Bowl Alliance
Encyclopedia
| Bowl Alliance | |
| In operation | (1995 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.... –97 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-A level, began in late summer 1997 and culminated with the major bowl games in early January 1998. The national championship was... ) |
| Preceded by | Bowl Coalition Bowl Coalition The Bowl Coalition was a predecessor of the Bowl Championship Series that was formed through an agreement among college football bowl games and conferences for the purpose of forcing a national championship game between the top two teams and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions... (1992 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant... –95 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.... ) |
| Succeded by | Bowl Championship Series Bowl Championship Series The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of... (98 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL... -Present) |
| Number of Alliance games | 3 |
| Championship trophy awarded to winner | |
| Television Partner(s) | CBS and ABC |
| Most Alliance bowl appearances | Nebraska (3) |
| Most Alliance bowl wins | Nebraska (3) |
| Most Alliance championships | Nebraska (2) |
| Conference with most Alliance bowl appearances | Big 12 Conference Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
| Conference with most Alliance bowl game wins | Big 12 Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
| Conference with most championships | Big 8 Big Eight Conference The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University... , SEC Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... , Big 12 Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving... |
| Last championship game | 1998 Orange Bowl 1998 Orange Bowl The 1998 Orange Bowl a 1997-1998 Bowl Alliance game was played on January 2, 1998. This 64th edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee came into the game with an 11-1 record and #3 AP ranking, whereas Nebraska came into the game with a... |
| Last champion | Nebraska |
| Executive Director | |
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl games (specifically the Sugar
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, Orange
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...
, and Fiesta
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
Bowls) for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
matchups for the champions of its member conferences. The agreement was in place for the 1995, 1996, and 1997 seasons, and replaced the Bowl Coalition
Bowl Coalition
The Bowl Coalition was a predecessor of the Bowl Championship Series that was formed through an agreement among college football bowl games and conferences for the purpose of forcing a national championship game between the top two teams and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions...
which had been created prior to the 1992 season and consisted of the three Alliance bowls plus the Cotton, Gator
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
, and Sun
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
Bowls.
In its beginnings, the Bowl Alliance involved the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, Big Eight
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
, SWC, ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
and Big East conference champions, as well as independent Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
. Because of this, only one at-large slot was available for teams to vie for. With the disbanding of the SWC following the 1995 football season and the formation of the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
in its wake, an additional at-large bid became available. The Alliance bowls were held on three successive days in each of the three years of the Alliance's existence with one game played on New Year's Eve, one on New Year's Day, and one on January 2. The top two ranked teams from the Alliance conferences met in the Bowl Alliance national championship game, which rotated between the three Alliance bowls and was always held on January 2. Whoever won that game was guaranteed to be declared national champion at least in the Coaches' Poll, as they were locked into naming whoever won as their national champion regardless of whether the team was ranked #1 in the AP Poll or not.
As the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
and Pac-10 conferences were tied into the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
via automatic bids for their conference champions, it was not possible to include their champions in the Alliance Bowls. Nevertheless, the conferences could be represented in the games if one of their teams procured an at-large bid to a Bowl Alliance game. This occurred twice, with Penn State and Ohio State playing in the Fiesta and Sugar Bowls in 1997 and 1998.
CBS and ABC split television coverage of the Bowl Alliance, with CBS acquiring the rights to the Orange and Fiesta Bowls from NBC following their 1995 playings and ABC already being in possession of the Sugar Bowl rights as they had been since 1970.
In the last two years of the Bowl Alliance, the possibility existed for a split national championship. In 1996, #1 Florida State played #3 Florida in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl as #2 ranked Pac-10 champion Arizona State was locked into playing in the Rose Bowl against #4 Ohio State. In 1997, #1 Michigan was locked into playing #8 Washington State in the Rose Bowl as Big Ten Champion. The first time, Arizona State lost to Ohio State in the 1997 Rose Bowl, ending the opportunity for a split national championship. The second time, a split national championship was unavoidable as Michigan was the top ranked team in both the Associated Press and coaches' polls entering bowl season; this meant that no matter how well Michigan did against Washington State in the Rose Bowl, they would lose the #1 coaches' ranking to either #2 Nebraska or #3 Tennessee after January 2's Orange Bowl game.
Following the 1997 season The Bowl Alliance's member conferences and bowls joined with the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
and Pac 10 conferences and the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
beginning with the 1998 college football season to form the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
.
1995–96 season
These Bowl Alliance games were played following the 1995 regular season:- December 31, 1995 - Sugar Bowl1995 Sugar Bowl (December)The 1995 Sugar Bowl was the 62nd edition of the post-season American college football Sugar Bowl bowl game. It featured the Virginia Tech Hokies and the and was held at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 31, 1995...
: #11 Virginia TechVirginia Tech Hokies footballThe Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
(Big East champion) 28, #6 TexasTexas Longhorns footballThe Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
(Southwest champion) 10 - January 1, 1996 - Orange Bowl1996 Orange Bowl (January)The 62nd Orange Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on January 1, 1996, at The Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Florida State defeated Notre Dame, 31-26. The game was part of the 1995-1996 Bowl Alliance of the 1995 NCAA Division I-A...
: #9 Florida StateFlorida State Seminoles footballThe Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
(ACC champion) 31, #8 Notre DameNotre Dame Fighting Irish footballNotre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
26 - January 2, 1996 - Fiesta Bowl1996 Fiesta BowlThe 1996 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game in which the Nebraska Cornhuskers won the national championship for the 1995 college football season by defeating the Florida Gators, 62-24. Played on January 2, 1996, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, the game...
, (National Championship): #1 NebraskaNebraska Cornhuskers footballThe Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
(Big 8 champion) 62, #2 Florida (SEC champion) 24
1996–97 season
These Bowl Alliance games were played following the 1996 regular season:- December 31, 1996 - Orange Bowl1996 Orange Bowl (December)The 63rd Orange Bowl, also known as the 1996 Orange Bowl, was a 1996–1997 Bowl Alliance game played on December 31, 1996 between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the . Virginia Tech, champions of the Big East Conference, came into the game with a 10–1 record and #10 AP ranking, whereas Nebraska,...
: #6 NebraskaNebraska Cornhuskers footballThe Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
41, #9 Virginia TechVirginia Tech Hokies footballThe Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
(Big East champion) 21 - January 1, 1997 - Fiesta Bowl1997 Fiesta Bowl (January)The 1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the on January 1, 1997, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Penn State defeated Texas, 38-15...
: #7 Penn StatePenn State Nittany Lions footballThe Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
38, #20 TexasTexas Longhorns footballThe Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
(Big 12 champion) 15 - January 2, 1997 - Sugar Bowl1997 Sugar BowlThe 1997 Sugar Bowl was the 63rd edition to the annual game. It featured the top ranked , and their heated rivals, the third ranked Florida Gators. It was the designated National Championship Game for the 1996-97 season by the Bowl Alliance. The match up was supposed to feature the top two teams...
, (National Championship): #3 Florida1996 Florida Gators football teamThe 1996 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's seventh season under head coach Steve Spurrier...
(SEC champion) 52, #1 Florida StateFlorida State Seminoles footballThe Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
(ACC champion) 20
1997–98 season
These Bowl Alliance games were played following the 1997 regular season:- December 31, 1997 - Fiesta Bowl1997 Fiesta Bowl (December)The 1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Kansas State Wildcats and the on December 31, 1997, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Kansas State defeated Syracuse, 35-18...
: #10 Kansas StateKansas State Wildcats footballThe Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
35, #14 Syracuse (Big East champion) 18 - January 1, 1998 - Sugar Bowl1998 Sugar BowlThe 1998 Sugar Bowl was played on January 1, 1998. This 64th edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Florida State Seminoles...
: #4 Florida StateFlorida State Seminoles footballThe Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
(ACC Champion) 31, #9 Ohio StateOhio State Buckeyes footballThe Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
14 - January 2, 1998 - Orange Bowl1998 Orange BowlThe 1998 Orange Bowl a 1997-1998 Bowl Alliance game was played on January 2, 1998. This 64th edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee came into the game with an 11-1 record and #3 AP ranking, whereas Nebraska came into the game with a...
, (National Championship): #2 NebraskaNebraska Cornhuskers footballThe Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
(Big 12 champion) 42, #3 TennesseeTennessee Volunteers footballThe Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
(SEC champion) 17
Notes:
- Rankings are from the Bowl Alliance Poll (prior to bowl games).
- 1996 Season1996 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance would have hoped....
: No. 2 Arizona StateArizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
(11–0) lost to No. 4 Ohio StateOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in the Rose BowlRose Bowl GameThe Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
on January 1, 1997. - 1997 Season1997 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-A level, began in late summer 1997 and culminated with the major bowl games in early January 1998. The national championship was...
: Nebraska (13–0) won the ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
-USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Coaches PollCoaches PollThe USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
National Championship, while No. 1 MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, (12–0) and winners of the Rose Bowl, won the Associated PressAP PollThe Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
(Writers Poll) National Championship. This was prior to, and therefore unaffected by, the Bowl Championship Series' later agreement with the USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Coaches Poll locking in the outcome of that poll based on the title game's outcome.
Wins and appearances by team
| Appearances | School | W | L | Pct | | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Nebraska | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Won 1996 Fiesta Bowl 1996 Fiesta Bowl The 1996 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game in which the Nebraska Cornhuskers won the national championship for the 1995 college football season by defeating the Florida Gators, 62-24. Played on January 2, 1996, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, the game... * Won 1996 Orange Bowl (December) 1996 Orange Bowl (December) The 63rd Orange Bowl, also known as the 1996 Orange Bowl, was a 1996–1997 Bowl Alliance game played on December 31, 1996 between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the . Virginia Tech, champions of the Big East Conference, came into the game with a 10–1 record and #10 AP ranking, whereas Nebraska,... Won 1998 Orange Bowl 1998 Orange Bowl The 1998 Orange Bowl a 1997-1998 Bowl Alliance game was played on January 2, 1998. This 64th edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee came into the game with an 11-1 record and #3 AP ranking, whereas Nebraska came into the game with a... * |
|
| 3 | Florida State Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... |
2 | 1 | .667 | Won 1996 Orange Bowl (January) 1996 Orange Bowl (January) The 62nd Orange Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on January 1, 1996, at The Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Florida State defeated Notre Dame, 31-26. The game was part of the 1995-1996 Bowl Alliance of the 1995 NCAA Division I-A... Lost 1997 Sugar Bowl 1997 Sugar Bowl The 1997 Sugar Bowl was the 63rd edition to the annual game. It featured the top ranked , and their heated rivals, the third ranked Florida Gators. It was the designated National Championship Game for the 1996-97 season by the Bowl Alliance. The match up was supposed to feature the top two teams... * Won 1998 Sugar Bowl 1998 Sugar Bowl The 1998 Sugar Bowl was played on January 1, 1998. This 64th edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Florida State Seminoles... |
|
| 2 | Virginia Tech Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in... |
1 | 1 | .500 | Won 1995 Sugar Bowl (December) 1995 Sugar Bowl (December) The 1995 Sugar Bowl was the 62nd edition of the post-season American college football Sugar Bowl bowl game. It featured the Virginia Tech Hokies and the and was held at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 31, 1995... Lost 1996 Orange Bowl (December) 1996 Orange Bowl (December) The 63rd Orange Bowl, also known as the 1996 Orange Bowl, was a 1996–1997 Bowl Alliance game played on December 31, 1996 between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the . Virginia Tech, champions of the Big East Conference, came into the game with a 10–1 record and #10 AP ranking, whereas Nebraska,... |
|
| 2 | Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... |
1 | 1 | .500 | Lost 1996 Fiesta Bowl 1996 Fiesta Bowl The 1996 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game in which the Nebraska Cornhuskers won the national championship for the 1995 college football season by defeating the Florida Gators, 62-24. Played on January 2, 1996, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, the game... * Won 1997 Sugar Bowl 1997 Sugar Bowl The 1997 Sugar Bowl was the 63rd edition to the annual game. It featured the top ranked , and their heated rivals, the third ranked Florida Gators. It was the designated National Championship Game for the 1996-97 season by the Bowl Alliance. The match up was supposed to feature the top two teams... * |
|
| 2 | Texas | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost 1995 Sugar Bowl (December) 1995 Sugar Bowl (December) The 1995 Sugar Bowl was the 62nd edition of the post-season American college football Sugar Bowl bowl game. It featured the Virginia Tech Hokies and the and was held at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 31, 1995... Lost 1997 Fiesta Bowl (January) 1997 Fiesta Bowl (January) The 1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the on January 1, 1997, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Penn State defeated Texas, 38-15... |
|
| 1 | Kansas State Kansas State University Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States... |
1 | 0 | 1.000 | Won 1997 Fiesta Bowl (December) 1997 Fiesta Bowl (December) The 1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Kansas State Wildcats and the on December 31, 1997, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Kansas State defeated Syracuse, 35-18... |
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| 1 | Penn State Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service... |
1 | 0 | 1.000 | Won 1997 Fiesta Bowl (January) 1997 Fiesta Bowl (January) The 1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the on January 1, 1997, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Penn State defeated Texas, 38-15... |
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| 1 | Ohio State | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost 1998 Sugar Bowl 1998 Sugar Bowl The 1998 Sugar Bowl was played on January 1, 1998. This 64th edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Florida State Seminoles... |
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| 1 | Tennessee | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost 1998 Orange Bowl 1998 Orange Bowl The 1998 Orange Bowl a 1997-1998 Bowl Alliance game was played on January 2, 1998. This 64th edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee came into the game with an 11-1 record and #3 AP ranking, whereas Nebraska came into the game with a... * |
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| 1 | Syracuse Syracuse University Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College... |
0 | 1 | .000 | Lost 1997 Fiesta Bowl (December) 1997 Fiesta Bowl (December) The 1997 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Kansas State Wildcats and the on December 31, 1997, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Kansas State defeated Syracuse, 35-18... |
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| 1 | Notre Dame | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost 1996 Orange Bowl (January) 1996 Orange Bowl (January) The 62nd Orange Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on January 1, 1996, at The Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Florida State defeated Notre Dame, 31-26. The game was part of the 1995-1996 Bowl Alliance of the 1995 NCAA Division I-A... |
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Demise
Because the Bowl Alliance failed to include the Pac-10, Big Ten (and the Rose Bowl) and so-called "mid-major" conferences, the Bowl Alliance was reformed just three years after it began. BYUBrigham Young University Cougars football
The Brigham Young Cougars football team is a college football program representing Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The Cougars won the national championship in 1984 and have a Heisman Trophy winner in Ty Detmer. Since 1965, BYU has claimed 23 conference championships and played in 29 bowl...
's persistent performance opened the door for mid-major conferences to participate in upper-tier bowls as well. In 1996, despite 18 conference championships in 23 years, one of the winningest records in college football and a #5 ranking in the AP poll, BYU was excluded from a Bowl Alliance bowl and was relegated to the Cotton Bowl beating Kansas State to finish the season 14–1. Now the Bowl Coalition was also at risk of anti-trust because of the monopoly on the bowls. LaVell Edwards
LaVell Edwards
R. LaVell Edwards is a former American football coach of Brigham Young University . With 257 career victories, he ranks as one of the most successful college football coaches of all time...
, BYU Coach, testified in Congress at that time about the inherent unfairness in recruiting for teams who were excluded from bowls simply because of conference affiliation. With the pressure of potential Congressional action, the Bowl Alliance reformed into the Bowl Championship Series that not only included the Big Ten and the Pac-10 conference but also cracked open the door to allow the possibility of a "mid-major" team's participation.