Gator Bowl (game)

(official logo)

About Venue: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium Location: Jacksonville, Fla. Operated: 1946- Conference Tie-ins: ACC, Big East/Big 12/Notre Dame Payout: $2,500,000

Former Venues Gator Bowl (1946-93) Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (1994)

Former Names None

[edit] History

The Gator Bowl is an annual postseason college football bowl game that is played at ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. It is one of the oldest non-BCS bowls, held continuously since 1946.

Until 1993 the game was played in Gator Bowl Stadium, when the stadium was partially demolished during the construction of ALLTEL Stadium on the same site. The 1994 game was played at Gainesville, Florida during construction; the 1996 game (moved to January 1 that season) and subsequent games have been held at ALLTEL Stadium. The game is currently sponsored by Toyota and is officially titled the Toyota Gator Bowl.

The Gator Bowl traditionally hosts the second-place Atlantic Coast Conference team against the second-place Big East Conference team, but may also select a Big 12 Conference team or Notre Dame to take the Big East's spot in this game.

The payout for the 2005-06 game is $1.6 million per team. The payout will jump to $2.5 million for the 2006-07 game with a new TV contract with CBS to televise the game.

The Gator Bowl is one of Jacksonville's annual sports highlights. However, the event was once at the root of tragedy. In 1963, the Hotel Roosevelt in downtown caught fire after a post-Gator Bowl party in the ballroom (it was later determined that the party was not the cause of the fire, and was a mere tragic coincidence). 22 hotel patrons lost their lives.

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