The bowl is organized by the Tampa Bay Bowl Association under the auspices of its CEO/President, Jim McVay, who has been in charge of the association since 1988. The mission of the bowl has been to create a positive economic impact on the Tampa Bay area and to promote college football in a conducive, sportsman like atmosphere.
History:
In 1986 Tampa Bay was awarded a college bowl game by the NCAA. Even though it was not the first bowl game to be staged in Tampa (the Cigar Bowl had been held at the old Phillips Field from 1947–1954), this was the first major bowl game for the city. The Cigar Bowl did not feature major college football teams and was usually held between lower tier teams, but the new bowl game was established to target major college teams.
To be held annually at the old Tampa Stadium, the new bowl game was titled the Hall of Fame Bowl and the first official bowl game was played on December 23rd 1986 between Boston College and Georgia.
Till 1994 the game remained the Hall of Fame Bowl, but in 1995 Outback Steak House secured sponsorship of the game and the name was changed to the Outback Bowl starting from the 1995 game.
About the Bowl:
The bowl game is usually contested between the third picks from two of college football’s most competitive and popular conferences, the South Eastern Conference (SEC) and the Big Ten Conference. Due to the competitive nature of the games, coupled with the fact that it is played in the holiday season, there is a lot of fan interest in the game and the bowl game is usually sold out.
As a result, the Outback Bowl has become one of the most successful football games in the country. A testament to its success is the fact that the game has contributed more than a hundred million dollars combined to various universities over the years and has generated over a billion dollars in economic revenue for the Tampa Bay area.
Over the years the bowl has witnessed some great match ups and produced some remarkable games. Some games that stand out include Georgia’s 28-25 overtime win over Purdue in 2000, Auburn’s 38-35 overtime win against Northwestern in 2009 and Michigan State’s nail biting 33-30 three overtime win against Georgia in 2012.
Over the years, more than 1.6 million fans have been entertained by around 5,200 talented players and 73,000 half time show performers, in what has shaped up to be one of the most anticipated college bowl games of the year. So buy Outback Bowl tickets and not only enjoy quality college football action, but also be a part of all the other great things the Bowl stands for.