This year’s edition of the Alamo Bowl isn’t too far away now. This annual football extravaganza has gone on to capture the hearts and minds of football fanatics all around the country because of its history of dishing up some of the most exciting games ever played on a football field. The nature of the game ensures that both teams bring their A-Game to the table because anything other than that is just not good enough. It has been almost always been a sold-out event with fans buying Alamo Bowl tickets to pack the stadium to capacity. That trend doesn’t seem to change anytime soon so get ready for another hi-octane dose of football.
The Beginning
Alamo Bowl kicked off proceedings in the year 1993. The game has historically always been played in the month of December. The only time that didn’t happen was at the end of the 2009 campaign when it was moved to January 2010. That experiment didn’t last long and the game reverted back to being played in December.
The first ever Alamo Bowl took place on 31st December 1993. California Golden Bears and Iowa Hawkeyes headlined that inaugural edition in front of more than forty five thousand fans at the stadium. Bears won that clash to etch their names in history books as the first ever winners of the Alamo Bowl. That was the start of an annual game that has now gone on to become a staple of the annual football calendar.
Big 12 has sent its teams to this game eighteen times to rack up a record of nine wins and nine losses. The Big Ten is second on the list with sixteen appearances to record eight wins and eight losses. Pac-12 teams have headlined the Alamo Bowl on four occasions winning it twice while coming up short on the same number of occasions.
Teams with Most Wins
Nebraska has been the most successful Alamo Bowl team till now. It has taken part in the game three times and has come out on top on every one of those occasions. Iowa, Penn State, Purdue and Texas all share second place with two wins each against their names. Then there is a cluster of nine teams representing Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor, California, Missouri, Ohio State, Washington and Wisconsin with one win each.
The Stadium
Alamo Bowl takes place at the imposing “Alamodome.” Constructed in the year 1993, this amazing facility can play host to over sixty five thousand fans at a time. The seating capacity can be moved up to a whopping seventy two thousand if the Super Bowl is to be held there. The arena consists of five levels and is also used to host concerts, hockey, basketball, AFL and NCAA football games on a regular basis.
Imagine sixty five thousand football fans in one place, cheering on their teams. Imagine being one of them, catching all the action live. Imagine experiencing the thrill of what makes football so special. That and a whole lot more is what every fan that has ever been to Alamo Bowl has experienced. It will be more of the same this time around as well.