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Bluebonnet Bowl

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Bluebonnet Bowl (defunct)
StadiumAstrodome
LocationHouston, Texas
Previous stadiumsRice Stadium
(1959–1967, 1985–1986)
Operated1959–1987
Succeeded byHouston Bowl (2000)
Sponsors
None
Former names
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl (1968–1984, 1987)
Bluebonnet Bowl Awards dinner program and menu, Shamrock Hotel, Houston, Texas – Tulsa University v. University of Mississippi, 1964 (12-19-1964)
Texas bluebonnet -- Lupinus

The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, 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 at Rice Stadium from 1959 through 1967, and again in 1985 and 1986. The game was played in the Astrodome from 1968 through 1984, as well in 1987. When held in the Astrodome, it was called the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl. The proceeds from the bowl games were distributed to various Harris County charitable organizations. The game was discontinued following the 1987 season due to poor ticket sales and lack of a title sponsor.[2]

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 the Southwest Conference played against an at-large opponent. The hometown Houston Cougars played in four games, all before joining the SWC. Runners-up from the Big 8 or Southeastern Conferences were also perennial participants.

The bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas.

Bowl games returned to Houston in 2000 with the Houston Bowl, and then the Texas Bowl since 2006.

Game results

[edit]
Season Date Winner Loser Venue Attendance[3]
1959 December 19 #11 Clemson 23 #7 TCU 7 Rice
Stadium
55,000
1960 December 17 #9 Alabama (tie) 3 #17 Texas 3 68,000
1961 December 17 #15 Kansas 33 Rice 7 52,000
1962 December 22 #11 Missouri 14 #12 Georgia Tech 10 55,000
1963 December 21 #20 Baylor 14 LSU 7 50,000
1964 December 19 #18 Tulsa 14 Ole Miss 7 50,000
1965 December 18 #7 Tennessee 27 #16 Tulsa 6 40,000
1966 December 17 Texas 19 Ole Miss 0 67,000
1967 December 23 #13 Colorado 31 Miami 21 30,156
1968 December 31 #16 SMU 28 #15 Oklahoma 27  Astrodome 53,543
1969 December 31 #16 Houston 36 #12 Auburn 7 55,203
1970 December 31 Alabama (tie) 24 #20 Oklahoma 24 53,829
1971 December 31 #7 Colorado 29 #14 Houston 17 54,720
1972 December 30 #11 Tennessee 24 #10 LSU 17 52,961
1973 December 29 #13 Houston 47 #15 Tulane 7 44,358
1974 December 23 Houston (tie) 31 #9 NC State 31 35,122
1975 December 27 #9 Texas 38 #10 Colorado 21 52,748
1976 December 31 #13 Nebraska 27 #8 Texas Tech 24 48,618
1977 December 31 #20 USC 47 #17 Texas A&M 28 52,842
1978 December 31 #20 Stanford 25 #7 Georgia 22 34,084
1979 December 31 #12 Purdue 27 Tennessee 22 40,542
1980 December 31 #11 North Carolina 16 Texas 7 36,667
1981 December 31 #13 Michigan 33 #16 UCLA 14 40,309
1982 December 31 #12 Arkansas 28 #19 Florida 24 31,557
1983 December 31 Oklahoma State 24 #17 Baylor 14 50,090
1984 December 31 West Virginia 31 TCU 14 43,260
1985 December 31 #7 Air Force 24 Texas 16 Rice
Stadium
42,000
1986 December 31 #14 Baylor 21 Colorado 9 40,476
1987 December 31 Texas 32 #18 Pittsburgh 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

[edit]

The Bluebonnet Bowl was broadcast by:[4]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Foldesy, Jody. "Bowls burgeon as big business", The Washington Times. December 21, 1997. Page A1.
  2. ^ "Officials cancel Bluebonnet Bowl". New York Times. Associated Press. October 13, 1988. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  3. ^ fs.ncaa.org http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2015/bowls.pdf. Retrieved 2019-01-11. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ "College Football - 506 Archive".