In North America, a bowl game is a postseason college football game played mainly by NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. Historically, the FBS determined its annual national champion through votes rather than a playoff tournament. Cities organized regional festivals featuring bowl games. Bowl game statistics weren't counted towards players' career totals until 2002. Although a system is now in place to decide the FBS national champion on the field, some bowl games continue to be held.
1902: First Tournament East-West Football Game
The first Tournament East-West football game, sponsored by the Tournament of Roses Association, took place in 1902 between Michigan and Stanford. Michigan won 49-0.
1916: Annual Tournament East-West Football Game Established
The Tournament of Roses began sponsoring an annual football contest in 1916.
1923: First Rose Bowl Game at Rose Bowl Stadium
The annual Tournament East-West football game was played at the newly completed Rose Bowl stadium in 1923, and the contest became known as the Rose Bowl Game.
1930: Single Bowl Game
In 1930, the Rose Bowl was the only major college bowl game.
1935: Establishment of Multiple Bowl Games
The Sugar, Orange, and Sun Bowls were all established in 1935.
1937: Establishment of the Cotton Bowl
The Cotton Bowl Classic was established in 1937.
1940: Five Major Bowl Games
By 1940, there were five major college bowl games.
1950: Eight Bowl Games
By 1950, the number of major bowl games had increased to eight.
1950: First Use of "Soccer Bowl"
The term "Soccer Bowl" was first used for the United States men's college soccer championship in 1950.
1951: NFL Pro Bowl Inauguration
The NFL introduced the Pro Bowl, its all-star game, in 1951.
1952: End of "Soccer Bowl" for College Championship
The use of "Soccer Bowl" for the United States men's college soccer championship ended in 1952.
1960: Bert Bell Benefit Bowl Begins
The Bert Bell Benefit Bowl, also known as the Playoff Bowl, began in 1960 as a matchup between the two second-place teams in each NFL division. It ran until 1969
1960: Eight Bowl Games Persist
The number of bowl games remained at eight through 1960.
1968: Super Bowl Name Coined
The name "Super Bowl" was coined by Lamar Hunt in 1968 after he observed his daughter playing with a super ball.
1969: Bert Bell Benefit Bowl Ends
The NFL's Bert Bell Benefit Bowl, a game played between the second-place teams of each division, ended in 1969.
1970: Eleven Bowl Games
By 1970, the number of bowl games had increased to eleven.
1970: AFL-NFL Merger and Super Bowl
The AFL and NFL merged in 1970, leading to the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, later renamed the Super Bowl.
1971: Ten Team-Competitive Bowl Games
In 1971, there were ten team-competitive bowl games.
1973: Record Bowl Game Attendance
The 1973 Rose Bowl set an attendance record of 106,869, which remains the highest attendance for an NCAA bowl game.
1975: NASL Adopts "Soccer Bowl"
The North American Soccer League (NASL) adopted the term "Soccer Bowl" for its championship in 1975.
1978: Division I-A Designation
The NCAA's top level of college football was designated as Division I-A in 1978.
1979: German Bowl's Debut
The German Bowl, Germany's national championship game in American football, was first held in 1979.
1980: Vaahteramalja's First Game
The Vaahteramalja, Finland's national championship game in American football, was first held in 1980.
1980: Fifteen Bowl Games
The number of bowl games rose to fifteen by 1980.
1982: Start of Florida State's Bowl Streak
Florida State began their streak of consecutive bowl berths in 1982.
1982: Junior Bowl in Germany Starts
The Junior Bowl, a national championship game for junior American football teams in Germany, began in 1982.
1984: End of NASL and "Soccer Bowl"
The original North American Soccer League (NASL) and its "Soccer Bowl" ended in 1984.
1986: First Swiss Bowl
The first Swiss Bowl, the championship game of the Swiss Nationalliga A, was held in 1986.
1986: Tulip Bowl Inauguration
The Tulip Bowl, the championship game of the Dutch AFBN First Division, was first held in 1986.
1986: Eurobowl Inauguration
The Eurobowl, the championship game of the European Football League, was first held in 1986.
1989: ECAC Bowl Starts
The ECAC Bowl for Division I-AA teams began in 1989.
1989: Football Bowl Association Formation
The Football Bowl Association, an independent organization representing bowl games, was established as early as 1989.
1990: Ladies Bowl Introduced in Germany
A Ladies Bowl, a national championship game for women's American football in Germany, was introduced in 1990.
1990: Nineteen Bowl Games
By 1990, there were nineteen bowl games.
1992: Pre-1992 Bowl Tie-ins
Prior to 1992, most bowl games had strict agreements with specific conferences, which often prevented the top-ranked teams from playing each other. This system contributed to the concept of "Mythical National Championships".
1992: Start of the Bowl Coalition
The Bowl Coalition was formed in 1992 as the first attempt to create a system for determining a single national champion on the field.
1994: End of the Bowl Coalition
The Bowl Coalition ended in 1994.
1995: Bowl Alliance Formation
In 1995, the Bowl Alliance was created to ensure the top two ranked college football teams played each other in a bowl game. However, the Rose Bowl, Pac-10, and Big Ten did not initially participate.
1995: Start of the Bowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance replaced the Bowl Coalition in 1995 as the system for deciding the national champion.
1997: Michigan's Championship and Controversy
Following the 1997 season, undefeated Michigan won the Rose Bowl against Washington State, while undefeated Nebraska triumphed in the Orange Bowl against Tennessee. Despite Michigan's win, the Coaches' Poll controversially ranked Nebraska as the national champion, creating a split national championship.
1997: End of the Bowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance ended in 1997.
1998: Start of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS)
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was established in 1998 to determine a national champion.
1999: German Junior Flag Bowl Starts
The German Junior Flag Bowl, a national championship game for junior flag football teams in Germany, started in 1999.
2000: Twenty-Five Bowl Games
The number of bowl games reached twenty-five by 2000.
2001: Relaxed Bowl Eligibility
Starting in the 2001 season, the NCAA allowed teams with 6-6 records and even some losing records to participate in bowl games.
2002: Inclusion of Bowl Game Statistics
In 2002, bowl game statistics started being included in players' career totals.
2002: Uteck and Mitchell Bowls Established
In Canadian university football, the Uteck Bowl and Mitchell Bowl were established in 2002 as semi-final games leading to the Vanier Cup championship.
2003: Split National Championship: LSU and USC
In 2003, LSU won the BCS National Championship game against Oklahoma. However, USC, after winning the Rose Bowl, was crowned champion by the AP Poll, resulting in another split national championship.
2003: ECAC Bowl Ends
The ECAC Bowl for Division I-AA teams ended in 2003.
2005: Division I-A Becomes FBS
In 2005, the NCAA's Division I-A was renamed the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
2006: BCS Championship Game Introduction
In 2006, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) introduced a dedicated national championship game, separate from the four main bowl games. The game rotated among the BCS venues and its winner was contractually recognized as the Coaches' Poll national champion.
2006: Florida State's Vacated Bowl Win
In 2006, the NCAA vacated Florida State's Emerald Bowl victory due to academic violations.
2007: North Atlantic Bowl
The North Atlantic Bowl was held in 2007.
2008: Expansion of Division III Bowls
Starting in 2008 and later, several new bowl games were introduced at the NCAA Division III level.
2008: Pre-2008 Division III Bowls
Before 2008, only a limited number of bowl games existed at the NCAA Division III level.
2010: Thirty-Five Bowl Games
By 2010, there were thirty-five bowl games.
2010: Bowl Game Participation
In 2010, a significant number of Division I FBS teams, 70 out of 120, participated in bowl games.
2013: End of the BCS
The BCS was discontinued in 2013.
2013: NASL (II) Revives "Soccer Bowl"
The revived North American Soccer League (NASL II) brought back the "Soccer Bowl" name for its championship in 2013.
2014: College Football Playoff Implementation
The College Football Playoff (CFP) replaced the BCS in 2014, implementing a four-team playoff system with semi-final games rotating among major bowl games and a championship game at a neutral site.
2014: Start of the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff began in 2014 as the new method for deciding the national champion.
2015: Forty-One Bowl Games
By 2015, the number of bowl games had increased to forty-one, including two teams playing a second game for the National Championship.
2015: Citrus Bowl Name Reverted
In 2015, the Citrus Bowl reverted to its original name after a period of using a corporate sponsor's name.
2016: Bowl Season Expansion
The 2016-17 bowl season expanded to over three weeks, starting in December and ending in January.
2017: Geographic Distribution of Bowl Games
As of 2017, most bowl games were still located in cities with warmer climates, despite the advent of indoor stadiums.
2017: End of Florida State's Bowl Streak
Florida State's streak of consecutive bowl appearances ended in 2017. Though they appeared in 36 straight bowls, the NCAA vacated their 2006 Emerald Bowl win due to academic violations.
2017: Ten Division III Bowls Scheduled
Ten bowl games were scheduled for NCAA Division III teams not qualifying for the playoffs in 2017, marking a significant increase in bowl opportunities at this level.
2017: End of NASL (II) and "Soccer Bowl"
The second incarnation of the North American Soccer League (NASL II) and its use of "Soccer Bowl" ended in 2017.
2018: University of Alabama Bowl Game Records
As of 2018, the University of Alabama held the record for most bowl game appearances (69) and most bowl victories (41).
October 2020: Football Bowl Association Rebrands
The Football Bowl Association rebranded itself as "Bowl Season" in October 2020.
2023: Forty-Three Bowl Games and Relaxed Eligibility
By 2023, the number of bowl games had increased to 43, and eligibility requirements were relaxed, allowing teams with non-winning records to participate.