Wikipedia

Gator Bowl

For the stadium, see Gator Bowl Stadium.

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.[2] 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.

Gator Bowl
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
StadiumEverBank Stadium
LocationJacksonville, Florida
Previous stadiumsGator Bowl Stadium (1946–1993)
Temporary venueBen Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida (1994)
Operated1946–present
Championship affiliationBowl Coalition (1992–1994)
Conference tie-insSEC, Big Ten, ACC
Previous conference tie-ins
PayoutUS$5.35 million (2019 season)[1]
Sponsors
Former names
  • Gator Bowl (1946–1985)
  • Mazda Gator Bowl (1986–1991)
  • Outback Gator Bowl (1992–1994)
  • Toyota Gator Bowl (1995–2007)
  • Konica Minolta Gator Bowl (2008–2010)
  • Progressive Gator Bowl (2011)
  • TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl (2012–2013)
  • TaxSlayer Bowl (2014–2017)
2023 matchup
Clemson vs. Kentucky (Clemson 38–35)
2024 season matchup
(January 2, 2025)

The game is operated by Gator Bowl Sports and has been sponsored by TaxSlayer.com since 2012, and starting with the 2018 edition is officially known as the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.[3] From 2015 to 2017, it was officially referred to as simply the TaxSlayer Bowl. Previous sponsors include Progressive Insurance (2011), Konica Minolta (2008–2010), Toyota (1995–2007), Outback Steakhouse (1992–1994), and Mazda (1986–1991).

History

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According to writer Anthony C. DiMarco, Charles Hilty Sr. first conceived of the event. Hilty, together with Ray McCarthy, Maurice Cherry, and W. C. Ivey, put up $10,000 to underwrite the first game, which was held at Jacksonville's football stadium, Fairfield Stadium, on January 1, 1946.

The first two years of the event did not sell out the small capacity stadium, drawing only 7,362 to the 1946 game when the Wake Forest Demon Deacons defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks, 26–14. The stadium was expanded in 1948 and renamed the Gator Bowl Stadium in honor of the event. However, it was not until the 1949 matchup between the Clemson Tigers and the Missouri Tigers that the future of the Gator Bowl was assured: the 1948 attendance of 16,666 for a 20–20 tie between Maryland and Georgia was nearly doubled with 32,939 watching Clemson squeak by Missouri, 24–23, on a late field goal by Jack Miller.

By the 1970s, the attendance regularly reached 60,000–70,000.[4]

Hotel Roosevelt fire in 1963

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Main article: Hotel Roosevelt fire

The Gator Bowl is one of Jacksonville's annual sports highlights. However, the event was once associated with a tragedy. In the early morning of December 29, 1963, the Hotel Roosevelt in downtown Jacksonville caught fire after a post-Gator Bowl party in the ballroom.[5] It was later determined that the party was not the cause of the fire, and that the timing was a coincidence. The fire resulted in 22 deaths.[6]

Woody Hayes incident in 1978

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See also: Woody Hayes § 1978 Gator Bowl incident and dismissal

In the 1978 game between Ohio State and Clemson, Ohio State coach Woody Hayes lost his temper after a late game interception by Clemson nose guard Charlie Bauman, who stepped in front of the receiver on a pass from quarterback Art Schlichter. Bauman ran the ball out of bounds on the Ohio State sideline where Hayes struck Bauman with his right forearm. The play sealed the Tigers' 17–15 win over the Buckeyes, while Hayes was fired the next day before leaving Jacksonville.[7]

Bowden's Last Stand in 2010

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In the 2010 game between Florida State and West Virginia, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden (who previously coached at West Virginia) coached the final game of his career. Bowden had been the head coach at Florida State since 1976 and had won two national championships, 13 ACC championships, and had a 14-year streak of top five finishes during that time. A record crowd of over 84,000 people[8] witnessed Bowden being carried off the field[9] after a 33–21 Florida State victory.

TaxSlayer sponsorship

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The 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl featuring the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Georgia Bulldogs

In 2014, Gator Bowl Sports announced the bowl would be renamed the TaxSlayer Bowl following a new six-year deal with tax preparation company TaxSlayer.com. As a result of the deal, the bowl increased its payout and moved to a new time slot on January 2 for 2015 and 2016.[10] A new logo was released on April 3, 2014. For the December 2018 contest, "Gator" was reinstated in the name for the first time since 2015, with the bowl being called the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Venues

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The 1946 and 1947 games were played in Fairfield Stadium, which had a seating capacity of 7,600. The stadium was expanded to 16,000 seats in 1948, and the structure was renamed the Gator Bowl. Prior to the 1949 game, the seating capacity was expanded to 36,058, at which it remained until 1957.[11] That stadium hosted the game through 1993, when it was almost completely demolished for the construction of Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on the same site. During construction, the December 1994 game was played at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. The January 1996 game, and all subsequent games to date, have been held at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, currently known as EverBank Stadium.

Organization

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The game and associated activities are overseen by Gator Bowl Sports. Founded as the Gator Bowl Association in 1945, the organization expanded in 2013 to branch into other sports and events and increase its charity wing.[12]

The association comprises 225 Gator Bowl Committee members, 84 Chairman's Club members and sponsors, more than 700 volunteers, plus over a dozen paid staff members. In addition to the Gator Bowl, the GBA has also coordinated other events. It hosted the ACC Championship Game from 2005 to 2007 and the River City Showdown, a neutral site game between the Florida State Seminoles and another team, in 2007 and 2008.[13]

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Cover of the 1973 Gator Bowl game program

In the early years of the bowl, from 1946–1952, it featured a team from the Southern Conference against an at-large opponent. Beginning with the 1953 game, it switched to generally featuring a Southeastern Conference (SEC) team against an at-large opponent. From 1953 to the 1975 game, at least one SEC team appeared in 20 out of the 24 games, and in three of those games both teams were from the SEC. The games from 1976 to 1995 usually, but not always, involved a team from the southeastern United States against a team from another part of the country. Teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) played in ten of these 20 games.

From 1996–2006, the Gator Bowl traditionally hosted the second-place ACC team against the second-place Big East Conference team. With the 2007 game, the ACC runner-up became contractually tied to play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl and the Gator Bowl began hosting the third-place ACC team versus a team from either the Big East (still the conference's #2 team unless they qualified for the Bowl Championship Series), the Big 12 Conference, or the unaffiliated Notre Dame Fighting Irish (who would take the Big East's spot in this game). The contract, which ran for four years, was held in conjunction with the Sun Bowl, with the Gator Bowl receiving first choice of teams, and required both bowls to take Big East teams twice and Big 12 teams twice. Since the previous two Gator Bowls featured the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, both Big 12 teams, a Big East team or Notre Dame would play in the 2010 Gator Bowl per the terms of the contract (West Virginia lost to Florida State in this game).

The conference alignment changed again in 2010, as the Big East and Notre Dame moved their hybrid arrangement to the Champs Sports Bowl for 2010, while the Gator Bowl declined to renew its contract with the Big 12. The Gator Bowl would feature the SEC and the Big Ten Conference starting with the 2010 season, joining the Capital One Bowl and the Outback Bowl as the third Big Ten-SEC bowl matchup on New Year's Day.[14] Starting in 2015, the bowl returned to a hybrid arrangement for a six-year period, with SEC teams playing ACC teams for three years and Big Ten teams the other three years; the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are also eligible during ACC years.[10]

Through 74 playings (the 2018 edition), 38 have been contested with both teams ranked (per the AP Poll), most recently the 2006 edition. The highest ranked team to appear was No. 3 Pittsburgh in the 1980 edition.

Title sponsors

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Mazda was the first title sponsor, beginning in 1986 and lasting for five years. Outback Steakhouse sponsored the Gator Bowl for three years beginning in 1992, prior to obtaining their own Outback Bowl held in Tampa, Florida. From 1996–2006, the title sponsor was Toyota. Konica Minolta then became the sponsor from 2007 to 2010.[15] On December 14, 2010, the Gator Bowl Association announced that Progressive Insurance would become the title sponsor for the 2011 Gator Bowl.[16] On September 1, 2011, GBA announced a multi-year title sponsorship deal with TaxSlayer.com.

Game results

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All rankings are taken from the AP Poll prior to the game being played. Italics denote a tie game.

 
Clemson v Pitt, 1977 edition
Date played Bowl name Winning team Losing team Attnd.
January 1, 1946 Gator Bowl #19 Wake Forest 26  South Carolina 14   7,362
January 1, 1947 Gator Bowl #14 Oklahoma 34 #18 NC State 13 10,134
January 1, 1948 Gator Bowl[n 1] Georgia 20 Maryland 20 16,666
January 1, 1949 Gator Bowl #11 Clemson 24 Missouri 23 35,273
January 2, 1950 Gator Bowl #14 Maryland 20 #20 Missouri 7 18,409
January 1, 1951 Gator Bowl #12 Wyoming 20 #18 Washington & Lee 7 26,354
January 1, 1952 Gator Bowl Miami (Florida) 14 #19 Clemson 0 37,208
January 1, 1953 Gator Bowl #15 Florida 14 #12 Tulsa 13 30,015
January 1, 1954 Gator Bowl #12 Texas Tech 35 #17 Auburn 13 28,641
December 31, 1954 Gator Bowl #13 Auburn 33 #18 Baylor 13 34,408
December 31, 1955 Gator Bowl #8 Vanderbilt 25 Auburn 13 32,174
December 29, 1956 Gator Bowl #4 Georgia Tech 21 #13 Pittsburgh 14 37,683
December 28, 1957 Gator Bowl #13 Tennessee 3 #9 Texas A&M 0 41,160
December 27, 1958 Gator Bowl #11 Ole Miss 7 #14 Florida 3 41,312
January 2, 1960 Gator Bowl #9 Arkansas 14 Georgia Tech 7 45,104
December 31, 1960 Gator Bowl #18 Florida 13 #12 Baylor 12 50,122
December 30, 1961 Gator Bowl #17 Penn State 30 #13 Georgia Tech 15 50,202
December 29, 1962 Gator Bowl Florida 17 #9 Penn State 7 50,026
December 28, 1963 Gator Bowl North Carolina 35 Air Force 0 50,018
January 2, 1965 Gator Bowl Florida State 36 Oklahoma 19 50,408
December 31, 1965 Gator Bowl Georgia Tech 31 #10 Texas Tech 21 60,127
December 31, 1966 Gator Bowl Tennessee 18 Syracuse 12 60,312
December 30, 1967 Gator Bowl #10 Penn State 17 Florida State 17 68,019
December 28, 1968 Gator Bowl #16 Missouri 35 #12 Alabama 10 68,011
December 27, 1969 Gator Bowl #15 Florida 14 #11 Tennessee 13 72,248
January 2, 1971 Gator Bowl #10 Auburn 35 Ole Miss 28 71,136
December 31, 1971 Gator Bowl #6 Georgia 7 North Carolina 3 71,208
December 30, 1972 Gator Bowl #6 Auburn 24 #13 Colorado 3 71,114
December 29, 1973 Gator Bowl #11 Texas Tech 28 #20 Tennessee 19 62,109
December 30, 1974 Gator Bowl #6 Auburn 27 #11 Texas 3 63,811
December 29, 1975 Gator Bowl #17 Maryland 13 #13 Florida 0 64,012
December 27, 1976 Gator Bowl #15 Notre Dame 20 #20 Penn State 9 67,827
December 30, 1977 Gator Bowl #10 Pittsburgh 34 #11 Clemson 3 72,289
December 29, 1978 Gator Bowl #7 Clemson 17 #20 Ohio State 15 72,011
December 28, 1979 Gator Bowl North Carolina 17 #14 Michigan 15 70,407
December 29, 1980 Gator Bowl #3 Pittsburgh 37 #18 South Carolina 9 72,297
December 28, 1981 Gator Bowl #11 North Carolina 31 Arkansas 27 71,009
December 30, 1982 Gator Bowl Florida State 31 #10 West Virginia 12 80,913
December 30, 1983 Gator Bowl #11 Florida 14 #10 Iowa 6 81,293
December 28, 1984 Gator Bowl #9 Oklahoma State 21 #7 South Carolina 14 82,138
December 30, 1985 Gator Bowl #18 Florida State 34 #19 Oklahoma State 23 79,417
December 27, 1986 Gator Bowl Clemson 27 #20 Stanford 21 80,104
December 31, 1987 Gator Bowl #7 LSU 30 #9 South Carolina 13 82,119
January 1, 1989 Gator Bowl #19 Georgia 34 Michigan State 27 76,236
December 30, 1989 Gator Bowl #14 Clemson 27 #17 West Virginia 7 82,911
January 1, 1991 Gator Bowl #12 Michigan 35 #15 Ole Miss 3 68,297
December 29, 1991 Gator Bowl #20 Oklahoma 48 #19 Virginia 14 62,003
December 31, 1992 Gator Bowl #14 Florida 27 #12 NC State 10 71,233
December 31, 1993 Gator Bowl #18 Alabama 24 #12 North Carolina 10 67,205
December 30, 1994 Gator Bowl[n 2] Tennessee 45 #17 Virginia Tech 23 62,200
January 1, 1996 Gator Bowl[n 3] Syracuse 41 #23 Clemson 0 45,202
January 1, 1997 Gator Bowl #12 North Carolina 20 #25 West Virginia 13 52,103
January 1, 1998 Gator Bowl #7 North Carolina 42 Virginia Tech 3 54,116
January 1, 1999 Gator Bowl #12 Georgia Tech 35 #17 Notre Dame 28 70,791
January 1, 2000 Gator Bowl #23 Miami (Florida) 28 #17 Georgia Tech 13 43,416
January 1, 2001 Gator Bowl #6 Virginia Tech 41 #16 Clemson 20 68,741
January 1, 2002 Gator Bowl #24 Florida State 30 #15 Virginia Tech 17 72,202
January 1, 2003 Gator Bowl #17 NC State 28 #11 Notre Dame 6 73,491
January 1, 2004 Gator Bowl #23 Maryland 41 #20 West Virginia 7 78,891
January 1, 2005 Gator Bowl #17 Florida State 30 West Virginia 18 70,112
January 2, 2006 Gator Bowl #12 Virginia Tech 35 #15 Louisville 24 63,780
January 1, 2007 Gator Bowl #13 West Virginia 38 Georgia Tech 35 67,714
January 1, 2008 Gator Bowl Texas Tech 31 #21 Virginia 28 60,243
January 1, 2009 Gator Bowl Nebraska 26 Clemson 21 67,232
January 1, 2010 Gator Bowl Florida State 33 #18 West Virginia 21 84,129
January 1, 2011 Gator Bowl #21 Mississippi State 52 Michigan 14 68,325
January 2, 2012 Gator Bowl Florida 24 Ohio State 17 61,312
January 1, 2013 Gator Bowl #21 Northwestern 34 Mississippi State 20 48,612
January 1, 2014 Gator Bowl Nebraska 24 #22 Georgia 19 60,712
January 2, 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl Tennessee 45 Iowa 28 56,310
January 2, 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl Georgia 24 Penn State 17 58,212
December 31, 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl Georgia Tech 33 Kentucky 18 43,102
December 30, 2017 TaxSlayer Bowl #24 Mississippi State 31 Louisville 27 41,310
December 31, 2018 Gator Bowl #21 Texas A&M 52 NC State 13 38,206
January 2, 2020 Gator Bowl Tennessee† 23 Indiana 22 61,789
January 2, 2021 Gator Bowl Kentucky 23 #24 NC State 21 10,422
December 31, 2021 Gator Bowl #20 Wake Forest 38 Rutgers 10 28,508
December 30, 2022 Gator Bowl #19 Notre Dame 45 #20 South Carolina 38 67,383  
December 29, 2023 Gator Bowl Clemson 38 Kentucky 35 40,132

† Tennessee's win the January 2020 edition was vacated by the NCAA in July 2023.[17]

Source:[18]

  1. ^ Venue was renamed Gator Bowl in 1948.
  2. ^ The December 1994 game was held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville due to renovations.
  3. ^ The January 1996 game was the first to be held at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

MVPs

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From 1946 through 1952, a single MVP was named. From 1953 through 2021, MVPs were named for each team; in several instances, co-MVPs were named. Since the 2022 edition, the bowl has again named a single MVP.

Most Valuable Players
Date Played MVP Team Position   Ref
January 1, 1946 Nick Sacrinty Wake Forest QB   [19]
January 1, 1947 Joe Golding Oklahoma HB   [19]
January 1, 1948 Lu Gambino Maryland HB   [19]
January 1, 1949 Bobby Gage Clemson HB   [19]
January 2, 1950 Bob Ward Maryland G   [20]
January 1, 1951 Eddie Talboom Wyoming HB   [20]
January 1, 1952 Jim Dooley Miami (Florida) HB   [20]
Date Played MVP Team Position MVP Team Position Ref
January 1, 1953 John Hall Florida RB Marv Matuszak Tulsa T [20]
January 1, 1954 Bobby Cavazos Texas Tech RB Vince Dooley Auburn QB [20]
December 31, 1954 Joe Childress Auburn FB Billy Hooper Baylor QB [20]
December 31, 1955 Don Orr Vanderbilt QB Joe Childress Auburn FB [20]
December 29, 1956 Wade Mitchell Georgia Tech QB Corny Salvaterra Pittsburgh QB [20]
December 28, 1957 Bobby Gordon Tennessee TB John David Crow Texas A&M HB [20]
December 27, 1958 Bobby Franklin Ole Miss QB Dave Hudson Florida E [20]
January 2, 1960 Jim Mooty Arkansas HB Maxie Baughan Georgia Tech LB [21]
December 31, 1960 Larry Libertore Florida QB Bobby Ply Baylor QB [21]
December 30, 1961 Galen Hall Penn State QB Joe Auer Georgia Tech HB [21]
December 29, 1962 Tom Shannon Florida QB Dave Robinson Penn State E [21]
December 28, 1963 Ken Willard North Carolina RB David Sicks Air Force C [21]
January 2, 1965 Steve Tensi
Fred Biletnikoff		 Florida State QB
SE		 Carl McAdams Oklahoma LB [21]
December 31, 1965 Lenny Snow Georgia Tech TB Donny Anderson Texas Tech RB [21]
December 31, 1966 Dewey Warren Tennessee QB Floyd Little Syracuse HB [21]
December 30, 1967 Kim Hammond Florida State QB Tom Sherman Penn State QB [21]
December 28, 1968 Terry McMillan Missouri QB Mike Hall Alabama LB [21]
December 27, 1969 Mike Kelley Florida LB Curt Watson Tennessee FB [21]
January 2, 1971 Pat Sullivan Auburn QB Archie Manning Ole Miss QB [22]
December 31, 1971 Jimmy Poulos Georgia TB James Webster North Carolina LB [22]
December 30, 1972 Wade Whatley Auburn QB Mark Cooney Colorado LB [22]
December 29, 1973 Joe Barnes Texas Tech QB Haskel Stanback Tennessee TB [22]
December 30, 1974 Phil Gargis Auburn QB Earl Campbell Texas RB [22]
December 29, 1975 Steve Atkins Maryland TB Sammy Green Florida LB [22]
December 27, 1976 Al Hunter Notre Dame HB Jimmy Cefalo Penn State WR [22]
December 30, 1977 Matt Cavanaugh Pittsburgh QB Jerry Butler Clemson SE [22]
December 29, 1978 Steve Fuller Clemson QB Art Schlichter Ohio State QB [22]
December 28, 1979 Matt Kupec[n 1]
Amos Lawrence		 North Carolina QB
RB		 John Wangler
Anthony Carter		 Michigan QB
WR		 [23][22]
December 29, 1980 Rick Trocano Pittsburgh QB George Rogers South Carolina RB [24]
December 28, 1981 Kelvin Bryant
Ethan Horton		 North Carolina TB
TB		 Gary Anderson Arkansas RB [24]
December 30, 1982 Greg Allen Florida State TB Paul Woodside West Virginia K [24]
December 30, 1983 Tony Lilly Florida S Owen Gill Iowa FB [24]
December 28, 1984 Thurman Thomas Oklahoma State RB Mike Hold South Carolina QB [24]
December 30, 1985 Chip Ferguson Florida State QB Thurman Thomas Oklahoma State RB [24]
December 27, 1986 Rodney Williams Clemson QB Brad Muster Stanford RB [24]
December 31, 1987 Wendell Davis LSU SE Harold Green South Carolina RB [24]
January 1, 1989 Wayne Johnson Georgia QB Andre Rison Michigan State WR [24]
December 30, 1989 Levon Kirkland Clemson LB Mike Fox West Virginia DT [24]
January 1, 1991 Offensive Line[n 2] Michigan N/A Tyrone Ashley Ole Miss DB [25]
December 29, 1991 Cale Gundy Oklahoma QB Tyrone Davis Virginia DB [25]
December 31, 1992 Errict Rhett Florida RB Reggie Lawrence North Carolina State WR [25]
December 31, 1993 Brian Burgdorf Alabama QB Corey Holliday North Carolina WR [25]
December 30, 1994 James Stewart Tennessee TB Maurice DeShazo Virginia Tech QB [25]
January 1, 1996 Donovan McNabb Syracuse QB Peter Ford Clemson CB [25]
January 1, 1997 Oscar Davenport North Carolina QB David Saunders West Virginia WR [25]
January 1, 1998 Chris Keldorf North Carolina QB Nick Sorensen Virginia Tech QB [25]
January 1, 1999 Dez White
Joe Hamilton		 Georgia Tech WR
QB		 Autry Denson Notre Dame RB [25]
January 1, 2000 Nate Webster Miami (Florida) LB Joe Hamilton Georgia Tech QB [26]
January 1, 2001 Michael Vick Virginia Tech QB Rod Gardner Clemson WR [26]
January 1, 2002 Javon Walker Florida State WR André Davis Virginia Tech WR [26]
January 1, 2003 Philip Rivers North Carolina State QB Cedric Hillard Notre Dame NG [26]
January 1, 2004 Scott McBrien Maryland QB Brian King West Virginia DB [26]
January 1, 2005 Leon Washington Florida State RB Kay-Jay Harris West Virginia RB [26]
January 2, 2006 Cedric Humes Virginia Tech RB Hunter Cantwell Louisville QB [26]
January 1, 2007 Pat White West Virginia QB Calvin Johnson Georgia Tech WR [26]
January 1, 2008 Graham Harrell Texas Tech QB Chris Long[n 3] Virginia DE [26]
January 1, 2009 Joe Ganz Nebraska QB DaQuan Bowers Clemson DE [26]
January 1, 2010 EJ Manuel Florida State QB Noel Devine West Virginia HB [27]
January 1, 2011 Chris Relf Mississippi State QB Denard Robinson Michigan QB [27]
January 2, 2012 Andre Debose Florida WR Etienne Sabino Ohio State LB [27]
January 1, 2013 Jared Carpenter Northwestern S Nickoe Whitley Mississippi State DB [27]
January 1, 2014 Quincy Enunwa Nebraska WR Todd Gurley Georgia TB [27]
January 2, 2015 Joshua Dobbs Tennessee QB Josey Jewell Iowa LB [27]
January 2, 2016 Terry Godwin Georgia WR Trace McSorley Penn State QB [27]
December 31, 2016 Dedrick Mills Georgia Tech RB Stephen Johnson II Kentucky QB [27]
December 30, 2017 Mark McLaurin Mississippi State S Lamar Jackson Louisville QB [27]
December 31, 2018 Trayveon Williams Texas A&M RB Ryan Finley NC State QB [27]
January 2, 2020 Eric Gray Tennessee RB Peyton Ramsey Indiana QB [28]
January 2, 2021 Asim Rose Jr. Kentucky RB Zonovan Knight NC State RB [28]
December 31, 2021 Sam Hartman Wake Forest QB Johnny Langan Rutgers QB [28]
December 30, 2022 Tyler Buchner Notre Dame QB   [29]
December 29, 2023 Phil Mafah Clemson RB  
  1. ^ The bowl's official site omits Kupec as co-MVP for North Carolina in the 1979 game.
  2. ^ Michigan's offensive linemen in the January 1991 game were Tom Dohring, Matt Elliott, Steve Everitt, Dean Dingman, and Greg Skrepenak.
  3. ^ Other sources list Mikell Simpson, who rushed for 170 yards, as the Virginia MVP for the 2008 game.

Most appearances

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Updated through the December 2023 edition (79 games, 158 appearances).

Teams with multiple appearances

‡ Tennessee's record excludes their January 2020 win, which was vacated by the NCAA in July 2023.

Teams with a single appearance

Won (4): LSU, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Wyoming
Lost (9): Air Force, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan State, Rutgers, Stanford, Texas, Tulsa, Washington & Lee

Appearances by conference

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Updated through the December 2023 edition (79 games, 158 appearances).

Conference Record Appearances by season
Games W L T Win pct. Won Lost Tied Vacated
SEC 45 27 16 1 .625‡ 1952*, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1969, 1970*, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1983, 1987, 1988*, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2010*, 2011*, 2014*, 2015*, 2017, 2018, 2020* 1953*, 1955, 1958, 1959*, 1961, 1968, 1969, 1970*, 1973, 1975, 1990, 2012*, 2013*, 2016, 2022, 2023 1947* 2019*
ACC 33 19 14 0 .576 1963, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1986, 1989, 1996*, 1997*, 1998*, 2001*, 2002*, 2003*, 2004*, 2005*, 2009*, 2016, 2021, 2023 1971, 1977, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995*, 1999*, 2000*, 2006*, 2007*, 2008*, 2017, 2018, 2020*    
Independents 24 10 12 2 .458 1951*, 1961, 1964*, 1965, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1985, 2022 1956, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1998*, 2002* 1967, 1967  
Big East 12 4 8 0 .333 1995*, 1999*, 2000*, 2006* 1994, 1996*, 1997*, 2001*, 2003*, 2004*, 2005*, 2009*    
Big Ten 13 3 10 0 .231 1990, 2012*, 2013* 1978, 1979, 1983, 1988*, 2010*, 2011*, 2014*, 2015*, 2019*, 2021    
Big Eight 9 4 5 0 .444 1946*, 1968, 1984, 1991 1948*, 1949*, 1964*, 1972, 1985    
SoCon 8 3 4 1 .438 1945*, 1948*, 1949* 1945*, 1946*, 1950*, 1951* 1947*  
SWC 8 2 6 0 .250 1959*, 1973 1954, 1957, 1960, 1965, 1974, 1981    
Big 12 2 2 0 0 1.000 2007*, 2008*    
Border 1 1 0 0 1.000 1953*    
Skyline 1 1 0 0 1.000 1950*    
MVC 1 0 1 0 .000 1952*    
Pac-10 1 0 1 0 .000 1986    

‡ The SEC's win–loss–tie totals and winning percentage exclude Tennessee's win following the 2019 season (played in January 2020), which was vacated by the NCAA in July 2023.

  • Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
  • Records reflect conference affiliations at the time each game was played.[a]
  • Conferences that are defunct or no longer active in FBS are marked in italics.
  • The Big Eight's record includes appearances when the conference was known as the Big Six and Big Seven.
  • Big East teams made 12 appearances and were 4–8; the American Athletic Conference (The American) retains the conference charter following the 2013 split of the original Big East along football lines.
  • Two teams from the same conference have met five times: 1945*, 1955, 1958, 1969, and 1970*. The first instance was SoCon teams, while the others have been SEC teams.
  • Two independent teams have met four times: 1967, 1976, 1980, and 1982.
  • Independent appearances (23): Air Force (1963), Florida State (1964*, 1967, 1982, 1985), Georgia Tech (1965), Miami-FL (1951*), Notre Dame (1976, 1998*, 2002*, 2022), Penn State (1961, 1962, 1967, 1976), Pitt (1956, 1977, 1980), South Carolina (1980, 1984, 1987), Syracuse (1966), and West Virginia (1982, 1989).

As of 2023:

Gator Bowl Hall of Fame

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The Gator Bowl created a Hall of Fame in 1989; new members were announced annually through 2013, with a total of 82 inductees at that time. After 2013, additions have occurred intermittently.

Year Inductees Ref.
1989 Dan Devine, Ray Graves, Ralph Jordan, Floyd Little, Archie Manning, Bobby Dodd [31]
1990 Vince Dooley, Bobby Gage, Frank Howard, Pat Sullivan, Bob Woodruff, George R. Olsen
1991 Wally Butts, Bill Peterson, Ron Sellers, Ken Willard
1992 Maxie Baughan, Lu Gambino, Don Faurot, Johnny Vaught
1993 DeWitt Weaver, Tom Shannon, Joe Childress
1994 Doug Dickey, Rip Engle, Larry Libertore Jr.
1995 Fred Biletnikoff, Frank Broyles, Nicholas Sacrinty, Richard Stratton, Steve Tensi
1996 Dave Robinson, Wade Mitchell, Jim Dooley, Dick Crum
1997 Judge John "Papa" Hall, Gene Stallings, Kim Hammond, John F. Lanahan
1998 Ross Browner, James Stewart, Danny Ford
1999 Jack Bush, Walter C. Dunbar, Jay Solomon
2000 Joe Paterno, Terry McMillan, Bob Bradley
2001 John David Crow, Don Nehlen, Carlisle Jones
2002 W. W. "Bill" Gay, Jackie Sherrill, Hugh Green
2003 Donny Anderson, Rodney Hampton, Ash Verlander
2004 Chip Ferguson, Bill Nimnicht Jr., Steve Spurrier, Greg Allen
2005 Desmond Howard, Peter Kirill Sr., Peahead Walker
2006 Dave Braine, Carl Cannon
2007 Don Davis, George Rogers, Bear Bryant [32]
2008 Errict Rhett, Wendell Davis [33]
2009 Wilford C. Lyon, Jr, Gary Pajcic, Bob Golic [34]
2010 Bobby Bowden, Mike Tranghese [35]
2011 Pat Jones, Anthony Carter, Bill Nimnicht Sr. [36]
2012 Corky Rogers, Donald Orr [37]
2013 Donovin Darius [38]
2016 Frank Beamer, Tom Shouvlin [39]
2017 Leon Washington, Ronald L. Bailey [40][41]

75th Anniversary All Gator Bowl Team

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In September 2019, bowl organizers announced an All Gator Bowl Team, in commemoration of the 75th anniversary game, played in January 2020.[42]

Offense Defense
Player Pos. Team Game Player Pos. Team Game
Archie Manning QB Mississippi No. 26 Ed Reed DB Miami No. 55
Floyd Little RB Syracuse No. 22 Tony Lilly DB Florida No. 39
Larry Csonka FB Syracuse No. 22 Hugh Green DE Pittsburgh No. 36
Fred Biletnikoff WR Florida State No. 20 Jack Youngblood DE Florida No. 25
Andre Rison WR Michigan State No. 44 Wilber Marshall LB Florida No. 39
Ken MacAfee TE Notre Dame No. 32 Donovin Darius DB Syracuse No. 51
Mark May T Pittsburgh No. 36 Mark McLaurin DB Mississippi State No. 73
Greg Skrepenak T Michigan No. 46 Matt Millen DT Penn State No. 32
Dean Dingman G Michigan No. 46 Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska No. 64
Zeke Smith G Auburn No. 11 Ryan Shazier LB Ohio State No. 67
Maxie Baughan C Georgia Tech No. 15 Lawrence Taylor LB North Carolina No. 35

Game records

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Team Record, Team vs. Opponent Year
Most points scored (one team) 52, shared by:
Mississippi State vs. Michigan
Texas A&M vs. NC State 		 
2011
2018
Most points scored (losing team) 38, South Carolina vs. Notre Dame 2022
Most points scored (both teams) 83, Notre Dame (45) vs. South Carolina (38) 2022
Fewest points allowed 0, most recently:
Syracuse vs. Clemson 		 
1996
Largest margin of victory 41, Syracuse (41) vs. Clemson (0) 1996
Total yards
Rushing yards 423, Auburn vs. Baylor Dec. 1954
Passing yards 407, Texas Tech vs. Virginia 2008
First downs
Fewest yards allowed
Fewest rushing yards allowed 45, Missouri vs. Alabama 1968
Fewest passing yards allowed 0, Alabama vs. Missouri 1968
Individual Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent Year
All-purpose yards
Touchdowns (overall) 4, shared by:
Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State vs. Oklahoma
James Stewart, Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech

Phil Mafah, Clemson vs. Kentucky

Jan. 1965

Dec. 1994 2023

Rushing yards 236, Trayveon Williams,[43] Texas A&M vs. NC State 2018
Rushing touchdowns 4, Phil Mafah, Clemson vs. Kentucky 2023
Passing yards 407, Graham Harrell, Texas Tech vs. Virginia 2008
Passing touchdowns 5, Steve Tensi, Florida State vs. Oklahoma Jan. 1965
Receiving yards 252, Andre Rison, Michigan State vs. Georgia Jan. 1989
Receiving touchdowns 4, Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State vs. Oklahoma Jan. 1965
Tackles
Sacks
Interceptions 4, Jim Dooley, Miami (FL) vs. Clemson 1952
Long Plays Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent Year
Touchdown run 96, Mikell Simpson, Virginia vs. Texas Tech 2008
Touchdown pass 99, Quincy Enunwa from Tommy Armstrong Jr., Nebraska vs Georgia 2014
Kickoff return 99, Andre Debose, Florida vs Ohio State 2012
Punt return
Interception return 100, O'Donnell Fortune, South Carolina vs. Notre Dame 2022
Fumble return
Punt 76, Bobby Joe Green, Florida vs. Ole Miss 1958
Field goal 51, Brian Lee, Ole Miss vs. Michigan Jan. 1991
Miscellaneous Record, Teams Year
Bowl Attendance 84,129, Florida State vs. West Virginia 2010

Source:[44][45]

Media coverage

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The longtime broadcaster of the game was ABC, which showed the game in prime time from 1974 through 1985. Turner Sports bought the rights to the game after the 1991 match-up and TBS became the home of the Gator Bowl for the next four years, moving back to a late December date. The game returned to New Year's Day after NBC bought the rights to the Gator Bowl in 1996. CBS Sports took over the television contract in 2007 and held the rights for four years. ESPN purchased the rights to the game following its 2010 playing and the 2011 Gator Bowl aired on ESPN2; with the acquisition of the Gator Bowl the ESPN family of networks became the home of every New Year's Day bowl game (the network already had the rights to the Outback, Capital One, and Rose bowls and acquired the rights to the TicketCity Bowl and the remainder of the BCS games).

Notes

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  1. ^ As of January 2021, there are conference records listed on the bowl's website,[30] but they have not been updated for all editions that have been played and they do not reflect conference affiliations at the time each game was played.

References

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  1. ^ "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. ^ "Gator Bowl website: About us-Tradition". Archived from the original on 2011-10-16.
  3. ^ "TaxSlayer Bowl to Restore "Gator" in its Name" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-14. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  4. ^ DiMarco, Anthony C. (1976). The Big Bowl Football Guide. G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0-399-11800-4
  5. ^ "Tragedy Ends Gator Bowl Fete". Los Angeles Times. AP. December 30, 1963. Retrieved December 22, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Report Near in Probe of Hotel Blaze". The Tampa Tribune. AP. January 1, 1964. Retrieved December 22, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Gator Bowl: 30th anniversary punch". jacksonville.com. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  8. ^ Crouse, Karen (26 February 2018). "Florida State Beats West Virginia in Bobby Bowden's Finale" – via NYTimes.com.
  9. ^ Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo - NCAA Gator Bowl - Bobby Bowden is carried off the field by his team after FSU upset West Virginia in the 2010 Gator Bowl. (Credit Image: © Mike Olivella/ZUMApress.com". Alamy. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ a b Barney, Justin (April 4, 2014). "Gator Bowl becomes Taxslayer Bowl with new 6-year deal". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  11. ^ The Jacksonville Story by Carolina Rawls; Jacksonville's Fifty Years of Progress Association-1950
  12. ^ Smits, Gary (November 5, 2013). "'Gator Bowl Sports' wants to promote more events, boost charity in region". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  13. ^ "Jacksonville Transportation Authority: River City Showdown Stadium Shuttle".[permanent dead link‍]
  14. ^ "Gator Bowl to pair Big Ten with SEC, not ACC". ESPN. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  15. ^ Garry Smits. "Gator Bowl lands deal for new title sponsor – Jacksonville.com". Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  16. ^ "Progressive sponsors Gator Bowl". Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  17. ^ Sparks, Adam (July 15, 2023). "These Tennessee football wins under Jeremy Pruitt have been vacated". USA Today. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  18. ^ "Bowl/All Star Game Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2023. p. 7. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  19. ^ a b c d "1940s Game History". taxslayergatorbowl.com.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "1950s Game History". taxslayergatorbowl.com.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "1960s Game History". taxslayergatorbowl.com.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "1970s Game History". taxslayergatorbowl.com.
  23. ^ Barnes, Clifton (December 29, 1979). "Add Another Feather to ACC Cap". Rocky Mount Telegram. Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Retrieved December 31, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "1980s Game History". taxslayergatorbowl.com.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i "1990s Game History". taxslayergatorbowl.com.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "2000's Game History". taxslayergatorbowl.com.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "2010's Game History". taxslayergatorbowl.com. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  28. ^ a b c "2020's Game History". taxslayergatorbowl.com. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  29. ^ @PFF_College (December 30, 2022). "The Tyler Buchner experience tonight was WILD:" (Tweet). Retrieved December 30, 2022 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ "TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Records – Team Records". taxslayergatorbowl.com. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  31. ^ "Hall of Fame Inductees". gatorbowl.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007 – via Wayback Machine.
  32. ^ "Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2007 is Legendary". Archived from the original on 2017-12-24. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  33. ^ "Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2008 is Legendary". Archived from the original on 2017-12-24. Retrieved 2017-12-24.
  34. ^ Times-Union, The. "Bob Golic, Gary Pajcic, Wilford Lyon will be inducted into Gator Bowl Hall of Fame".
  35. ^ Smits, Garry. "Bobby Bowden to enter Gator Bowl Hall of Fame".
  36. ^ Carlyon, Hays. "Gator Bowl Notebook: Anthony Carter, Pat Jones and Bill Nimnicht Sr. join Gator Bowl Hall of Fame".
  37. ^ Times-Union, The. "Corky Rogers, Donald Orr to be inducted into Gator Bowl Hall of Fame".
  38. ^ Smits, Garry. "Gator Bowl Notebook: Former Jaguar Donovin Darius joins Hall of Fame".
  39. ^ Smits, Garry. "Former Virginia Tech Frank Beamer to enter TaxSlayer Bowl Hall of Fame".
  40. ^ "Gator Bowl Selects Leon Washington as Hall of Fame Inductee". Jacksonville Free Press. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  41. ^ Hall of Fame | TaxSlayerBowl.com
  42. ^ "Gator Bowl Sports Announces All Gator Bowl Team in Honor of its 75th Game". taxslayergatorbowl.com (Press release). September 10, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  43. ^ @taxslayerbowl (December 31, 2018). "With that 93-yard rush, @TrayveonW just broke the record for most rushing yards in a #TaxSlayerGatorBowl game" (Tweet). Retrieved December 31, 2018 – via Twitter.
  44. ^ "Team Records". taxslayergatorbowl.com. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  45. ^ "Individual Records". taxslayergatorbowl.com. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
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