Citrus Bowl

Annual American college football postseason game

This article is about the bowl game. For the stadium formerly named Florida Citrus Bowl, see Camping World Stadium.

For other bowl games with the same corporate sponsorship, see Cheez-It Bowl.

Not to be confused with Orange Bowl.

College football bowl game

Citrus Bowl

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Stadium| Camping World Stadium
Location| Orlando, Florida
Temporary venue| Florida Field, Gainesville, Florida (1973)
Operated| 1947–present
Conference tie-ins| Big Ten, SEC
Previous conference tie-ins|

* MAC (1968–1975)
* SoCon (1968–1972)
* ACC (1987–1991)

Payout| US$8,224,578 (2019 season)[1]
Website| cheezitcitrusbowl.com
Sponsors

* Florida Citrus Growers Association (1983–2002)
* CompUSA (1994–1999)
* Ourhouse.com (2000)
* Capital One (2001–2014)
* Buffalo Wild Wings (2015–2017)
* Overton's (2018)
* Vrbo (2019–2022)
* Cheez-It (2023–present)

Former names

* Tangerine Bowl (1947–1982)[a]
* Florida Citrus Bowl (1983–1993)
* CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl (1994–1999)
* Ourhouse.com Florida Citrus Bowl (2000)
* Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl (2001–2002)
* Capital One Bowl (2003–2014)
* Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl (2015–2017)
* Citrus Bowl presented by Overton's (2018)
* Vrbo Citrus Bowl (2019–2021)

2023 matchup
Iowa vs. Tennessee (Tennessee 35–0)
2024 matchup
South Carolina vs. Illinois (Illinois 21–17)

The Citrus Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.[2] The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that also organizes the Pop-Tarts Bowl and Florida Classic.

The game was first played as the Tangerine Bowl in 1947 before being renamed as the Florida Citrus Bowl in 1983. When Capital One was the game's title sponsor between 2001 and 2014, the game was referred to as the Capital One Bowl from 2003 to 2014. Other previous sponsors include CompUSA (1994–1999), Ourhouse.com (2000), Buffalo Wild Wings (2015–2017), Overton's (2018), and Vrbo (2019–2022). On November 15, 2022, Kellogg's (renamed Kellanova after the company spun off its North American cereal business in 2023 as WK Kellogg Co) signed on as title sponsor of the game, placing its Cheez-It brand of snack crackers in the title position. Accordingly, the game is officially named the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.[3]

Since the mid-1980s, the Citrus Bowl has drawn many high-ranked teams and is typically played at 1 p.m. EST on New Year's Day and broadcast nationally on ABC. When January 1 is a Sunday, the game has been played on January 2 or December 31, to avoid conflicting with the National Football League (NFL) schedule. As of 2019[update], it has the largest payout of all bowls other than those that are part of the College Football Playoff (CFP), at $8.55 million per team.[4] In nearly every year since 1985, the game has featured two teams ranked in the Top 25.

## History

[edit]

### Tangerine Bowl (1947–1982)

[edit]

The game, which began play in 1947, is one of the oldest of the non-CFP bowls, along with the Gator Bowl and Sun Bowl. By 1952, the game was dubbed the "Little Bowl with the Big Heart", because all the proceeds from the game went to charity.[5]

From 1964 through 1967, it was one of the four regional finals in the College Division (which became Division II and Division III in 1973), along with the Pecan, Grantland Rice, and Camellia bowls. In this capacity, the Tangerine Bowl sought to match the two best non-major teams in a 17-state Eastern Region stretching from New England to Florida.

In 1968, the Boardwalk Bowl in Atlantic City took over as the College Division Eastern regional final, and the Tangerine Bowl became a major college bowl game, featuring teams from the University Division (which became Division I in 1973).

The Tangerine Bowl name was used through the December 1982 game. The same name was re-used later, but for a bowl game with a different lineage.

Further information: Tangerine Bowl (2001–2003)

### Florida Citrus Bowl (1983–2002)

[edit]

In March 1983, the name of the game was changed from Tangerine Bowl to Florida Citrus Bowl, via a $1.25 million agreement with the Florida Citrus Commission; the bowl's organizing committee also changed its name from Tangerine Sports Association to Florida Citrus Sports Association.[6] A month earlier, organizers had rejected a proposal to rename the game to Grapefruit Bowl.[7]

In 1986, it was one of the bowl games considered for the site of the "winner take all" national championship game between Penn State and Miami, before the Fiesta Bowl was eventually chosen.

The January 1991 game had national championship implications for the 1990 season; Georgia Tech won the Florida Citrus Bowl, finished 11–0–1, and was voted the 1990 UPI national champion. That occurrence marks a rare example of a non-New Year's Six bowl game featuring a team later named national champion.

The January 1, 1998, game, which featured nearby Florida beating Penn State, holds the game's attendance record at 72,940.

### Capital One Bowl (2003–2014)

[edit]

Starting with the January 2003 edition, the bowl was renamed as the Capital One Bowl, with title sponsorship by Capital One.

In 2004, the bowl bid to become the fifth BCS game, but was not chosen, primarily due to the stadium's aging condition. In July 2007, the Orange County Commissioners voted in favor of spending $1.1 billion to build the Amway Center for the Orlando Magic, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and to upgrade the Citrus Bowl stadium.

Following the January 2014 game, Capital One ceased its sponsorship of the bowl, and moved its sponsorship to the Orange Bowl.[8]

### Citrus Bowl (2015–present)

[edit]

Buffalo Wild Wings was announced as the new sponsor of the bowl game, which was renamed as Citrus Bowl, for the January 2015 edition. Buffalo Wild Wings had previously been the title sponsor of what had been the Insight Bowl.[9] In the offseason of 2017, Buffalo Wild Wings ceased sponsoring the bowl. Following sponsorship by Overton's (2018) and Vrbo (2019–2022), Kellogg's became the title sponsor in November 2022, via its Cheez-It brand.[10]

The 2016 season game was played on December 31, the first time in 30 years that the game was not played on January 1 or 2.

### Conference tie-ins

[edit]

From 1968 through 1975, the bowl featured the Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion against an opponent from the Southern Conference (1968–1971), the Southeastern Conference (SEC) (1973–1974), or an at-large opponent (1972, 1975). MAC teams were 6–2 during those games.

As the major football conferences relaxed restrictions on post-season play in the mid-1970s, the bowl went to a matchup between two at-large teams from major conferences, with one school typically (but not always) from the South.

From the 1987 season through the 1991 season, the bowl featured the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champion against an at-large opponent. ACC teams were 3–2 during those games.

From the 1992 season through the 2015 season, the bowl featured an SEC vs. Big Ten matchup – the SEC won 14 of those games, while the Big Ten won 10.

During the 1990s, the second-place finisher in the SEC typically went to this bowl. Florida coach Steve Spurrier, speaking to the fact that Tennessee occupied that spot three of four years as Florida finished first, famously quipped "You can't spell 'Citrus' without U-T!"[11]

Currently, the bowl has tie-ins with the SEC and the Big Ten, holding the first selection after the CFP selection process for both conferences. Since the formation of the CFP, the Citrus Bowl has a chance to occasionally host an ACC team, replacing the Big Ten representative. This will happen the years in which the Orange Bowl is not a CFP semi-final game and selects a Big Ten team to match against their ACC team. This happened following the 2016 season, as the Orange Bowl was not a CFP semi-final and invited Michigan of the Big Ten to face Florida State of the ACC; the Citrus Bowl then invited Louisville of the ACC to face LSU of the SEC.[12] The next year, Wisconsin was invited to the Orange Bowl, so the SEC's LSU was pitted against Notre Dame, who received an invite in lieu of an ACC team.

### Racial integration

[edit]

The undefeated 1955 Hillsdale College football team refused an invitation to the January 1956 edition of the bowl when bowl officials insisted that Hillsdale's four African-American players would not be allowed to play in the game.[13][14]

Further information: 1956 Tangerine Bowl

The University at Buffalo's first bowl bid was to the December 1958 edition. The Tangerine Bowl Commission hoped that the Orlando High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), which operated the stadium, would waive its rule that prohibited integrated sporting events. When it refused, the team unanimously voted to skip the bowl because its two black players (halfback Willie Evans and end Mike Wilson) would not have been allowed on the field.[15] Buffalo did not become bowl-eligible for another 50 years. During the 2008 season, when the Bulls were on the verge of bowl eligibility, the 1958 team was profiled on ESPN's Outside the Lines.[16][17] The 2008 team went on to win the Mid-American Conference title, and played in the International Bowl.

Further information: 1958 Tangerine Bowl (December)

Eight years later, OHSAA's rule had been changed, and Morgan State of Baltimore, under head coach Earl Banks, became the first historically black college to play in (and win) a Tangerine Bowl.[18]

Further information: 1966 Tangerine Bowl

### Gainesville

[edit]

In early 1973, construction improvements were planned for the then 17,000-seat Tangerine Bowl stadium to expand to over 51,000 seats. In early summer 1973, however, construction was stalled due to legal concerns, and the improvements were delayed. Late in the 1973 season, Tangerine Bowl President Will Gieger and other officials planned to invite the Miami Redskins and the East Carolina Pirates to Orlando for the game. On November 19, 1973, East Carolina withdrew from bowl consideration when no invitation arrived before Thanksgiving break,[19] and the bowl was left with one at-large bid. In an unexpected and unprecedented move, game officials decided to invite the Florida Gators, and move the game to Florida Field in Gainesville, the Gators' home stadium. The larger stadium was needed to accommodate the large crowd expected. The move required special permission from the NCAA, and special accommodations were made.[20] Both teams were headquartered in Orlando for the week, and spent most of their time there, including practices, and were bused up to Gainesville.

The participants were greeted with an unexpected event, a near-record low temperature of 25 °F (−4 °C). Despite the home-field advantage, in the game nicknamed the "Transplant Bowl",[21] Miami, who found the cold much more to its liking, defeated the Gators, 16–7. One of the players on the victorious Redskins squad was future Gators coach Ron Zook.

The one-time moving of the game, and the fears of a permanent relocation, rejuvenated the stalled stadium renovations in Orlando. The game returned to Orlando for 1974, and within a couple of years, the expansion project was complete.

### Mascot Challenge

[edit]

The "Capital One Mascot Challenge" (formerly known as the "Capital One National Mascot of the Year") was a contest where fans voted for their favorite college mascot. The contest began in 2002 with the winner being named during the halftime; the winning school was awarded $20,000 towards their mascot program. With the ending of Capital One's sponsorship of the Citrus Bowl, the challenge was moved in 2014 to the Orange Bowl with Capital One's sponsorship of that game. The 2014 season was also the last time that the contest was held.[22]

List of Capital One Mascot Challenge winners

Season  | Mascot  | University
2002  | Monte | University of Montana
2003  | Cocky | University of South Carolina
2004  | Monte | University of Montana
2005  | Herbie Husker | University of Nebraska–Lincoln
2006  | Butch T. Cougar | Washington State University
2007  | Zippy | University of Akron
2008  | Cy the Cardinal | Iowa State University
2009  | The Bearcat | University of Cincinnati
2010  | Big Blue | Old Dominion University
2011  | Wolfie Jr. | University of Nevada, Reno
2012  | Raider Red | Texas Tech University
2013  | Rocky the Bull | University of South Florida
2014  | Aubie | Auburn University

## Game results

[edit]

Rankings are based on the AP poll prior to the game being played. Italics denote a tie game.

No.  | Date played  | Game name  | Winning team  | Losing team  | Attendance

|
|
|
|
|

1 | January 1, 1947 | Tangerine Bowl | Catawba | 31 | Maryville | 6 | 9,000
2 | January 1, 1948 | Tangerine Bowl | Catawba | 7 | Marshall | 0 | 9,000
3 | January 1, 1949 | Tangerine Bowl | Murray State 21, Sul Ross State 21 | 9,000
4 | January 2, 1950 | Tangerine Bowl | Saint Vincent | 7 | Emory and Henry | 6 | 9,500
5 | January 1, 1951 | Tangerine Bowl | Morris Harvey | 35 | Emory and Henry | 14 | 10,000
6 | January 1, 1952 | Tangerine Bowl | Stetson | 35 | Arkansas State | 20 | 12,500
7 | January 1, 1953 | Tangerine Bowl | East Texas State | 33 | Tennessee Tech | 0 | 12,340
8 | January 1, 1954 | Tangerine Bowl | Arkansas State 7, East Texas State 7 | 12,976
9 | January 1, 1955 | Tangerine Bowl | Omaha | 7 | Eastern Kentucky | 6 | 12,759
10 | January 2, 1956 | Tangerine Bowl | Juniata 6, Missouri Valley 6 | 10,000
Teams competing from both NCAA College & University divisions
11 | January 1, 1957 | Tangerine Bowl | West Texas State | 20 | Mississippi Southern | 13 | 11,000
12 | January 1, 1958 | Tangerine Bowl | East Texas State | 10 | Mississippi Southern | 9 | 10,500
13 | December 27, 1958 | Tangerine Bowl | East Texas State | 26 | Missouri Valley | 7 | 4,000
14 | January 1, 1960 | Tangerine Bowl | Middle Tennessee | 21 | Presbyterian | 12 | 12,500
15 | December 30, 1960 | Tangerine Bowl | The Citadel | 27 | Tennessee Tech | 0 | 13,000
16 | December 29, 1961 | Tangerine Bowl | Lamar Tech | 21 | Middle Tennessee | 14 | 6,000
17 | December 22, 1962 | Tangerine Bowl | Houston | 49 | Miami (OH) | 21 | 7,500
18 | December 28, 1963 | Tangerine Bowl | Western Kentucky | 27 | Coast Guard | 0 | 7,500
NCAA College Division (Small College) East Regional Final
19 | December 12, 1964 | Tangerine Bowl | East Carolina | 14 | UMass | 13 | 8,000
20 | December 11, 1965 | Tangerine Bowl | East Carolina | 31 | Maine | 0 | 8,350
21 | December 10, 1966 | Tangerine Bowl | Morgan State | 14 | West Chester | 6 | 7,138
22 | December 16, 1967 | Tangerine Bowl | Tennessee–Martin | 25 | West Chester | 8 | 5,500
NCAA University Division (Major College)
23 | December 27, 1968 | Tangerine Bowl | Richmond | 49 | #15 Ohio | 42 | 16,114
24 | December 26, 1969 | Tangerine Bowl | #20 Toledo | 56 | Davidson | 33 | 16,311
25 | December 28, 1970 | Tangerine Bowl | #15 Toledo | 40 | William & Mary | 12 | 15,664
26 | December 28, 1971 | Tangerine Bowl | #14 Toledo | 28 | Richmond | 3 | 16,750
27 | December 29, 1972 | Tangerine Bowl | Tampa | 21 | Kent State | 18 | 20,062
NCAA Division I
28 | December 22, 1973 | Tangerine Bowl | #15 Miami (OH) | 16 | Florida | 7 | 37,234
29 | December 21, 1974 | Tangerine Bowl | #15 Miami (OH) | 21 | Georgia | 10 | 20,246
30 | December 20, 1975 | Tangerine Bowl | #12 Miami (OH) | 20 | South Carolina | 7 | 20,247
31 | December 18, 1976 | Tangerine Bowl | #14 Oklahoma State | 49 | BYU | 21 | 37,812
32 | December 23, 1977 | Tangerine Bowl | #19 Florida State | 40 | Texas Tech | 17 | 44,502
NCAA Division I-A
33 | December 23, 1978 | Tangerine Bowl | NC State | 30 | Pittsburgh | 17 | 31,356
34 | December 22, 1979 | Tangerine Bowl | LSU | 34 | Wake Forest | 10 | 38,666
35 | December 20, 1980 | Tangerine Bowl | Florida | 35 | Maryland | 20 | 52,541
36 | December 19, 1981 | Tangerine Bowl | Missouri | 19 | #18 Southern Miss | 17 | 50,045
37 | December 18, 1982 | Tangerine Bowl | #18 Auburn | 33 | Boston College | 26 | 51,296
38 | December 17, 1983 | Florida Citrus Bowl | Tennessee | 30 | #16 Maryland | 23 | 50,500
39 | December 22, 1984 | Florida Citrus Bowl | Georgia 17, #15 Florida State 17 | 51,821
40 | December 28, 1985 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #17 Ohio State | 10 | #9 BYU | 7 | 50,920
41 | January 1, 1987 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #10 Auburn | 16 | USC | 7 | 51,113
42 | January 1, 1988 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #14 Clemson | 35 | #20 Penn State | 10 | 53,152
43 | January 2, 1989 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #9 Clemson | 13 | #10 Oklahoma | 6 | 53,571
44 | January 1, 1990 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #11 Illinois | 31 | #16 Virginia | 21 | 60,016
45 | January 1, 1991 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #2 Georgia Tech | 45 | #19 Nebraska | 21 | 72,328
46 | January 1, 1992 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #14 California | 37 | #13 Clemson | 13 | 64,192
47 | January 1, 1993 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #8 Georgia | 21 | #15 Ohio State | 14 | 65,861
48 | January 1, 1994 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #13 Penn State | 31 | #6 Tennessee | 13 | 72,456
49 | January 2, 1995 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #6 Alabama | 24 | #13 Ohio State | 17 | 71,195
50 | January 1, 1996 | Florida Citrus Bowl | T-#4 Tennessee | 20 | T-#4 Ohio State | 14 | 70,797
51 | January 1, 1997 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #9 Tennessee | 48 | #11 Northwestern | 28 | 63,467
52 | January 1, 1998 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #6 Florida | 21 | #11 Penn State | 6 | 72,940
53 | January 1, 1999 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #15 Michigan | 45 | #11 Arkansas | 31 | 67,584
54 | January 1, 2000 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #9 Michigan State | 37 | #10 Florida | 34 | 62,011
55 | January 1, 2001 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #17 Michigan | 31 | #20 Auburn | 28 | 66,928
56 | January 1, 2002 | Florida Citrus Bowl | #8 Tennessee | 45 | #17 Michigan | 17 | 59,653
57 | January 1, 2003 | Capital One Bowl | #19 Auburn | 13 | #10 Penn State | 9 | 66,334
58 | January 1, 2004 | Capital One Bowl | #11 Georgia | 34 | #12 Purdue | 27 (OT) | 64,565
59 | January 1, 2005 | Capital One Bowl | #11 Iowa | 30 | #12 LSU | 25 | 70,229
60 | January 2, 2006 | Capital One Bowl | #20 Wisconsin | 24 | #7 Auburn | 10 | 57,221
NCAA Division I FBS
61 | January 1, 2007 | Capital One Bowl | #5 Wisconsin | 17 | #13 Arkansas | 14 | 60,774
62 | January 1, 2008 | Capital One Bowl | Michigan | 41 | #12 Florida | 35 | 69,748
63 | January 1, 2009 | Capital One Bowl | #15 Georgia | 24 | #18 Michigan State | 12 | 59,681
64 | January 1, 2010 | Capital One Bowl | #11 Penn State | 19 | #15 LSU | 17 | 63,025
65 | January 1, 2011 | Capital One Bowl |  #16 Alabama | 49 | #9 Michigan State | 7 | 61,519
66 | January 2, 2012 | Capital One Bowl | #9 South Carolina | 30 | #20 Nebraska | 13 | 61,351
67 | January 1, 2013 | Capital One Bowl | #6 Georgia | 45 | #23 Nebraska | 31 | 59,712
68 | January 1, 2014 | Capital One Bowl | #9 South Carolina | 34 | #19 Wisconsin | 24 | 56,629
69 | January 1, 2015 | Citrus Bowl | #16 Missouri | 33 | #25 Minnesota | 17 | 48,624
70 | January 1, 2016 | Citrus Bowl | #14 Michigan | 41 | #19 Florida | 7 | 63,113
71 | December 31, 2016 | Citrus Bowl | #20 LSU | 29 | #13 Louisville | 9 | 46,063
72 | January 1, 2018 | Citrus Bowl | #14 Notre Dame | 21 | #17 LSU | 17 | 57,726
73 | January 1, 2019 | Citrus Bowl | #16 Kentucky | 27 | #13 Penn State | 24 | 59,167
74 | January 1, 2020 | Citrus Bowl | #9 Alabama | 35 | #17 Michigan | 16 | 59,746
75 | January 1, 2021 | Citrus Bowl | #15 Northwestern | 35 | Auburn | 19 | 13,039
76 | January 1, 2022 | Citrus Bowl | #25 Kentucky | 20 | #17 Iowa | 17 | 50,769
77 | January 2, 2023 | Citrus Bowl | #16 LSU | 63 | Purdue | 7 | 42,791
78 | January 1, 2024 | Citrus Bowl | #25 Tennessee | 35 | #20 Iowa | 0 | 43,861
79 | December 31, 2024 |  Citrus Bowl | #21 Illinois | 21 | #14 South Carolina | 17 | 47,129

Source:[23]

## MVPs

[edit]

Multiple players were recognized in some games – detail, where known, is denoted with B (outstanding back), L (outstanding lineman), O (outstanding offensive player), D (outstanding defensive player), or M (overall MVP) per contemporary newspaper reports.

| Game  | MVP(s)  | Team  | Pos.  | Type

|
|
|
|

Jan. 1949 | Dale McDaniel | Murray State | HB
Ted Scown | Sul Ross State | HB
Jan. 1950 | Don Henigin | St. Vincent | FB
Chick Davis | Emory & Henry | QB
Jan. 1951 | Pete Anania | Morris Harvey | QB
Charles Hubbard | E
Jan. 1952 | Bill Johnson | Stetson | QB
Dave Laude | E
Jan. 1953 | Marvin Brown | East Texas State | HB
Jan. 1954 | Bobby Spann | Arkansas State | QB
Jan. 1955 | Bill Englehardt | Omaha | HB
Jan. 1956 | Barry Drexler | Juniata | E
Jan. 1957 | Ron Mills | West Texas State | HB
Jan. 1958 | Norman Roberts | East Texas State | E
Dec. 1958 | Sam McCord | East Texas State | QB
Jan. 1960 | Bob Waters | Presbyterian | QB
Dec. 1960 | Jerry Nettles | Citadel | QB
Dec. 1961 | Ralph Stone | Lamar | HB
Dec. 1962 | Billy Roland | Houston | QB
Dec. 1963 | Sharon Miller | Western Kentucky | QB
Dec. 1964 | Bill Cline | East Carolina | TB
Dec. 1965 | Dave Alexander | East Carolina | FB
Dec. 1966 | Willie Lanier | Morgan State | LB
Dec. 1967 | Errol Hook | Tennessee–Martin | QB | O
Gordon Lambert | Tennessee–Martin | DE | D
Dec. 1968 | Buster O'Brien | Richmond | QB | B
Walker Gillette | Richmond | SE | L
Dec. 1969 | Chuck Ealey | Toledo | QB | B
Dan Crockett | Toledo | WB | L
Dec. 1970 | Chuck Ealey | Toledo | QB | O
Vince Hubler | William & Mary | LB | D
Dec. 1971 | Chuck Ealey | Toledo | QB | B
Mel Long | Toledo | DT | L
Dec. 1972 | Freddie Solomon | Tampa | QB | B
Jack Lambert | Kent State | LB | L
Dec. 1973 | Chuck Varner | Miami (OH) | FB | B
Brad Cousino | Miami (OH) | MG | L
Dec. 1974 | Sherman Smith | Miami (OH) | QB | B
Brad Cousino | Miami (OH) | MG | L
John Roudabush | Miami (OH) | LB
Dec. 1975 | Rob Carpenter | Miami (OH) | TB | O
Jeff Kelly | Miami (OH) | MG | D
Dec. 1976 | Terry Miller | Oklahoma State | HB | M, O
Phillip Dokes | Oklahoma State | DT | D
Dec. 1977 | Jimmy Jordan | Florida State | QB | M, O
Willie Jones | Florida State | LB | D
Dec. 1978 | Ted Brown | North Carolina State | RB | M
Nathan Ritter | North Carolina State | K | O
John Stanton | North Carolina State | MG | D
Dec. 1979 | David Woodley | LSU | QB | M
Jerry Murphree | LSU | RB | O
Benjy Thibodeaux | LSU | DT | D
| Game  | MVP(s)  | Team  | Pos.  | Type

|
|
|
|

Dec. 1980 | Cris Collinsworth | Florida | WR | M
Charlie Wysocki | Florida | RB | O
David Galloway | Florida | DT | D
Dec. 1981 | Jeff Gaylord | Missouri | LB
Dec. 1982 | Randy Campbell | Auburn | QB
Dec. 1983 | Johnnie Jones | Tennessee | RB
Dec. 1984 | James Jackson | Georgia | QB
Dec. 1985 | Larry Kolic | Ohio State | LB
Jan. 1987 | Aundray Bruce | Auburn | LB
Jan. 1988 | Rodney Williams | Clemson | QB
Jan. 1989 | Terry Allen | Clemson | RB
Jan. 1990 | Jeff George | Illinois | QB
Jan. 1991 | Shawn Jones | Georgia Tech | QB
Jan. 1992 | Mike Pawlawski | California | QB
Jan. 1993 | Garrison Hearst | Georgia | RB
Jan. 1994 | Bobby Engram | Penn State | WR
Jan. 1995 | Sherman Williams | Alabama | RB
Jan. 1996 | Jay Graham | Tennessee | RB
Jan. 1997 | Peyton Manning | Tennessee | QB
Jan. 1998 | Fred Taylor | Florida | RB
Jan. 1999 | Anthony Thomas | Michigan | RB
Jan. 2000 | Plaxico Burress | Michigan State | WR
Jan. 2001 | Anthony Thomas | Michigan | RB
Jan. 2002 | Casey Clausen | Tennessee | QB
Jan. 2003 | Ronnie Brown | Auburn | RB
Jan. 2004 | David Greene | Georgia | QB
Jan. 2005 | Drew Tate | Iowa | QB
Jan. 2006 | Brian Calhoun | Wisconsin | RB
Jan. 2007 | John Stocco | Wisconsin | QB
Jan. 2008 | Chad Henne | Michigan | QB
Jan. 2009 | Matthew Stafford | Georgia | QB
Jan. 2010 | Daryll Clark | Penn State | QB
Jan. 2011 | Courtney Upshaw | Alabama | LB
Jan. 2012 | Alshon Jeffery | South Carolina | WR
Jan. 2013 | Aaron Murray | Georgia | QB
Jan. 2014 | Connor Shaw | South Carolina | QB
Jan. 2015 | Markus Golden | Missouri | DE
Jan. 2016 | Jake Rudock | Michigan | QB
Dec. 2016 | Derrius Guice | LSU | RB
Jan. 2018 | Miles Boykin | Notre Dame | WR
Jan. 2019 | Benny Snell | Kentucky | RB
Jan. 2020 | Jerry Jeudy | Alabama | WR
Jan. 2021 | Peyton Ramsey | Northwestern | QB
Jan. 2022 | Wan'Dale Robinson | Kentucky | WR
Jan. 2023 | Malik Nabers | LSU | WR
Jan. 2024 | Nico Iamaleava | Tennessee | QB
Dec. 2024 | Josh McCray | Illinois | RB

Source:[24]

Three players have been recognized in multiple games; Chuck Ealey of Toledo (1969, 1970, 1971), Brad Cousino of Miami (OH) (1973, 1974), and Anthony Thomas of Michigan (1999, 2001).

## Most appearances

[edit]

Note: this section reflects games played since 1968, when the bowl started hosting major college teams.

Tennessee has the most wins by a single team with 5. Florida and Penn State have the most losses by a single team with 4.

Updated through the December 2024 edition (57 games, 114 total appearances).

Teams with multiple appearances

| Rank  | Team  | Appearances  | Record  | Win pct.

|
|
|
|

T1 | Tennessee | 6 | 5–1 | .833
T1 | Georgia | 6 | 4–1–1 | .750
T1 | Michigan | 6 | 4–2 | .667
T1 | Florida | 6 | 2–4 | .333
T1 | Penn State | 6 | 2–4 | .333
T1 | Auburn | 6 | 3–3 | .500
T1 | LSU | 6 | 3–3 | .500
T8 | South Carolina | 4 | 2–2 | .500
T8 | Ohio State | 4 | 1–3 | .250
T10 | Alabama | 3 | 3–0 | 1.000
T10 | Miami (OH) | 3 | 3–0 | 1.000
T10 | Toledo | 3 | 3–0 | 1.000
T10 | Clemson | 3 | 2–1 | .667
T10 | Wisconsin | 3 | 2–1 | .667
T10 | Iowa | 3 | 1–2 | .333
T10 | Michigan State | 3 | 1–2 | .333
T10 | Nebraska | 3 | 0–3 | .000
| Rank  | Team  | Appearances  | Record  | Win pct.

|
|
|
|

T18 | Missouri | 2 | 2–0 | 1.000
T18 | Kentucky | 2 | 2–0 | 1.000
T18 | Illinois | 2 | 2–0 | 1.000
T18 | Northwestern | 2 | 1–1 | .500
T18 | Richmond | 2 | 1–1 | .500
T18 | Florida State | 2 | 0–1–1 | .250
T18 | Purdue | 2 | 0–2 | .000
T18 | Arkansas | 2 | 0–2 | .000
T18 | BYU | 2 | 0–2 | .000
T18 | Maryland | 2 | 0–2 | .000

Teams with a single appearance

Won (6): California, Georgia Tech, NC State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Tampa
Lost (14): Boston College, Davidson, Kent State, Louisville, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Southern Miss, Texas Tech, USC, Virginia, Wake Forest, William & Mary

## Appearances by conference

[edit]

Note: this table reflects games played since 1968, when the bowl started hosting major college teams.

Updated through the December 2024 edition (57 games, 114 total appearances).

Conference  | Record  | Appearances by season

|
|

Games  | W  | L  | T  | Win pct.  | Won  | Lost  | Tied
SEC | 41 | 25 | 15 | 1 | .622  | 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986*, 1992*, 1994*, 1995*, 1996*, 1997*, 2001*, 2002*, 2003*, 2008*, 2010*, 2011*, 2012*, 2013*, 2014*, 2016, 2018*, 2019*, 2021*, 2022*, 2023*  | 1973, 1974, 1993*, 1998*, 1999*, 2000*, 2004*, 2005*, 2006*, 2007*, 2009*, 2015*, 2017*, 2020*, 2024  | 1984
Big Ten | 33 | 14 | 19 | 0 | .424  | 1985, 1989*, 1993*, 1998*, 1999*, 2000*, 2004*, 2005*, 2006*, 2007*, 2009*, 2015*, 2020*, 2024  | 1992*, 1994*, 1995*, 1996*, 1997*, 2001*, 2002*, 2003*, 2008*, 2010*, 2011*, 2012*, 2013*, 2014*, 2018*, 2019*, 2021*, 2022*, 2023*  |
ACC | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400  | 1978, 1987*, 1988*, 1990*  | 1979, 1980, 1983, 1989*, 1991*, 2016  |
Independents | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | .389  | 1972, 1977, 2017*  | 1975, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1987*  | 1984
MAC | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750  | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975  | 1968, 1972  |
Big Eight | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500  | 1976, 1981  | 1988*, 1990*  |
SoCon | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250  | 1968  | 1969, 1970, 1971  |
Pac-10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500  | 1991*  | 1986*  |
WAC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000  |   | 1976, 1985  |
SWC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000  |   | 1977  |

* Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
* Records are based on a team's conference affiliation at the time the game was played; for example, Penn State has appeared both as a Big Ten team and as an Independent team.
* Conferences that are defunct or not currently active in FBS are marked in italics.
* Independent appearances: Boston College (1982), Florida State (1977, 1984), Notre Dame (2017*), Penn State (1987*), Pittsburgh (1978), South Carolina (1975), Southern Miss (1981), and Tampa (1972).

## Game records

[edit]

Team  | Performance vs. Opponent  | Year

|
|

Most points scored (one team)  | 63, LSU vs. Purdue  | 2023
Most points scored (both teams)  | 91, Richmond (49) vs. Ohio (42)  | 1968
Most points scored (losing team)  | 42, Ohio vs. Richmond  | 1968
Fewest points scored (winning team)  | 7, most recently:
Omaha (7) vs. Eastern Kentucky (6)  |
1955
Fewest points scored (both teams)  | 7, Catawba (7) vs. Marshall (0)  | 1948
Fewest points allowed  | 0, most recently:
Tennessee (35) vs. Iowa (0)  |
2024
Largest margin of victory  | 56, LSU (63) vs. Purdue (7)  | 2023
Total yards  | 594, LSU vs. Purdue  | 2023
Rushing yards  | 375, Oklahoma State vs. BYU  | 1976
Passing yards  | 455, Florida State vs. Texas Tech  | 1977
First downs  | 32, Richmond vs. Ohio  | 1968
Fewest yards allowed  |  |
Fewest rushing yards allowed  |  |
Fewest passing yards allowed  |  |
Individual  | Record, Player, Team  | Year
All-purpose yards |  |
Touchdowns (overall) |  |
Rushing yards | 234, Fred Taylor (Florida) | 1998
Rushing touchdowns | 4, Terry Miller (Oklahoma State) | 1976
Passing yards | 447, Buster O'Brien (Richmond) | 1968
Passing touchdowns | 5, Aaron Murray (Georgia) | 2013
Receiving yards | 242, Walker Gillette (Richmond) | 1968
Receiving touchdowns | 3, shared by:
Plaxico Burress (Michigan State)
Travis Taylor (Florida)
Todd Snyder (Ohio) |
2000
2000
1968
Tackles | 17, shared by:
Te'von Coney (Notre Dame)
Eric Wilson (Maryland) |
2018
1983
Sacks |  |
Interceptions | 2, most recently:
Skai Moore (South Carolina) | 2014
Long Plays  | Record, Player, Team  | Year
Touchdown run | 78 yds., Russell Hansbrough (Missouri) | 2015
Touchdown pass | 87 yds., Aaron Murray to Chris Conley (Georgia) | 2013
Kickoff return | 102 yds., Dave Lowert (BYU) | 1976
Punt return | 78 yds., Renard Harmon (Kent State) | 1972
Interception return | 99 yds., Quad Wilson (LSU) | 2023
Fumble return |  |
Punt | 71 yds., shared by:
Blake Gillikin (Penn State)
Jay Jones (Richmond) |
2019
1971
Field goal | 57 yds., Quinn Nordin (Michigan) | 2020
Miscellaneous  | Record, Team vs. Team  | Year
Bowl attendance | 73,328, Georgia Tech vs. Nebraska | 1991

Source:[25][26]

## Media coverage

[edit]

The bowl has been broadcast by Mizlou (1976–1983), NBC (1984–1985), and ABC since then, with the exception of ESPN for the 2011 and 2012 editions.[27] Broadcast information for earlier editions of the bowl is lacking.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ For three games that re-used Tangerine Bowl naming two decades later, see Tangerine Bowl (2001–2003).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
2. ^ "Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl > Home". buffalowildwingscitrusbowl.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-23.
3. ^ "Cheez-It Signs on as Title Sponsor of Citrus Bowl". Retrieved November 15, 2022.
4. ^ "Bowl Game Payouts are Practically a Small Fortune in College Football". Fan Buzz College and Professional Sports News. 3 December 2019.
5. ^ "Clipped From Orlando Evening Star". Orlando Evening Star. 1947-12-17. p. 15. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
6. ^ Tracy, Dan (March 17, 1983). "$1 million Citrus Bowl approved". Orlando Sentinel. p. C1. Retrieved December 24, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
7. ^ Tracy, Dan (February 5, 1983). "TSA nixes Grapefruit Bowl idea". Orlando Sentinel. p. C1. Retrieved December 24, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Capital One to sponsor Orange Bowl". SI.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-07.
9. ^ Repchak, Matt (21 October 2014). "Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl begins new era for Orlando's New Year's Day game". Florida Citrus Sports. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
10. ^ "CHEEZ-IT® JOINS CITRUS BOWL AS TITLE PARTNER FOR THE NEWLY NAMED CHEEZ-IT® CITRUS BOWL". Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. November 15, 2022. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
11. ^ Fuhrmeister, Chris (October 18, 2013). "The 14 best Steve Spurrier quotes of now and then". SB Nation. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
12. ^ Whaley, Anson (December 4, 2016). "Sorting out the ACC Bowl slotting mess, Pitt missed good chance to slide into elite bowl game". SB Nation. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2017 – via cardiachill.com.
13. ^ "1955 Football Team". hillsdalechargers.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2017 – via Wayback Machine.
14. ^ Cramer, Dick (December 2, 1955). "Better Kind Of Glory". The Michigan Daily. Ann Arbor, Michigan. p. 4\. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2017 – via The Michigan Daily Digital Archives.
15. ^ "Race Bias Makes Lemon Of Tangerine Bowl Bid". New York Age. New York City. December 6, 1958. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
16. ^ Neal, Eric (2008). "All Or Nothing". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
17. ^ "1958 Buffalo Football". hobbsbrother4. February 18, 2010. Archived from the original on October 27, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2017 – via YouTube.
18. ^ Schmuck, Peter (December 25, 2015). "1966 Morgan State bowl team that broke barriers to be honored". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
19. ^ "Pirates Nix Any Bowl Invitations". Times-News. Burlington, North Carolina. AP. November 20, 1973. p. 16. Retrieved February 7, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
20. ^ "Tangerine Invites Florida". Times-News. Burlington, North Carolina. AP. November 20, 1973. p. 16. Retrieved February 7, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
21. ^ Clark, Bill (December 22, 1973). "Temp Takes Miami Bounce So Put On The Woolies". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
22. ^ "Auburn Tigers' mascot Aubie wins Capital One Mascot Challenge 2014". WSFA. January 1, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
23. ^ "VRBO Citrus Bowl" (PDF). Bowl/All Star Game Records. NCAA. 2020. pp. 7–8. Retrieved January 3, 2021 – via NCAA.org.
24. ^ Huett, Wes (December 31, 2024). "Citrus Bowl MVP: Illinois running back Josh McCray player of the game". Yahoo Sports. Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
25. ^ "Game Records". 2021 Citrus Bowl Game Day Program. Florida Citrus Sports. January 1, 2021. pp. 20, 22. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
26. ^ Fappiano, Dan (January 2, 2023). "LSU sets Citrus Bowl record with insane 63-point outburst vs. Purdue". ClutchPoints. Retrieved January 4, 2023 – via MSN.com. "They set the Citrus Bowl record for most points scored, total yards (594) and margin of victory (56)."
27. ^ Kelly, Doug (ed.). "2019–20 Football Bowl Association Media Guide" (PDF). footballbowlassociation.com. pp. 149–150. Retrieved January 3, 2020.

### Additional sources

[edit]

* Orlando Sentinel-Star (November 20, 1973); Various articles- Accessed via microfilm 01-03-2007.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Citrus Bowl (game).

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