The Citrus Bowl was known as the Tangerine Bowl from 1947 to 1982 and was one of the oldest non-College Football Playoff (CFP) bowls. It focuses on charity as it proceeds to donate to a greater cause. It used to host matchups between Southern schools, the game evolved in 1968 into a major college bowl game with Division I teams. The Florida Citrus Bowl, which was renamed in 1983 until 2002, has seen numerous historic moments, including Georgia Tech's claim to the UPI national championship in 1990 and Florida's all-time attendance record in 1998, the Capital One Bowl (2003–2014) and its subsequent name change to Citrus Bowl in 2015. It still continues to have ties from the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten, and the Atlantic Coast Conference from time to time, showing the history of games that marked college football forever.
Citrus Bowl Sponsorship and Broadcasting Rights
The Citrus Bowl, formerly known as the Tangerine Bowl (1947) and the Florida Citrus Bowl (1983), has seen various sponsorships over the years. Capital One sponsored it from 2001 to 2014, renaming it the Capital One Bowl (2003–2014), while other sponsors included CompUSA (1994–1999), Ourhouse.com (2000), Buffalo Wild Wings (2015–2017), Overton's (2018), and Vrbo (2019–2022). Kellogg's secured the title sponsorship rights on November 15, 2022, rebranding the game as the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in 2024.
ABC televised the game from 1987 to 2010, with NBC handling it in 1984–85 and the Mizlou Television Network before 1984. ESPN took over in 2010, signing a contract through 2018 to broadcast the game on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2. As of December 2024, ABC holds the broadcasting rights, and ESPN Radio covers the radio broadcasts.
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Citrus Bowl Winner List
The Citrus Bowl, formerly known as the Tangerine Bowl and Florida Citrus Bowl, has seen a prestigious list of victors. Among the notable winners are Georgia Tech (1990), Florida (1998), and LSU (2019).
| Year | Winning Team | Opponent |
| 1947 | Catawba | Maryville |
| 1948 | Catawba | Marshall |
| 1949 | Murray State | Sul Ross State |
| 1950 | Saint Vincent | Emory and Henry |
| 1951 | Morris Harvey | Emory and Henry |
| 1952 | Stetson | Arkansas State |
| 1953 | East Texas State | Tennessee Tech |
| 1954 | Arkansas State | East Texas State |
| 1955 | Omaha | Eastern Kentucky |
| 1956 | Juniata | Missouri Valley |
| 1957 | West Texas State | Mississippi Southern |
| 1958 | East Texas State | Mississippi Southern |
| 1959 | East Texas State | Missouri Valley |
| 1960 | Middle Tennessee | Presbyterian |
| 1961 | The Citadel | Tennessee Tech |
| 1962 | Lamar Tech | Middle Tennessee |
| 1963 | Houston | Miami (OH) |
| 1964 | East Carolina | UMass |
| 1965 | East Carolina | Maine |
| 1966 | Morgan State | West Chester |
| 1967 | Tennessee–Martin | West Chester |
| 1968 | Richmond | #15 Ohio |
| 1969 | #20 Toledo | Davidson |
| 1970 | #15 Toledo | William & Mary |
| 1971 | #14 Toledo | Richmond |
| 1972 | Tampa | Kent State |
| 1973 | #15 Miami (OH) | Florida |
| 1974 | #15 Miami (OH) | Georgia |
| 1975 | #12 Miami (OH) | South Carolina |
| 1976 | #14 Oklahoma State | BYU |
| 1977 | #19 Florida State | Texas Tech |
| 1978 | NC State | Pittsburgh |
| 1979 | LSU | Wake Forest |
| 1980 | Florida | Maryland |
| 1981 | Missouri | #18 Southern Miss |
| 1982 | #18 Auburn | Boston College |
| 1983 | Tennessee | #16 Maryland |
| 1984 | Georgia | #15 Florida State |
| 1985 | #17 Ohio State | #9 BYU |
| 1986 | #10 Auburn | USC |
| 1987 | #14 Clemson | #20 Penn State |
| 1988 | #14 Clemson | #20 Penn State |
| 1989 | #9 Clemson | #10 Oklahoma |
| 1990 | #11 Illinois | #16 Virginia |
| 1991 | #2 Georgia Tech | #19 Nebraska |
| 1992 | #14 California | #13 Clemson |
| 1993 | #8 Georgia | #15 Ohio State |
| 1994 | #13 Penn State | #6 Tennessee |
| 1995 | #6 Alabama | #13 Ohio State |
| 1996 | #3 Tennessee | #4 Ohio State |
| 1997 | #9 Tennessee | #11 Northwestern |
| 1998 | #6 Florida | #11 Penn State |
| 1999 | #15 Michigan | #11 Arkansas |
| 2000 | #9 Michigan State | #10 Florida |
| 2001 | #17 Michigan | #20 Auburn |
| 2002 | #8 Tennessee | #17 Michigan |
| 2003 | #19 Auburn | #10 Penn State |
| 2004 | #11 Georgia | #12 Purdue |
| 2005 | #11 Iowa | #12 LSU |
| 2006 | #20 Wisconsin | #7 Auburn |
| 2007 | #5 Wisconsin | #13 Arkansas |
| 2008 | Michigan | #12 Florida |
| 2009 | #15 Georgia | #18 Michigan State |
| 2010 | #11 Penn State | #15 LSU |
| 2011 | #16 Alabama | #9 Michigan State |
| 2012 | #9 South Carolina | #20 Nebraska |
| 2013 | #6 Georgia | #23 Nebraska |
| 2014 | #9 South Carolina | #19 Wisconsin |
| 2015 | #16 Missouri | #25 Minnesota |
| 2016 | #14 Michigan | #19 Florida |
| 2017 | #20 LSU | #13 Louisville |
| 2018 | #14 Notre Dame | #17 LSU |
| 2019 | #16 Kentucky | #13 Penn State |
| 2020 | #9 Alabama | #17 Michigan |
| 2021 | #15 Northwestern | Auburn |
| 2022 | #25 Kentucky | #17 Iowa |
| 2023 | #16 LSU | Purdue |
| 2024 | #25 Tennessee | #20 Iowa |
Citrus Bowl Appearances and win-loss Records
The Citrus Bowl has seen teams make multiple appearances, reflecting varied win-loss records over its history. Notable appearances include Florida with 10 appearances and a record of 6-4, while LSU boasts eight appearances and a remarkable 6-2 record. The bowl has witnessed competitive histories for teams like Penn State (6-4), Tennessee (5-3), and Ohio State (3-7).
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| Team | Appearances | Win-Loss Record |
| Georgia | 6 | 4–1–1 |
| Michigan | 6 | 4–2 |
| Florida | 6 | 2–4 |
| Penn State | 6 | 2–4 |
| Auburn | 6 | 3–3 |
| LSU | 6 | 3–3 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 5–1 |
| Ohio State | 4 | 1–3 |
| Alabama | 3 | 3–0 |
| Miami (OH) | 3 | 3–0 |
| Toledo | 3 | 3–0 |
| Clemson | 3 | 2–1 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 2–1 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 2–1 |
| Michigan State | 3 | 1–2 |
| Nebraska | 3 | 0–3 |
| Iowa | 3 | 1–2 |
| Missouri | 2 | 2–0 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 2–0 |
| Northwestern | 2 | 1–1 |
| Richmond | 2 | 1–1 |
| Florida State | 2 | 0–1–1 |
| Purdue | 2 | 0–2 |
| Arkansas | 2 | 0–2 |
| BYU | 2 | 0–2 |
| Maryland | 2 | 0–2 |
Citrus Bowl MVPs
The Citrus Bowl has honored standout players with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) title, recognizing exceptional performances. Notable MVPs include Peyton Manning (1997), Tim Tebow (2008 & 2009), and Dalvin Cook (2016) among others, showcasing their impact in these memorable bowl matchups.
| Game Year | MVP | Team |
| Jan. 1949 | Dale McDaniel Ted Scown | Murray State Sul Ross State |
| Jan. 1950 | Don Henigin Chick Davis | St. Vincent Emory & Henry |
| Jan. 1951 | Pete Anania Charles Hubbard | Morris Harvey Morris Harvey |
| Jan. 1952 | Bill Johnson | Stetson |
| Jan. 1953 | Marvin Brown | East Texas State |
| Jan. 1954 | Bobby Spann | Arkansas State |
| Jan. 1955 | Bill Englehardt | Omaha |
| Jan. 1956 | Barry Drexler | Juniata |
| Jan. 1957 | Ron Mills | West Texas State |
| Jan. 1958 | Norman Roberts | East Texas State |
| Dec. 1958 | Sam McCord | East Texas State |
| Jan. 1960 | Bob Waters | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 1960 | Jerry Nettles | Citadel |
| Dec. 1961 | Ralph Stone | Lamar |
| Dec. 1962 | Billy Roland | Houston |
| Dec. 1963 | Sharon Miller | Western Kentucky |
| Dec. 1964 | Bill Cline | East Carolina |
| Dec. 1965 | Dave Alexander | East Carolina |
| Dec. 1966 | Willie Lanier | Morgan State |
| Dec. 1967 | Errol Hook Gordon Lambert | Tennessee–Martin |
| Dec. 1968 | Buster O'Brien Walker Gillette | Richmond |
| Dec. 1969 | Chuck Ealey Dan Crockett | Toledo |
| Dec. 1970 | Chuck Ealey Vince Hubler | Toledo William & Mary |
| Dec. 1971 | Chuck Ealey Mel Long | Toledo |
| Dec. 1972 | Freddie Solomon Jack Lambert | Tampa Kent State |
| Dec. 1973 | Chuck Varner Brad Cousino John Roudabush | Miami (OH) |
| Dec. 1974 | Sherman Smith Brad Cousino | Miami (OH) |
| Dec. 1975 | Rob Carpenter Jeff Kelly | Miami (OH) |
| Dec. 1976 | Terry Miller Phillip Dokes | Oklahoma State |
| Dec. 1977 | Jimmy Jordan Willie Jones | Florida State |
| Dec. 1978 | Ted Brown Nathan Ritter John Stanton | North Carolina State |
| Dec. 1979 | David Woodley Jerry Murphree Benjy Thibodeaux | LSU |
| Dec. 1980 | Cris Collinsworth Charlie Wysocki David Galloway | Florida |
| Dec. 1981 | Jeff Gaylord | Missouri |
| Dec. 1982 | Randy Campbell | Auburn |
| Dec. 1983 | Johnnie Jones | Tennessee |
| Dec. 1984 | James Jackson | Georgia |
| Dec. 1985 | Larry Kolic | Ohio State |
| Jan. 1987 | Aundray Bruce | Auburn |
| Jan. 1988 | Rodney Williams | Clemson |
| Jan. 1989 | Terry Allen | Clemson |
| Jan. 1990 | Jeff George | Illinois |
| Jan. 1991 | Shawn Jones | Georgia Tech |
| Jan. 1992 | Mike Pawlawski | California |
| Jan. 1993 | Garrison Hearst | Georgia |
| Jan. 1994 | Bobby Engram | Penn State |
| Jan. 1995 | Sherman Williams | Alabama |
| Jan. 1996 | Jay Graham | Tennessee |
| Jan. 1997 | Peyton Manning | Tennessee |
| Jan. 1998 | Fred Taylor | Florida |
| Jan. 1999 | Anthony Thomas | Michigan |
| Jan. 2000 | Plaxico Burress | Michigan State |
| Jan. 2001 | Anthony Thomas | Michigan |
| Jan. 2002 | Casey Clausen | Tennessee |
| Jan. 2003 | Ronnie Brown | Auburn |
| Jan. 2004 | David Greene | Georgia |
| Jan. 2005 | Drew Tate | Iowa |
| Jan. 2006 | Brian Calhoun | Wisconsin |
| Jan. 2007 | John Stocco | Wisconsin |
| Jan. 2008 | Chad Henne | Michigan |
| Jan. 2009 | Matthew Stafford | Georgia |
| Jan. 2010 | Daryll Clark | Penn State |
| Jan. 2011 | Courtney Upshaw | Alabama |
| Jan. 2012 | Alshon Jeffery | South Carolina |
| Jan. 2013 | Aaron Murray | Georgia |
| Jan. 2014 | Connor Shaw | South Carolina |
| Jan. 2015 | Markus Golden | Missouri |
| Jan. 2016 | Jake Rudock | Michigan |
| Dec. 2016 | Derrius Guice | LSU |
| Jan. 2018 | Miles Boykin | Notre Dame |
| Jan. 2019 | Benny Snell | Kentucky |
| Jan. 2020 | Jerry Jeudy | Alabama |
| Jan. 2021 | Peyton Ramsey | Northwestern |
| Jan. 2022 | Wan'Dale Robinson | Kentucky |
| Jan. 2023 | Malik Nabers | LSU |
| Jan. 2024 | Nico Iamaleava | Tennessee |
FAQs on Citrus Bowl
A. The Citrus Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida.
A. The Citrus Bowl was first played in 1947.
A. The Citrus Bowl is held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
A. The Citrus Bowl typically features teams from the SEC and Big Ten conferences.
A. The Citrus Bowl is known as the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
