TheBluebonnet Bowlwas an annualcollege footballbowl gameplayed inHouston, Texas.[1]A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held atRice Stadiumfrom 1959 through 1967, and again in 1985 and 1986. The game was played in theAstrodomefrom 1968 through 1984, as well in 1987. When held in the Astrodome, it was called theAstro-Bluebonnet Bowl.The proceeds from the bowl games were distributed to variousHarris Countycharitable organizations. The game was discontinued following the 1987 season due to poor ticket sales and lack of a title sponsor.[2]
| Bluebonnet Bowl(defunct) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | Astrodome |
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Previous stadiums | Rice Stadium (1959–1967, 1985–1986) |
| Operated | 1959–1987 |
| Succeeded by | Houston Bowl(2000) |
| Sponsors | |
None | |
| Former names | |
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl (1968–1984, 1987) | |
The Bluebonnet Bowl generally featured a team from Texas against an out-of-state opponent; 19 out of the 29 games involved a team from Texas. From 1980 to 1987, with the exception of 1981, a runner-up from theSouthwest Conferenceplayed against an at-large opponent. The hometownHouston Cougarsplayed in four games, all before joining the SWC. Runners-up from theBig 8orSoutheastern Conferenceswere also perennial participants.
Thebluebonnetis the state flower of Texas.
Bowl games returned to Houston in 2000 with theHouston Bowl,and then theTexas Bowlsince 2006.
Game results
edit| Season | Date | Winner | Loser | Venue | Attendance[3] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | December 19 | #11Clemson | 23 | #7TCU | 7 | Rice Stadium |
55,000 |
| 1960 | December 17 | #9Alabama(tie) | 3 | #17Texas | 3 | 68,000 | |
| 1961 | December 17 | #15Kansas | 33 | Rice | 7 | 52,000 | |
| 1962 | December 22 | #11Missouri | 14 | #12Georgia Tech | 10 | 55,000 | |
| 1963 | December 21 | #20Baylor | 14 | LSU | 7 | 50,000 | |
| 1964 | December 19 | #18Tulsa | 14 | Ole Miss | 7 | 50,000 | |
| 1965 | December 18 | #7Tennessee | 27 | #16Tulsa | 6 | 40,000 | |
| 1966 | December 17 | Texas | 19 | Ole Miss | 0 | 67,000 | |
| 1967 | December 23 | #13Colorado | 31 | Miami | 21 | 30,156 | |
| 1968 | December 31 | #16SMU | 28 | #15Oklahoma | 27 | Astrodome | 53,543 |
| 1969 | December 31 | #16Houston | 36 | #12Auburn | 7 | 55,203 | |
| 1970 | December 31 | Alabama(tie) | 24 | #20Oklahoma | 24 | 53,829 | |
| 1971 | December 31 | #7Colorado | 29 | #14Houston | 17 | 54,720 | |
| 1972 | December 30 | #11Tennessee | 24 | #10LSU | 17 | 52,961 | |
| 1973 | December 29 | #13Houston | 47 | #15Tulane | 7 | 44,358 | |
| 1974 | December 23 | Houston(tie) | 31 | #9NC State | 31 | 35,122 | |
| 1975 | December 27 | #9Texas | 38 | #10Colorado | 21 | 52,748 | |
| 1976 | December 31 | #13Nebraska | 27 | #8Texas Tech | 24 | 48,618 | |
| 1977 | December 31 | #20USC | 47 | #17Texas A&M | 28 | 52,842 | |
| 1978 | December 31 | #20Stanford | 25 | #7Georgia | 22 | 34,084 | |
| 1979 | December 31 | #12Purdue | 27 | Tennessee | 22 | 40,542 | |
| 1980 | December 31 | #11North Carolina | 16 | Texas | 7 | 36,667 | |
| 1981 | December 31 | #13Michigan | 33 | #16UCLA | 14 | 40,309 | |
| 1982 | December 31 | #12Arkansas | 28 | #19Florida | 24 | 31,557 | |
| 1983 | December 31 | Oklahoma State | 24 | #17Baylor | 14 | 50,090 | |
| 1984 | December 31 | West Virginia | 31 | TCU | 14 | 43,260 | |
| 1985 | December 31 | #7Air Force | 24 | Texas | 16 | Rice Stadium |
42,000 |
| 1986 | December 31 | #14Baylor | 21 | Colorado | 9 | 40,476 | |
| 1987 | December 31 | Texas | 32 | #18Pittsburgh | 27 | Astrodome | 23,282 |
Record by conference
edit| Conference | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWC | 16 | 7 | 8 | 1 |
| SEC | 13 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| Big 8 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Independent | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| ACC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Pac-10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Big Ten | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| MVC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| WAC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Teams with multiple appearances
edit
| Team | Conference | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | SWC | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Houston | Independent | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Colorado | Big 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Baylor | SWC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tennessee | SEC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tulsa | Missouri Valley | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Alabama | SEC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| LSU | SEC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Ole Miss | SEC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| TCU | SWC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Media
editThe Bluebonnet Bowl was broadcast by:[4]
- CBS(1960–1963)
- ABC(1964–1967)
- Syndication (1968–1972)
- ABC (1973–1975)
- TVS Television Network(1976)
- Mizlou Television Network(1977–1981)
- ESPN(1982)
- Mizlou (1983)
- ESPN (1984)
- USA Network/Lorimar Sports Network(1985)
- Raycom Sports(1986)
- Mizlou (1987)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Foldesy, Jody. "Bowls burgeon as big business",The Washington Times.December 21, 1997. Page A1.
- ^"Officials cancel Bluebonnet Bowl".New York Times.Associated Press. October 13, 1988.RetrievedNovember 9,2014.
- ^fs.ncaa.orghttp://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2015/bowls.pdf.RetrievedJanuary 11,2019.
{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^"College Football - 506 Archive".