Thread: Remember the Jan. 1 Bowl Games

Your probably saying there are games on Jan. 1. I know that but remember the days were Jan. 1 was the day for college bowl games.none of what you see now. Games are played on Jan. 1 and then there still playing a week later. There are now bowls before and after the supposed BCS title game. I mean you have the GMAC Bowl and the International Bowl BEFORE the BCS title game. Is it me or is there something wrong with that?

Do you remember NBC carrying the Fiesta Bowl while ABC had the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. Then you used to have the Sugar Bowl up against the Orange Bowl. Today, that would be unheard of, but I think it would be better than the way it is now.

Originally Posted by Mets82

Your probably saying there are games on Jan. 1. I know that but remember the days were Jan. 1 was the day for college bowl games.none of what you see now. Games are played on Jan. 1 and then there still playing a week later. There are now bowls before and after the supposed BCS title game. I mean you have the GMAC Bowl and the International Bowl BEFORE the BCS title game. Is it me or is there something wrong with that?

Do you remember NBC carrying the Fiesta Bowl while ABC had the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. Then you used to have the Sugar Bowl up against the Orange Bowl. Today, that would be unheard of, but I think it would be better than the way it is now.

Mets,
I agree. New Year's Day doesn't have the same feel it had years ago and it's a shame.

The first time of me being into the college bowl games and college football it was January 1st, 1991 CBS: Cotton Bowl at 1pm, NBC: Hall of Fame (now Outback) at 1pm, Fiesta at 4pm, Orange at 8pm and ABC: Citrus at 1pm, Rose at 5pm, and Sugar at 8:30. Before ABC took the Rose Bowl away from NBC in 1988, I couldn't believe the Fiesta Bowl was a 1pm (11 am MT) game, my how far that bowl game has come along. When College Football started the Bowl Alliance I liked the setup they had where the #3 bowl game was New Years Eve, the #2 bowl game was New Year's Day, and then the #1 Game was January 2nd but ever since the BCS started they have ruined the feel of the bowl games especially since that 1999 Fiesta Bowl was on January 4th, a Monday, a school night for me since I was Junior in High School at the time. and now the BCS title game is a week after the New Years Day games. I think there needs to be a regulation of no bowl games in between the January 3rd game and the BCS title game unless it is a BCS game like in years where the NFL playoffs are on the 1st or 2nd of January.

But this is how I wish it would be using this year BCS bowl setup.

Wed, December 31st: Orange Bowl

Thu, January 1st: Rose and Sugar Bowls

Fri, January 2nd: Fiesta Bowl at 4pm, BCS Championship at 8pm

At least it keeps an excitement for the games there and most of us are off of work on the 2nd, I assume.

Originally Posted by jerseyfla

The first time of me being into the college bowl games and college football it was January 1st, 1991

Fiesta at 4pm,

I couldn't believe the Fiesta Bowl was a 1pm (11 am MT) game, my how far that bowl game has come along..

I remember that Fiesta quite well.

A four-loss Alabama team got into the game ahead of one-loss Houston (to conference champ Texas).

I know the Cougars were on probation, but they would have perhaps TRIED to beat Louisville, whereas Bama just went through the motions.

I loved the old set up with January 1, being kind of the finally. It kind of put a ribbon on the Holiday season!

When I was young, in the 70's, there were three bowl games on Jan 1. Cotton Bowl was on CBS around 2 pm. Rose Bowl would come on NBC around 5 pm and the Orange Bowl would follow around 8 PM. The Sugar Bowl was played on Dec 31 and the Fiesta Bowl was still considered a minor bowl and played a few day before New Years Day. Man,am I old or what?

Back then, the Fiesta Bowl used to be in the afternoon, in the same time slot as the Outback Bowl is today.

Here are some old clips to prove my point- these will satisfy this site's Buckeye and Wolverine fans:


YouTube - Keith Byars 99yd kickoff return-TD - 1984 Fiesta Bowl

YouTube - Game winning 89yd drive - 1984 Fiesta Bowl

YouTube - 1986 Fiesta Bowl: Michigan vs. Nebraska

YouTube - 1986 Fiesta Bowl: Michigan-27 Nebraska-23

It definitely doesn't feel the same. Especially when Fox does the broadcast for the national championship. They do zero college football games during the season. It feels more like a regular season NFL game than a national championship. I can remember they days of the "big" tv (which was probably only about 27'') and a small tv on top of that watching two games at once on Jan 1.

Originally Posted by jwfgeol

... I can remember they days of the "big" tv (which was probably only about 27'') and a small tv on top of that watching two games at once on Jan 1.

Would that be PoP - Picture on a Picture?