The college football season is drawing to a close which means we’re treated to the famous bowl games – but why are they called bowl games

Why Are College Football Games Called Bowl Games

Many football fans across the country are led to believe that college bowl games are named after the NFL‘s Super Bowl, however that’s not the case.

College bowl games actually pre-date the Super Bowl. They’re called bowl games because they’re played in the biggest stadiums, which are historically all shaped like bowls.

The history of the bowl game began over 120 years ago in 1902, when the ‘Tournament of Roses Association’ sponsored a college football game on New Year’s Day which matched the best team from the East and the best team from the West.

Michigan and Stanford went head-to-head, with the former running away 49-0 winners – leading Stanford to quit with eight minutes to play and swallow their pride.

The lack of competitiveness led the organizers to look elsewhere and for the next 13 years they decided to run chariot races, ostrich races and other different events instead of football.

In 1916 they decided to bring it back and it quickly gained positive traction, which led to a new stadium being built that could hold over 40,000 fans.

An architect named Myron Hunt, who designed the Yale football stadium (Yale Bowl, built in August 1913), decided to replicate it with a new ground called the Rose Bowl.

It opened in October 1922 in Pasadena, California and stood alone on the West coast until four southern cities decided to built their own and follow the trend.

The Sugar, Cotton, Orange and Sun bowls opened between 1935 and 1937 The number of bowls only continued to grow throughout the years.

Today, 70 of the 120 college football teams play in a bowl game which has slightly killed the interest and significance of each match-up, but they’re always very entertaining.

In a 24-hour span, three CFB bowl games will be played in a baseball stadium:

• Holiday Bowl (Petco Park)

• Fenway Bowl (Fenway Park)

• Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium)

Jamming football fields awkwardly into baseball stadiums.

America’s bowl season pastime. pic.twitter.com/5LoQnSThwn

— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) December 28, 2023