Orange Bowl

The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009. The Orange Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl (first played 1902, played annually since 1916). The Orange Bowl is a member of the Bowl Championship Series.

The Orange Bowl hosted the BCS National Championship Game in 2001 and 2005. However, since the 2006 season, the BCS National Championship Game has been a stand-alone event, hosted by the local bowl organization one week following the New Year's Day bowl games (including the Orange Bowl). In other words, under the current BCS format, the Orange Bowl Committee hosted two games in 2009: the 2009 Orange Bowl on January 1 and the 2009 BCS National Championship Game on January 8, both at Sun Life Stadium.

Since 2007 the Orange Bowl has been host to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champion unless they are involved in the national championship game and has used the brand Home of the ACC Champion.

The 2012 match-up ended with the West Virginia Mountaineers, which shared the 2011 Big East title, defeating the ACC champion Clemson Tigers 70-33. West Virginia set numerous records in the game, including most points scored by one team in a bowl game in college history.

The game is officially known as the Discover Orange Bowl, since Discover Financial was announced as title sponsor on August 26, 2010 as part of a new four year agreement. The game had been called the FedEx Orange Bowl from 1989 to 2010, as FedEx sponsored the event during that period. Starting with the 2010-2011 season, ESPN carried the Orange Bowl, replacing Fox after four seasons. ABC aired the game from 1999 to 2006, with CBS (1995–1998) and NBC (1964–1994) previously carrying the game.

Early roots
In 1890, Pasadena, California held its first Tournament of Roses Parade to showcase the city's mild weather compared to the harsh winters in northern cities. As one of the organizers said: "In New York, people are buried in snow. Here, our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let's hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise." In 1902, the annual festival was enhanced by adding an American football game.

In 1926, leaders in Miami, Florida, decided to do the same with a "Fiesta of the American Tropics" that was centered around a New Year's Day football game. Although a second "Fiesta" was never held, Miami leaders- Earnest E Seiler, later revived the idea with the "Palm Festival" (with the slogan "Have a Green Christmas in Miami").

Palm Festival Game
In 1932, George E. Hussey, official greeter of Miami, organized the first Palm Festival Game, predecessor of the Orange Bowl. With Miami suffering from both the Great Depression and the preceding Florida land bust, Hussey and other Miamians sought to help its economy by organizing a game similar to Pasadena's Rose Bowl.

Two games were played in this series at Moore Park in Miami, both pitting an invited opponent against a local team, the University of Miami. In the first game, played on January 2, 1933, Miami defeated Manhattan College 7–0. In the second game, played on New Year's Day 1934, Duquesne defeated Miami 33–7. Duquesne was coached by Elmer Layden one of the Four Horseman of Notre Dame.

These games are not recognized as bowl games by the NCAA because one team was guaranteed a berth regardless of record. However, following the success of these games, backers organized another game for New Year's Day 1935 under the Orange Bowl name. This game, unlike the Palm Festival Games, did not automatically grant a berth to one team, although the University of Miami was again a participant. For this reason, the 1935 Orange Bowl was later recognized by the NCAA as an official bowl game.

Modern game
The Orange Bowl was played at Miami Field (located where Miami Orange Bowl was later built) from 1935 to 1937, the Miami Orange Bowl from 1938 to 1996 and 1999, and was moved to its current site, Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, in December 1996. The game was moved back to the namesake stadium in 1999 (which would be the final bowl game ever in the Miami Orange Bowl) because the game was played on the same day the Miami Dolphins hosted an NFL Wild Card Playoff game. Coincidentally, both of those games were aired on ABC.

In 1964, the Texas vs. Alabama Orange Bowl was the first college bowl game to be televised in prime time.

From 1968, the game usually featured the champion of the former Big Eight Conference. When the Big Eight Conference absorbed four members of the defunct Southwest Conference in 1996, the newly formed Big 12 Conference moved its conference champion tie-in to the Fiesta Bowl. Since 1998, however, with the creation of the Bowl Championship Series system, team selection for the Orange Bowl is now tied into the other three BCS Bowls. From 1998-2005, the game hosted the champion of either the ACC or Big East conferences, unless they were invited to the National Championship game, or if the Orange Bowl itself was hosting the national championship matchup. Starting with the 2006 season, the Orange Bowl has been exclusively tied with the ACC and has used the brand Home of the ACC Champion. As one of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowl games, the site of the Orange Bowl also hosts the national championship game one week after the Orange Bowl game; it does so on a four-year rotating basis with the other three BCS games (the others being the Sugar, Fiesta, and Rose Bowls).

King Orange Jamboree Parade
From 1936 to 2001, the Orange Bowl Committee also sponsored a parade. In its heyday, the parade was a nighttime New Year's Eve tradition, televised nationally with lighted floats and displays. However ratings drooped and the national television contract was lost in 1997, causing the parade to quickly become a shell of its former self since there were no sponsors for the elaborate floats. As a result the committee chose to bring this tradition to an end in early 2002.

Game results
+ - Denotes Bowl Coalition Championship game ^ - Denotes Bowl Alliance Championship game * Denotes BCS National Championship Game ~ Game played at Miami Orange Bowl due to scheduling conflict with NFL playoff game † Denotes overtime(s)

Broadcasting
ESPN are the current rights holders (as of 2011) as part of a four year, US $500 million contract with the Bowl Championship Series and the Tournament of Roses, the owners of the Rose Bowl Game. Prior to that, Fox held the rights to the event (along with the other BCS bowls) since 2007, preceded by ABC (1999–2006 and 1962–64), CBS (1996–98 and 1953–61), and NBC (1965–95). This game, along with the Fiesta Bowl, is one of only two bowl games ever to air on all the "big 4" broadcast television networks in the USA. ESPN Deportes added a Spanish language telecast of the game in 2013.

In November 2012, ESPN announced that it had reached a deal with the game's organizers to maintain broadcast rights to the Orange Bowl through 2026. ESPN will pay $55 million yearly to broadcast the game beginning in the 2014-15 season under the new contract, which will take effect following the conclusion of ESPN's contract with, and subsequent discontinuation of the BCS. ESPN made a similar deal to maintain broadcast rights to the Sugar Bowl for the same duration as well.

The game is also broadcast nationally by ESPN Radio.