The seventh-oldest collegiate bowl game in the country, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl began as the Tangerine Bowl in 1947. The initial game sponsors, members of Elks Lodge #1079 of Orlando, each put up $100 to fund initial expenses.

Since 1993 the bowl has hosted top teams from the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences.

In the new “College Football Playoff” era of college football’s postseason, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl will continue to host the top Big Ten and SEC teams from outside the CFP series of bowls (including Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange, Cotton and Peach).

The game moved to a New Year’s Day date in 1987 and has remained a New Year’s Day tradition except in years when the holiday falls on a Sunday.

01/01/1947

Catawba’s quarterback Harold Bowen ran for one touchdown, passed for two and ran an interception back for a fourth as he led the Indians to a 31-6 win over Maryville in the inaugural Tangerine Bowl in front of the crowd of 9,000.

12/29/1972

Tampa held off a Kent State rally for a 21-18 victory in the 27th annual Tangerine Bowl. Tampa jumped out to an early 21-0 lead on Paul Orndorff (now Mr. Wonderful of Pro Wrestling fame) TD receptions of 15- and 35-yards and a Freddie Solomon two-yard run before KSU staged a comeback in the second half. The difference in the game was extra points. Tampa connected on all three while Kent State failed to convert on its three attempts.

12/22/1973

The 28th annual Tangerine Bowl marked the first time that the game was played outside of Orlando and a Division I-A team was involved. In order to accommodate a record crowd of 37,234 enthusiastic fans, the game was moved to Florida Field in Gainesville. Miami entered the game with an 11-0 record and the nation’s top-ranked defense that lived up to the hype holding the Gators to just one score on their home field.

12/18/1982

In front of a sellout crowd of 51,296, Auburn took home its first bowl victory since 1974 with freshman running back Bo Jackson leading the way with two rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Randy Campbell, who completed 10-of-16 passes for 177 yards, earned MVP honors while Boston College sophomore quarterback Doug Flutie passed for 299 yards and two touchdowns to earn Offensive Player of the Game honors.

12/22/1984

In the 39th Florida Citrus Bowl, Kevin Butler’s 70-yard field goal attempt fell just short of the crossbar as time expired resulting in a 17-17 tie between the two major college rivals in one of the most thrilling Florida Citrus Bowl Games ever played. Walt Disney World presented its critically acclaimed halftime show “Holiday Fantasy” in the first major network (NBC) broadcast of the Florida Citrus Bowl.

01/01/1991

The 1991 Florida Citrus Bowl featured a national championship contender for the first time in its history when Georgia Tech, appearing in its first bowl game since 1985, brought an undefeated record of 10-0-1 and a No. 2 national ranking in both the AP and UPI polls. Tech QB Shawn Jones compiled 318 yards of total offense to establish a new Tech bowl game record and earn MVP honors. Tech’s win catapulted it to the 1991 National Championship.

01/02/1995

With the score tied at 17-17 with just over one minute remaining and the ball on the 50-yard line, Alabama quarterback Jay Barker hit running back Sherman Williams, who weaved downfield to the end zone for the deciding score. Williams, voted the game’s MVP, finished with 359 all-purpose yards (166 rush, 155 pass, 38 kickoff ret.) and two touchdowns.

01/01/2000

Paul Edinger kicked a 39-yard field goal as time expired as the Spartans defeated Steve Spurrier’s Gators, 37-34. Quarterbacks Bill Burke of Michigan State and Doug Johnson of Florida threw three touchdowns each – the first time in bowl history that both team quarterbacks had thrown for three TDs, and the first time that two different players – Plaxico Burress and Travis Taylor – had caught three passes for scores.

01/01/2005

Drew Tate hit split end Warren Holloway on a 56-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game to give the Iowa Hawkeyes an incredible 30-25 win over LSU in the 59th edition of the Capital One Bowl. It was Holloway’s only touchdown during his four-year career at Iowa.

01/01/2008

The Wolverines snapped a four-game bowl losing streak with a 41-35 Capital One Bowl victory over the Florida Gators before a Florida Citrus Bowl crowd of 69,748 in the final appearance for Carr. Carr concluded his storied Michigan coaching career with a 122-40 record, the 1997 national championship, and five Big Ten championships. Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow registered 211 total yards -- 154 passing and 57 rushing -- and four touchdowns for UF.

01/01/2016

The Michigan Wolverines knocked off the Florida Gators 41-7 in front of a 63,113, a record attendance for the stadium after reconstruction, in the 70th Annual Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl. With the teams tied 7-7 after the first quarter, Michigan went on to score the game’s final 34 points en route to victory bringing their record in this game to 4-1.

Game Scores

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

Vrbo Citrus Bowl

Citrus Bowl presented by Overton's

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl

  • Date: Score: Attendance:
  • 12/31/2016 LSU 29 - Louisville 9 46,063
  • 01/01/2016 Michigan 41 - Florida 7 63,113
  • 01/01/2015 Missouri 33 - Minnesota 17 48,624

Capital One Bowl

  • Date: Score: Attendance:
  • 01/01/2014 South Carolina 34 – Wisconsin 24 56,629
  • 01/01/2013 Georgia 45 – Nebraska 31 59,712
  • 01/02/2012 South Carolina 30 – Nebraska 13 61,351
  • 01/01/2011 Alabama 49 – Michigan State 7 61,519
  • 01/01/2010 Penn State 19 – LSU 17 63,025
  • 01/01/2009 Georgia 24 – Michigan State 12 59,681
  • 01/01/2008 Michigan 41 – Florida 35 69,748
  • 01/01/2007 Wisconsin 17 – Arkansas 14 60,774
  • 01/02/2006 Wisconsin 24 – Auburn 10 57,221
  • 01/01/2005 Iowa 30 – LSU 25 70,229
  • 01/01/2004 Georgia 34 – Purdue 27 64,565
  • 01/01/2003 Auburn 13 – Penn State 9 66,334

Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl

  • Date: Score: Attendance:
  • 01/01/2002 Tennessee 45 - Michigan 17 59,693
  • 01/01/2001 Michigan 31 - Auburn 28 66,928

Ourhouse.com Florida Citrus Bowl

  • Date: Score: Attendance:
  • 01/01/2000 Michigan State 37 - Florida 34 62,011

CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl

  • Date: Score: Attendance:
  • 01/01/1999 Michigan 45 - Arkansas 31 63,584
  • 01/01/1998 Florida 21 - Penn State 6 72,940
  • 01/01/1997 Tennessee 48 - Northwestern 28 63,467
  • 01/01/1996 Tennessee 20 - Ohio State 14 70,797
  • 01/01/1995 Alabama 24 - Ohio State 17 71,195
  • 01/01/1994 Penn State 31 - Tennesse 13 72,456

Florida Citrus Bowl

  • Date: Score: Attendance:
  • 01/01/1993 Georgia 21 – Ohio State 14 65,861
  • 01/01/1992 California 37 – Clemson 13 64,192
  • 01/02/1991 Georgia Tech 45 – Nebraska 21 72,328
  • 01/01/1990 Illinois 31 – Virginia 21 60,016
  • 01/02/1989 Clemson 13 – Oklahoma 6 53,571
  • 01/01/1988 Clemson 35 – Penn State 10 53,152
  • 01/01/1987 Auburn 16 – Southern California 7 51,113
  • 12/28/1985 Ohio State 10 – Brigham Young 7 50,920
  • 12/29/1984 Georgia 17 – Florida State 17 51,821
  • 12/17/1983 Tennessee 30 – Maryland 23 50,183

Tangerine Bowl

  • Date: Score: Attendance:
  • 12/18/1982 Auburn 33 – Boston College 26 51,296
  • 12/19/1981 Missouri 19 – Southern Miss 17 50,466
  • 12/20/1980 Florida 35 – Maryland 20 52,541
  • 12/20/1979 LSU 34 – Wake Forest 10 38,142
  • 12/23/1978 NC State 30 – Pittsburgh 17 31,356
  • 12/23/1977 Florida State 40 – Texas Tech 17 44,502
  • 12/18/1976 Oklahoma State 49 – BYU 21 31,048
  • 12/20/1975 Miami (OH) 20 – South Carolina 7 20,247
  • 12/21/1974 Miami (OH) 21 – Georgia 10 15,895
  • 12/22/1973 Miami (OH) 16 – Florida 8 37,234
  • 12/29/1972 Tampa 21 – Kent State 18 20,062
  • 12/28/1971 Toledo 28 – Richmond 3 16,750
  • 12/28/1970 Toledo 40 – William & Mary 12 15,164
  • 12/26/1969 Toledo 56 – Davidson 33 16,311
  • 12/27/1968 Richmond 49 – Ohio 42 16,144
  • 12/16/1967 Tennessee-Martin 25 – West Chester 8 5,500
  • 12/10/1966 Morgan State 14 – West Chester 6 7,138
  • 12/11/1965 East Carolina 31 – Maine 0 8,350
  • 12/12/1964 East Carolina 14 – Massachusetts 13 8,000
  • 12/28/1963 West Kentucky 27 – Coast Guard 0 7,500
  • 12/22/1962 Houston 49 – Miami (OH) 21 7,500
  • 12/29/1961 Lamar Tech 21 – Middle Tennessee State 14 6,000
  • 12/30/1960 Citadel 27 – Tennessee Tech 0 13,000
  • 01/01/1960 Middle Tennessee State 21 – Presbyterian 12 12,500
  • 12/27/1958 East Texas State 21 – Missouri Valley 7 4,000
  • 01/01/1958 East Texas State 10 – Mississippi Southern 9 11,000
  • 01/01/1957 West Texas State 20 – Mississippi Southern 13 11,000
  • 01/02/1956 Juniata 6 – Missouri Valley 6 10,000
  • 01/01/1955 Omaha 7 – Eastern Kentucky 6 12,759
  • 01/01/1954 East Texas State 7 – Arkansas State 7 12,976
  • 01/01/1953 East Texas State 33 – Tennessee Tech 0 12,340
  • 01/01/1952 Stetson 35 – Arkansas State 20 12,500
  • 01/01/1951 Morris Harvey 35 – Emory & Henry 14 10,000
  • 01/02/1950 St. Vincent 7 – Emory & Henry 6 10,000
  • 01/01/1949 Murray State 21 – Sul Ross 21 9,000
  • 01/01/1948 Catawba 7 – Marshall 0 9,000
  • 01/01/1947 Catawba 31 – Maryville 6 9,000

SIGN UP
FOR ALERTS

Keep up to date with all of the news from the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl including event information, presale opportunities and more.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.