big Ten | 32 | 13 | 19 | .406 | 1987*, 1993*, 1994*, 1995*, 1998*, 2002*, 2003*, 2006*, 2008*, 2011*, 2014*, 2018*, 2019* | 1989*, 1990*, 1991*, 1996*, 1997*, 1999*, 2000*, 2001*, 2004*, 2005*, 2007*, 2009*, 2010*, 2012*, 2013*, 2015*, 2016*, 2017*, 2020* |
SEC | 31 | 18 | 13 | .581 | 1989*, 1992*, 1996*, 1997*, 1999*, 2000*, 2001*, 2004*, 2005*, 2007*, 2009*, 2010*, 2012*, 2013*, 2015*, 2016*, 2017*, 2020* | 1986, 1987*, 1988*, 1995*, 1998*, 2002*, 2003*, 2006*, 2008*, 2011*, 2014*, 2018*, 2019* |
ACC | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 1990* | 1993*, 1994* |
Independents | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 1986, 1988* | |
Big East | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 1991* | 1992* |
January 2021 participant
- Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
- Results reflect conference affiliations at the time each game was played.
- Big East appearances: Syracuse (1992) and Boston College (1993); the American Athletic Conference (The American) has retained the charter of the original Big East, following its 2013 realignment.
- Independent appearances: Boston College (1986) and Syracuse (1988).
Game records
Team | Performance vs. opponent | Year |
---|---|---|
Most points scored (one team) | 45, Tennessee vs. Northwestern | 2016 |
Most points scored (losing team) | 35, Northwestern vs. Auburn | 2010 |
Most points scored (both teams) | 73, Auburn vs. Northwestern | 2010 |
Fewest points allowed | 0, Clemson vs. Illinois | 1991 |
Largest margin of victory | 39, Tennessee vs. Northwestern | 2016 |
Total yards | 621, Northwestern vs. Auburn | 2010 |
Rushing yards | 400, Wisconsin vs. Auburn | 2015 |
Passing yards | 532, Northwestern vs. Auburn | 2010 |
First downs | 34, Northwestern vs. Auburn | 2010 |
Fewest yards allowed | 199, Mississippi State vs. Iowa | 2019 |
Fewest rushing yards allowed | –15, Mississippi State vs. Iowa | 2019 |
Fewest passing yards allowed | 55, Florida vs. Iowa | 2017 |
Individual | Performance, Player, Team | Year |
All-purpose yards | ||
Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 4, Chris Perry (Michigan) | 2003 |
Rushing yards | 251, Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) | 2015 |
Rushing touchdowns | 4, Chris Perry (Michigan) | 2003 |
Passing yards | 532, Mike Kafka (Northwestern) | 2010 |
Passing touchdowns | 4, most recent: Mike Kafka (Northwestern) | 2010 |
Receiving yards | 205, Tavarres King (Georgia) | 2012 |
Receiving touchdowns | 2, most recent: Tyler Johnson (Minnesota) | 2020 |
Tackles | 16, Traveon Henry (Northwestern) | 2016 |
Sacks | 3, most recent: David Pollack (Georgia) | 2005 |
Interceptions | 2, most recent: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (Florida) | 2017 |
Long Plays | Performance, Team/Player vs. opponent | Year |
Touchdown run | 77 yds., Jamie Morris (Michigan) | 1988 |
Touchdown pass | 85 yds., Austin Appleby to Mark Thompson (Florida) | 2017 |
Kickoff return | 96 yds., shared by: Jordan Cotton (Iowa) Noah Igbinoghene[7] (Auburn) | 2014 2020 |
Punt return | 92 yds., Brandon Boykin (Georgia) | 2012 |
Interception return | 100 yds., shared by: Walter McFadden (Auburn) Evan Berry (Tennessee) | 2010 2016 |
Fumble return | ||
Punt | 70 yds., Tyeler Dean (South Carolina) | 2002 |
Field goal | 53 yds., Charles Campbell (Indiana) | 2021 |
Source:[8]
Media coverage
The inaugural edition of the bowl was carried by Mizlou in December 1986, with NBC carrying the next five editions (1988–1992).[9] Since 1993, the game has been carried by ESPN or ESPN2, except for four broadcasts on ABC (2011, 2012, 2017, and 2021).[9]
References
- "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- "ESPN Signs Deal with Gator Bowl, Extends Agreements with Capital One Bowl and Outback Bowl; All Three Games to be Televised on New Year's Day". ESPN. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
- "2016-17 SEC Bowl Schedule". secsports.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- "Big Ten Bowl Partners". bigten.org. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- "Outback Bowl" (PDF). Bowl/All Star Game Records. NCAA. 2020. p. 10. Retrieved January 3, 2021 – via NCAA.org.
- "Quick Game Summary". outbackbowl.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- "No. 18 Minnesota tops No. 12 Auburn in Outback Bowl". reuters.com. Field Level Media. January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
Noah Igbinoghene’s 96-yard kickoff return in the first quarter, which tied an Outback Bowl record.
- "Outback Bowl Records". outbackbowl.com. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- Kelly, Doug (ed.). "2019–20 Football Bowl Association Media Guide" (PDF). footballbowlassociation.com: 154. Retrieved January 4, 2020.