Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The bowl was first called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994. The name "Outback" comes from the game's title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse.
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| OUTBACK BOWL | ||
January 1, 2009 11:00 est ESPN | ||
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History
The Hall of Fame Bowl was held at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977–1985. In the spring of 1986, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame decided to relocate the game to Tampa, first at Tampa Stadium (later Houlihan's Stadium) from 1986 until 1998 and then into "The New Sombrero" Raymond James Stadium beginning in 1999. The game became the first bowl in Tampa since the Cigar Bowl from 1947–1954. It was also the first major college bowl ever to be played in Tampa because the Cigar Bowl matched small colleges (a notable participant in that bowl was Florida State, who later became a major college – and ACC – power).
The Bowl is organized by the Tampa Sports Authority and since the 1996 game has contracts with the SEC and the Big Ten Conference. The minimum payout for a participating school is US$3 million.