sugar bowl history
sugar bowl history
Sugar Bowl tickets for sale, $1.50 and $3.50. That was the case in the inaugural game played in 1935 when the unbeaten Tulane University’s Green Wave and the Temple University’s Owls clashed in a battle of the undefeated. Tulane and head coach Ted Cox overcame a fourteen-point deficit to defeat Glenn “Pop” Warner’s Owl’s. This was the first game in the Sugar Bowl’s long, rich history.
The first Sugar Bowl was played in Tulane Stadium, or the “Sugar Bowl” as it became known. Through bonds passed and sales of Sugar Bowl tickets the New Orleans Mid-Winter Sports Association raised over 1.5 million dollars to refurbish Tulane Stadium into an 81,000-seat stadium that is the largest double-decked steel stadium. However, in 1974 the game was moved to the Louisiana Superdome. In 2006 the game was played in the Georgia Dome due to Hurricane Katrina releasing its wrath upon the dome. While the Sugar Bowl is scheduled to play in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida this year, the city of New Orleans, and their newly repaired Superdome are pushing to get the Sugar Bowl back where it belongs.
Before the controversial BCS postseason alignment came along, Sugar Bowl ticket holders were destined to see the champion of the Southeastern Conference battle it out with a top-tier at large bid. Now once every four years the Sugar Bowl will host the top two teams in the Bowl Championship Series, with the winner being coined the National Champion. The Allstate Sugar Bowl, sponsored by Nokia at the time, last hosted the BCS championship in 2004 when fans saw Nick Saban’s LSU Tigers defeat the Oklahoma Sooners by a final score of 21-7.
Sugar Bowl ticket holders have seen many greats play in this prestigious postseason college football match-up. Notable MVP winners include Archie Manning, Herschel Walker, Dan Marino, Bo Jackson, Jerome Bettis, and Warrick Dunn. The trophy that is awarded to the winning team is a beautiful silver single-bottle wine cooler that was donated by the Waldhorn Company Inc. This exquisite bowl was made in London, England in the 1830’s, during the reign of King George IV, and a replica is awarded to the winning team to display at their university. The losing team does not go home empty handed; each team takes home took home more than 14 million dollars in the 2005-2006 game.
If you are a college football fan, a game you do not want to miss would be the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Ticket holders last year saw the West Virginal Mountaineers hold on to a 38-35 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs, as Steve Slaton run all over the Bulldogs to break out to a 21-0 lead. But in standard Sugar Bowl style the Bulldogs rallied and fell just a field goal short in the end. A combined 13 points have decided the last three Sugar Bowls, including the National Championship of 2004. The Allstate Sugar Bowl of 2007 is sure to be an exciting match-up of some of the top teams in the country.
