ReliaQuest Bowl

The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Tampa, Florida. The event was known as the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to 2022. It was held at Tampa Stadium from 1986 until 1999, when it moved to then-new Raymond James Stadium. The bowl is played on New Year's Day and has often been the first college football game to kick off on a day that has been traditionally filled with post-season college football.

ReliaQuest Bowl
StadiumRaymond James Stadium
LocationTampa, Florida
Previous stadiumsTampa Stadium (1986–1998)
Operated1986–present
Conference tie-insBig Ten, SEC
PayoutUS$6.4 million (2019 season)[1]
Sponsors
Outback Steakhouse (1996–2022)
ReliaQuest (2022–present)
Former names
Hall of Fame Bowl (1986–1995)
Outback Bowl (1996–2022)
2021 season matchup
Arkansas vs. Penn State (Arkansas 24–10)
2022 season matchup
Mississippi State vs. Illinois
(Mississippi State 19–10)

History

Previous Tampa bowl game

The Cigar Bowl was played at old Phillips Field near downtown Tampa from 1947 to 1954. Because the Cigar Bowl featured teams from smaller colleges, however, the 1986 Hall of Fame Bowl was the first major college bowl game to be played in the area.[2]

Hall of Fame Bowl
Tampa Stadium, original home of the Hall of Fame / Outback Bowl

The Hall of Fame Classic was a mid-level bowl game played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977 to 1985. In the spring of 1986, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame decided to discontinue their association with the bowl and realign with a new game to be played in Tampa Stadium which would inherit the Hall of Fame Bowl name.[3] Tampa's Hall of Fame Bowl did not initially have any conference tie-ins, so organizers often sought to arrange a match-up between a team from a southern school (usually the Southeastern Conference or Atlantic Coast Conference) and one from another region of the country to maximize both game attendance and potential visitors to the area.[2]

Outback Bowl
Raymond James Stadium, home of the bowl since the 1999 edition

Tampa-based restaurant chain Outback Steakhouse became the game's title sponsor in April 1995, allowing the bowl to increase its payout to participants and sign agreements with the SEC and the Big Ten conferences, creating an annual cross-regional match-up that has continued ever since.[2][4] In 1999, the bowl moved from Tampa Stadium to newly constructed Raymond James Stadium next door.[5]

ReliaQuest Bowl

Though it had signed a six-year extension in 2019, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse decided to discontinue its association with the game in March 2022 in a cost-cutting measure, ending the longest continuous title sponsorship in college bowl history.[6][7] In June 2022, Tampa-based cybersecurity company ReliaQuest was announced as the new title sponsor.[8]

The game
Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall during the 2015 edition

The bowl is played on New Year's Day unless January 1 falls on a Sunday, in which case it is moved to the following Monday. It is usually the first game to start on a day which is traditionally full of college bowl games, and has kicked off as early as 11 a.m. ET. ESPN has had television rights to the game since 1993. Under an extension of those rights signed in 2010, ESPN broadcasts the game on either ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2, in conjunction with the Citrus Bowl and the New Year's Six bowl games.[9] Before 1993, the Hall of Fame Bowl aired on NBC.

Upon signing agreements with the SEC and Big Ten in 1995, the bowl had the third pick of teams from each conference after the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) teams were placed. Since 2014, both the SEC and Big Ten have worked with a group of several bowl games, including this one, to place their bowl-eligible teams after the College Football Playoff (CFP) and associated bowls have made their selections.[10][11]

As of 2023, the bowl's payout was $6.4 million for each participating team.[12]

Game results
For "Hall of Fame Bowl" results from 1977 to 1985, see All-American Bowl.

Rankings are based on the AP Poll prior to the game being played.

Date Bowl name Winning team Losing team Attendance
December 23, 1986Hall of Fame BowlBoston College27Georgia2441,000
January 2, 1988Hall of Fame BowlMichigan28Alabama2461,075
January 2, 1989Hall of Fame Bowl#17 Syracuse23#16 LSU1051,112
January 1, 1990Hall of Fame Bowl#9 Auburn31#21 Ohio State1468,085
January 1, 1991Hall of Fame Bowl#14 Clemson30#16 Illinois063,154
January 1, 1992Hall of Fame Bowl#16 Syracuse24#25 Ohio State1757,789
January 1, 1993Hall of Fame Bowl#17 Tennessee38#16 Boston College2352,056
January 1, 1994Hall of Fame Bowl#23 Michigan42NC State752,649
January 2, 1995Hall of Fame BowlWisconsin34#25 Duke2061,384
January 1, 1996Outback Bowl#15 Penn State43#16 Auburn1465,313
January 1, 1997Outback Bowl#16 Alabama17#15 Michigan1453,161
January 1, 1998Outback Bowl#12 Georgia33Wisconsin656,186
January 1, 1999Outback Bowl#22 Penn State26Kentucky1466,005
January 1, 2000Outback Bowl#21 Georgia28#19 Purdue25 (OT)54,059
January 1, 2001Outback BowlSouth Carolina24#19 Ohio State765,229
January 1, 2002Outback Bowl#14 South Carolina31#22 Ohio State2866,249
January 1, 2003Outback Bowl#12 Michigan38#22 Florida3065,101
January 1, 2004Outback Bowl#13 Iowa37#17 Florida1765,657
January 1, 2005Outback Bowl#8 Georgia24#16 Wisconsin2162,414
January 2, 2006Outback Bowl#16 Florida31#25 Iowa2465,881
January 1, 2007Outback BowlPenn State20#17 Tennessee1065,601
January 1, 2008Outback Bowl#16 Tennessee21#18 Wisconsin1760,121
January 1, 2009Outback BowlIowa31South Carolina1055,117
January 1, 2010Outback BowlAuburn38Northwestern35 (OT)49,383
January 1, 2011Outback BowlFlorida37Penn State2460,574
January 2, 2012Outback Bowl#12 Michigan State33#18 Georgia30 (3OT)49,429
January 1, 2013Outback Bowl#11 South Carolina33#19 Michigan2854,527
January 1, 2014Outback Bowl#14 LSU†21Iowa1451,296
January 1, 2015Outback Bowl#17 Wisconsin34#19 Auburn31 (OT)44,023
January 1, 2016Outback BowlTennessee45#12 Northwestern653,202
January 2, 2017Outback Bowl#20 Florida30#21 Iowa351,119
January 1, 2018Outback BowlSouth Carolina26Michigan1945,687
January 1, 2019Outback BowlIowa 27#18 Mississippi State2240,518
January 1, 2020Outback Bowl#16 Minnesota31#9 Auburn2445,652
January 2, 2021Outback BowlOle Miss26#7 Indiana2011,025
January 1, 2022Outback Bowl#22 Arkansas24Penn State1046,577
January 2, 2023ReliaQuest Bowl#24 Mississippi State19Illinois1035,797  

Source:[13]
† LSU's win in the 2014 edition was vacated in 2023 by the NCAA for a booster-related violation.[14]

MVPs

The bowl has named an MVP since inception; in the inaugural game, there were co-MVPs.[15]

Source:[13]

Most appearances

Updated through the January 2023 edition (37 games, 74 total appearances).

Teams with multiple appearances
Rank Team Appearances Record
1Iowa63–3
Michigan63–3
3South Carolina54–1
Penn State53–2
Florida53–2
Georgia53–2
Auburn52–3
Wisconsin52–3
9Tennessee43–1
Ohio State40–4
11Syracuse22–0
Alabama21–1
Boston College21–1
Mississippi State21–1
LSU20–1†
Illinois20–2
Northwestern20–2

† LSU's win in the 2014 edition was vacated by the NCAA in 2023.

Teams with a single appearance

Won (5): Arkansas, Clemson, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ole Miss
Lost (5): Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, NC State, Purdue

Appearances by conference

Updated through the January 2023 edition (37 games, 74 total appearances).

Conference Record Appearances by season
Games W L Win pct. Won Lost Vacated
Big Ten341321.382 1987*, 1993*, 1994*, 1995*, 1998*, 2002*, 2003*, 2006*, 2008*, 2011*, 2014*, 2018*, 2019* 1989*, 1990*, 1991*, 1996*, 1997*, 1999*, 2000*, 2001*, 2004*, 2005*, 2007*, 2009*, 2010*, 2012*, 2013*, 2015*, 2016*, 2017*, 2020*, 2021*, 2022*  
SEC33†1913.594 1989*, 1992*, 1996*, 1997*, 1999*, 2000*, 2001*, 2004*, 2005*, 2007*, 2009*, 2010*, 2012*, 2015*, 2016*, 2017*, 2020*, 2021*, 2022* 1986, 1987*, 1988*, 1995*, 1998*, 2002*, 2003*, 2006*, 2008*, 2011*, 2014*, 2018*, 2019* 2013*
ACC312.333 1990* 1993*, 1994*  
Independents2201.000 1986, 1988*  
Big East211.500 1991* 1992*  

† LSU's vacated win following the 2013 season (played in January 2014) is excluded from win–loss totals.

  • Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
  • Results reflect conference affiliations at the time each game was played.
  • Big East appearances: Syracuse (1992) and Boston College (1993); the American Athletic Conference (The American) has retained the charter of the original Big East, following its 2013 realignment.
  • Independent appearances: Boston College (1986) and Syracuse (1988).

Game records
Team Performance vs. opponent Year
Most points scored (one team) 45, Tennessee vs. Northwestern 2016
Most points scored (losing team) 35, Northwestern vs. Auburn 2010
Most points scored (both teams) 73, Auburn vs. Northwestern 2010
Fewest points allowed 0, Clemson vs. Illinois 1991
Largest margin of victory 39, Tennessee vs. Northwestern 2016
Total yards 621, Northwestern vs. Auburn 2010
Rushing yards 400, Wisconsin vs. Auburn 2015
Passing yards 532, Northwestern vs. Auburn 2010
First downs 34, Northwestern vs. Auburn 2010
Fewest yards allowed 199, Mississippi State vs. Iowa 2019
Fewest rushing yards allowed –15, Mississippi State vs. Iowa 2019
Fewest passing yards allowed 55, Florida vs. Iowa 2017
Individual Performance, Player, Team Year
Total offense566, Mike Kafka Northwestern vs. Auburn (532 Pass, 34 Rush)2010
Touchdowns (all-purpose)4, Chris Perry (Michigan)2003
Rushing yards251, Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin)2015
Rushing touchdowns4, Chris Perry (Michigan)2003
Passing yards532, Mike Kafka (Northwestern)2010
Passing touchdowns4, most recent:
Mike Kafka (Northwestern)
2010
Receiving yards205, Tavarres King (Georgia)2012
Receiving touchdowns2, most recent:
Tyler Johnson (Minnesota)
2020
Tackles16, Traveon Henry (Northwestern)2016
Sacks3, most recent:
David Pollack (Georgia)		2005
Interceptions2, most recent:
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (Florida)		2017
Long Plays Performance, Team/Player vs. opponent Year
Touchdown run77 yds., Jamie Morris (Michigan)1988
Touchdown pass85 yds., Austin Appleby to Mark Thompson (Florida)2017
Kickoff return96 yds., shared by:
Jordan Cotton (Iowa)
Noah Igbinoghene[16] (Auburn)
2014
2020
Punt return92 yds., Brandon Boykin (Georgia)2012
Interception return100 yds., shared by:
Walter McFadden (Auburn)
Evan Berry (Tennessee)
2010
2016
Fumble return88 yds.,Tony Davis (Penn State)2007
Punt70 yds., Tyeler Dean (South Carolina)2002
Field goal53 yds., Charles Campbell (Indiana)2021

Source:[17]

Media coverage
Main article: List of ReliaQuest Bowl broadcasters

The inaugural edition of the bowl was carried by Mizlou in December 1986, with NBC carrying the next five editions (1988–1992).[18] Since 1993, the game has been carried by ESPN or ESPN2, except for four broadcasts on ABC (2011, 2012, 2017, and 2021).[18]

References
  1. "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. Alfonso, David (December 29, 1995). "A new name highlights the 10th year of what started as the Hall of Fame Bowl". Tampa Tribune.
  3. McEwen, Tom (April 17, 1986). "Hall of Fame Bowl will be played in Tampa". The Tampa Tribune. p. 1C. Retrieved March 25, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  4. "Bowl gets new sponsor". San Francisco Examiner. April 13, 1995. p. C-2. Retrieved March 25, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  5. Mills, Roger (September 3, 1998). "Outback joins the crowd at new stadium". St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. p. 5H. Retrieved March 25, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  6. Baker, Matt (March 25, 2022). "Crikey! Outback Bowl changes name". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  7. Kritzer, Ashley Gurbal (May 2, 2022). "Bloomin' CEO on dropped Outback Bowl sponsorship: 'It was just time'". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  8. Baker, Matt (June 9, 2022). "Tampa's Outback Bowl has a new name: the ReliaQuest Bowl". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  9. "ESPN Signs Deal with Gator Bowl, Extends Agreements with Capital One Bowl and Outback Bowl; All Three Games to be Televised on New Year's Day". ESPN. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  10. "2016-17 SEC Bowl Schedule". secsports.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  11. "Big Ten Bowl Partners". bigten.org. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  12. "About the Bowl". www.reliaquestbowl.com. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  13. "Bowl Game Summary". reliaquestbowl.com. January 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  14. Mandel, Stewart. "Vacated LSU wins leave Les Miles out of CFB Hall of Fame consideration". The Athletic. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  15. "Quick Game Summary". outbackbowl.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  16. "No. 18 Minnesota tops No. 12 Auburn in Outback Bowl". reuters.com. Field Level Media. January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020. Noah Igbinoghene's 96-yard kickoff return in the first quarter, which tied an Outback Bowl record.
  17. "Outback Bowl Records". outbackbowl.com. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  18. Kelly, Doug (ed.). "2019–20 Football Bowl Association Media Guide" (PDF). footballbowlassociation.com. p. 154. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
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