History of Senior Bowl in Timeline
The Senior Bowl, held in Mobile, Alabama, is an annual college football all-star game showcasing top NFL Draft prospects who have completed their college eligibility. Run by the non-profit Mobile Arts & Sports Association, the game serves as a charitable fundraiser, contributing over $7.8 million to local and regional organizations. Sponsored by Reese's and televised by the NFL Network, the Senior Bowl provides a platform for players to demonstrate their skills before the draft.
1950: First Paid Participation for College Athletes
In 1950, the inaugural Senior Bowl became the first athletic event to openly compensate college athletes for their participation. Players received $343 if their team lost and $475 for a win.
1950: Inaugural Senior Bowl
The very first Senior Bowl took place in 1950 at Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida.
1952: CBS Acquires Television Rights
CBS obtained the national television coverage rights for the 1952 through 1954 Senior Bowls but did not nationally televise the games.
1953: Earliest Senior Bowl Game
Both the 1953 and 1959 Senior Bowls share the distinction of being played on January 3rd, the earliest calendar date the game has been held.
1954: End of Early CBS Television Rights
The 1954 Senior Bowl marked the end of CBS's initial national television coverage rights, although these games were not televised nationally by CBS.
1959: Earliest Senior Bowl Game
The 1959 Senior Bowl, along with the 1953 game, holds the record for the earliest date the game has been played, on January 3rd.
1967: Pre-Super Bowl Tradition Begins
Starting in 1967, the Senior Bowl established the tradition of being played the week before the Super Bowl.
1969: Terry Bradshaw's Senior Bowl MVP
Terry Bradshaw from Louisiana Tech won the Senior Bowl MVP in 1969, representing a non-top-tier college football program.
1972: Pat Sullivan: Heisman Winner and Senior Bowl MVP
Pat Sullivan became the first and only Heisman Trophy winner to be named Senior Bowl MVP in 1972.
1973: Bill Kollar's Senior Bowl MVP
Bill Kollar of Montana State was named Senior Bowl MVP in 1973, playing from a non-top-tier college division.
1975: Increased Player Payments
By 1975, the payment amounts for Senior Bowl participants had increased to $1,250 for the losing team and $1,500 for the winning team.
1976: Sunday Game
The 1976 Senior Bowl was uniquely played on a Sunday, deviating from the traditional Saturday scheduling.
1980: Neil Lomax's Senior Bowl MVP
Neil Lomax from Portland State earned Senior Bowl MVP honors in 1980, coming from a lower college division.
1982: ESPN Begins Televising Senior Bowl
ESPN started its coverage of the Senior Bowl as early as 1982.
1984: Dan Lynch's First Senior Bowl Appearance
Dan Lynch of Washington State made his first Senior Bowl appearance in 1984, becoming the only player to participate twice.
1985: Dan Lynch's Second Senior Bowl Appearance
Dan Lynch made his second Senior Bowl appearance in 1985, a unique occurrence made possible by an extra year of eligibility.
1987: Record Number of Players from One School
In 1987, Alabama set a Senior Bowl record by sending ten players to the game.
1987: Senior Bowl Hall of Fame Established
The Senior Bowl Hall of Fame was established in 1987 to honor outstanding former players, coaches, administrators, and other individuals who made significant contributions to the game and the Senior Bowl.
1988: Auburn Sends Nine Players to Senior Bowl
Auburn sent nine players to the 1988 Senior Bowl, which is the second most ever from one school in a single year.
1988: Final Year of Player Payments
The 1988 Senior Bowl marked the last time players were paid for participating, receiving $1,500 or $1,750 based on their team's result. This was a factor limiting participation to seniors whose college eligibility had expired.
1991: Team Names Changed to AFC and NFC
The Senior Bowl team names were changed to AFC and NFC in 1991 to reflect the professional nature of the event.
1993: Both Coaching Staffs from AFC
Despite the team designations, both coaching staffs for the 1993 Senior Bowl came from AFC teams.
1994: Return to North vs. South Format
The Senior Bowl reverted to the North vs. South team designations in 1994 after a brief period as AFC vs. NFC.
1999: Fan-Voted Team Selection
A fan vote selected the players for the 1999 Senior Bowl team.
2007: NFL Network Takes Over Coverage
Beginning with the 2007 edition, the NFL Network took over the television broadcasting rights for the Senior Bowl.
2007: Senior Bowl as Penultimate Game
From 2007 through 2011, as well as in 2013, the Senior Bowl returned to being the second-to-last game of the season, followed by the Texas vs. The Nation game.
2008: USC Sends Nine Players to Senior Bowl
USC tied Auburn's record in 2008 by sending nine players to the Senior Bowl, the second most ever from one school in a single year.
2010: Latest Pre-2022 Senior Bowl Date
Along with 2016, the 2010 Senior Bowl marked the latest calendar date for the game prior to 2022, taking place on January 30th.
2011: Senior Bowl as Penultimate Game
The 2011 Senior Bowl was part of the period from 2007-2011 and also 2013, where the Senior Bowl was held the week before the final college football game of the season.
2013: First Fourth-Year Juniors in Senior Bowl
D.J. Fluker and Justin Pugh, both fourth-year juniors, became the first players with remaining college eligibility to participate in the 2013 Senior Bowl due to their graduated status.
2013: Senior Bowl as Penultimate Game
In 2013, like the years 2007 through 2011, the Senior Bowl was played one week before the final college football game of the season.
2014: Reese's Becomes Sponsor
Reese's became the title sponsor of the Senior Bowl beginning with the 2014 game.
2016: Latest Pre-2022 Senior Bowl Date
The 2016 Senior Bowl was played on January 30th, tied with 2010 for the latest date the game has been held before 2022.
2017: Kyle Lauletta's Senior Bowl MVP
Kyle Lauletta, representing Richmond, won the Senior Bowl MVP award in 2017, being from a non-top-tier college football division.
January 2018: Reese's Extends Sponsorship
Reese's announced in January 2018 an extension of their Senior Bowl sponsorship through at least the 2020 game.
March 2020: "The Draft Starts in Mobile" Trademark
The Senior Bowl trademarked the phrase "The draft starts in Mobile" in March 2020.
October 2020: Panini America Trading Card Deal
In October 2020, Panini America secured a multi-year agreement to produce trading cards featuring Senior Bowl players.
2020: Senior Bowl Moves from Ladd-Peebles Stadium
After being held at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama since 1951, the 2020 Senior Bowl marked the final game at this venue.
2020: DeVonta Smith Wins Heisman
DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy in 2020.
2020: Revived Hula Bowl Played After Senior Bowl
In 2020, the revived Hula Bowl took place the day after the Senior Bowl.
2020: End of Initial Reese's Sponsorship
The 2020 Senior Bowl marked the end of Reese's initial sponsorship extension announced in 2018.
2021: Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium
Beginning in 2021, the Senior Bowl moved to Hancock Whitney Stadium at the University of South Alabama, also located in Mobile.
2021: Smith Invited but Doesn't Play
Despite receiving an invitation to the 2021 Senior Bowl, DeVonta Smith, the 2020 Heisman winner, did not participate.
2021: American and National Team Designations
Starting in 2021, the Senior Bowl teams adopted the American and National team designations.
2022: Latest Pre-2022 Senior Bowl Date
Prior to 2022, the latest date a Senior Bowl had been held was January 30th, occurring in both 2010 and 2016.
2022: Head Coaches in Advisory Roles
Starting with the 2022 game, the role of head coaches in the Senior Bowl shifted to more of an advisory capacity, allowing assistant coaches to assume leadership positions.
November 2023: Combined Selection Process for 2023 Team
The 2023 Senior Bowl team was selected through a combined process of fan voting, NFL general managers' poll, and committee consideration. The team roster was announced in November 2023
2025: All 32 NFL Teams Coached in Senior Bowl
As of the 2025 Senior Bowl, all 32 current NFL franchises have coached the game at least once in its history, considering appearances under prior team names.
