| ReliaQuest Bowl | |
| Stadium: | Raymond James Stadium |
| Previous Stadiums: | Tampa Stadium (1986–1998) |
| Location: | Tampa, Florida |
| Years: | 1986–present |
| Conference Tie-Ins: | Big Ten, SEC |
| Payout: | 6.4 million (2019 season)[1] |
| Sponsors: | Outback Steakhouse (1996–2022) ReliaQuest (2022–present) |
| Former Names: | Hall of Fame Bowl (1986–1995) Outback Bowl (1996–2022) |
| Prev Matchup Year: | 2022 season |
| Prev Matchup Season: | 2022 |
| Prev Matchup Teams: | Mississippi State vs. Illinois (Mississippi State 19–10) |
| Next Matchup Year: | 2023 season |
| Next Matchup Season: | 2023 |
| Next Matchup Teams: | LSU vs. Wisconsin (LSU 35–31) |
The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Tampa, Florida. The event was known as the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to 2022. It was held at Tampa Stadium from 1986 until 1999, when it moved to then-new Raymond James Stadium. The bowl has been played on New Year's Day for most of its history, often the first game to kick off on a day that is traditionally filled with post-season college football.
The Cigar Bowl was played at old Phillips Field near downtown Tampa from 1947 to 1954. Because the Cigar Bowl featured teams from smaller colleges, however, the 1986 Hall of Fame Bowl was the first major college bowl game to be played in the area.[2]
The Hall of Fame Classic was a mid-level bowl game played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977 to 1985. In the spring of 1986, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame decided to discontinue their association with the bowl and realign with a new game to be played in Tampa Stadium which would inherit the Hall of Fame Bowl name.[3] Tampa's Hall of Fame Bowl did not initially have any conference tie-ins, so organizers often sought to arrange a match-up between a team from a southern school (usually the Southeastern Conference or Atlantic Coast Conference) and one from another region of the country to maximize both game attendance and potential visitors to the area.[2]
Tampa-based restaurant chain Outback Steakhouse became the game's title sponsor in April 1995, allowing the bowl to increase its payout to participants and sign agreements with the SEC and the Big Ten conferences, creating an annual cross-regional match-up that has continued ever since.[2] [4] In 1999, the bowl moved from Tampa Stadium to newly constructed Raymond James Stadium next door.[5]
Though it had signed a six-year extension in 2019, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse decided to discontinue its association with the game in March 2022 in a cost-cutting measure, ending the longest continuous title sponsorship in college bowl history and resulting in a temporary renaming of the game to Tampa Bay Bowl.[6] [7] In June 2022, Tampa-based cybersecurity company ReliaQuest was announced as the new title sponsor.[8] The ReliaQuest Bowl following the 2024 season was scheduled for December 31, 2024, making it the first edition of the bowl since its inaugural edition (played as the Hall of Fame Bowl) to be scheduled in December, and the first edition scheduled for New Year's Eve, a change spurred by the expanded College Football Playoff.[9]
The bowl is played on New Year's Day unless January 1 falls on a Sunday, in which case it is moved to the following Monday. It is usually the first game to start on a day which is traditionally full of college bowl games, and has kicked off as early as 11 a.m. ET. ESPN has had television rights to the game since 1993. Under an extension of those rights signed in 2010, ESPN broadcasts the game on either ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2, in conjunction with the Citrus Bowl and the New Year's Six bowl games.[10] Before 1993, the Hall of Fame Bowl aired on NBC.
Upon signing agreements with the SEC and Big Ten in 1995, the bowl had the third pick of teams from each conference after the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) teams were placed. Since 2014, both the SEC and Big Ten have worked with a group of several bowl games, including this one, to place their bowl-eligible teams after the College Football Playoff (CFP) and associated bowls have made their selections.[11] [12]
As of 2023, the bowl's payout was $6.4 million for each participating team.[13]
Rankings are based on the AP Poll prior to the game being played.
| Date | Bowl name | Winning team | Losing team | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 23, 1986 | Boston College | 27 | 24 | 41,000 | ||
| January 2, 1988 | Michigan | 28 | 24 | 61,075 | ||
| January 2, 1989 |
| 23 | 10 | 51,112 | ||
| January 1, 1990 |
| 31 | 14 | 68,085 | ||
| January 1, 1991 |
| 30 | 0 | 63,154 | ||
| January 1, 1992 |
| 24 | 17 | 57,789 | ||
| January 1, 1993 |
| 38 | 23 | 52,056 | ||
| January 1, 1994 |
| 42 | 7 | 52,649 | ||
| January 2, 1995 | Wisconsin | 34 | 20 | 61,384 | ||
| January 1, 1996 |
| 43 | 14 | 65,313 | ||
| January 1, 1997 |
| 17 | 14 | 53,161 | ||
| January 1, 1998 |
| 33 | 6 | 56,186 | ||
| January 1, 1999 |
| 26 | 14 | 66,005 | ||
| January 1, 2000 |
| 28 | 25 (OT) | 54,059 | ||
| January 1, 2001 | South Carolina | 24 | 7 | 65,229 | ||
| January 1, 2002 | 31 | 28 | 66,249 | |||
| January 1, 2003 |
| 38 | 30 | 65,101 | ||
| January 1, 2004 |
| 37 | 17 | 65,657 | ||
| January 1, 2005 |
| 24 | 21 | 62,414 | ||
| January 2, 2006 |
| 31 | 24 | 65,881 | ||
| January 1, 2007 | Penn State | 20 | 10 | 65,601 | ||
| January 1, 2008 |
| 21 | 17 | 60,121 | ||
| January 1, 2009 | Iowa | 31 | 10 | 55,117 | ||
| January 1, 2010 | Auburn | 38 | 35 (OT) | 49,383 | ||
| January 1, 2011 | Florida | 37 | 24 | 60,574 | ||
| January 2, 2012 | 33 | 30 (3OT) | 49,429 | |||
| January 1, 2013 | 33 | 28 | 54,527 | |||
| January 1, 2014 | 21 | 14 | 51,296 | |||
| January 1, 2015 |
| 34 | 31 (OT) | 44,023 | ||
| January 1, 2016 | Tennessee | 45 | 6 | 53,202 | ||
| January 2, 2017 |
| 30 | 3 | 51,119 | ||
| January 1, 2018 | South Carolina | 26 | 19 | 45,687 | ||
| January 1, 2019 | Iowa | 27 | 22 | 40,518 | ||
| January 1, 2020 |
| 31 | 24 | 45,652 | ||
| January 2, 2021 | Ole Miss | 26 | 20 | 11,025 | ||
| January 1, 2022 |
| 24 | 10 | 46,577 | ||
| January 2, 2023 | 19 | 10 | 35,797 | |||
| January 1, 2024 |
| 35 | 31 | 31,424 | ||
The bowl has named an MVP since inception; in the inaugural game, there were co-MVPs.[15]
| Date | MVP | Team | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 23, 1986 | James Jackson | Georgia | QB | |
| Garry Moss | CB | |||
| January 2, 1988 | Michigan | TB | ||
| January 2, 1989 | Syracuse | RB | ||
| January 1, 1990 | Auburn | QB | ||
| January 1, 1991 | Clemson | QB | ||
| January 1, 1992 | Syracuse | QB | ||
| January 1, 1993 | Tennessee | QB | ||
| January 1, 1994 | Michigan | RB | ||
| January 2, 1995 | Wisconsin | RB | ||
| January 1, 1996 | Penn State | WR | ||
| January 1, 1997 | Alabama | LB | ||
| January 1, 1998 | Georgia | QB | ||
| January 1, 1999 | Penn State | DE | ||
| January 1, 2000 | Purdue | QB | ||
| January 1, 2001 | Ryan Brewer | South Carolina | RB | |
| January 1, 2002 | Phil Petty | South Carolina | QB | |
| January 1, 2003 | Michigan | TB | ||
| January 1, 2004 | Iowa | RB | ||
| January 1, 2005 | Georgia | DE |
| Date | MVP | Team | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2, 2006 | Florida | WR | ||
| January 1, 2007 | Penn State | RB | ||
| January 1, 2008 | Tennessee | QB | ||
| January 1, 2009 | Iowa | RB | ||
| January 1, 2010 | Auburn | WR | ||
| January 1, 2011 | Florida | S | ||
| January 2, 2012 | Georgia | CB | ||
| January 1, 2013 | South Carolina | WR/PR | ||
| January 1, 2014 | LSU | RB | ||
| January 1, 2015 | Wisconsin | RB | ||
| January 1, 2016 | Tennessee | RB | ||
| January 2, 2017 | Florida | DB | ||
| January 1, 2018 | South Carolina | QB | ||
| January 1, 2019 | Iowa | WR | ||
| January 1, 2020 | Minnesota | WR | ||
| January 2, 2021 | Ole Miss | QB | ||
| January 1, 2022 | Arkansas | QB | ||
| January 2, 2023 | Justin Robinson | Mississippi State | QB | |
| January 1, 2024 | LSU | QB |
Updated through the January 2024 edition (38 games, 76 total appearances).
| Rank | Team | Appearances | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 3–3 | |
| 6 | 3–3 | ||
| 6 | 2–4 | ||
| 4 | 5 | 4–1 | |
| 5 | 3–2 | ||
| 5 | 3–2 | ||
| 5 | 3–2 | ||
| 5 | 2–3 | ||
| 9 | 4 | 3–1 | |
| 4 | 0–4 | ||
| 11 | 3 | 1–1 | |
| 12 | 2 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | 1–1 | ||
| 2 | 1–1 | ||
| 2 | 1–1 | ||
| 2 | 0–2 | ||
| 2 | 0–2 |
Updated through the January 2024 edition (38 games, 76 total appearances).
| Conference | Record | Appearances by season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | Win pct. | Won | Lost | Vacated |
| 35 | 1987*, 1993*, 1994*, 1995*, 1998*, 2002*, 2003*, 2006*, 2008*, 2011*, 2014*, 2018*, 2019* | 1989*, 1990*, 1991*, 1996*, 1997*, 1999*, 2000*, 2001*, 2004*, 2005*, 2007*, 2009*, 2010*, 2012*, 2013*, 2015*, 2016*, 2017*, 2020*, 2021*, 2022*, 2023* | ||||
| 34 | 1989*, 1992*, 1996*, 1997*, 1999*, 2000*, 2001*, 2004*, 2005*, 2007*, 2009*, 2010*, 2012*, 2015*, 2016*, 2017*, 2020*, 2021*, 2022*, 2023* | 1986, 1987*, 1988*, 1995*, 1998*, 2002*, 2003*, 2006*, 2008*, 2011*, 2014*, 2018*, 2019* | 2013* | |||
| 3 | 1990* | 1993*, 1994* | ||||
| 2 | 1986, 1988* | |||||
| 2 | 1991* | 1992* |
| Team | Performance vs. opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 45, Tennessee vs. Northwestern | 2016 |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 35, Northwestern vs. Auburn | 2010 |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 73, Auburn vs. Northwestern | 2010 |
| Fewest points allowed | 0, Clemson vs. Illinois | 1991 |
| Largest margin of victory | 39, Tennessee vs. Northwestern | 2016 |
| Total yards | 621, Northwestern vs. Auburn | 2010 |
| Rushing yards | 400, Wisconsin vs. Auburn | 2015 |
| Passing yards | 532, Northwestern vs. Auburn | 2010 |
| First downs | 34, Northwestern vs. Auburn | 2010 |
| Fewest yards allowed | 199, Mississippi State vs. Iowa | 2019 |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | –15, Mississippi State vs. Iowa | 2019 |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | 55, Florida vs. Iowa | 2017 |
| Individual | Performance, Player, Team | Year |
| Total offense | 566, Mike Kafka Northwestern vs. Auburn (532 Pass, 34 Rush) | 2010 |
| Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 4, Chris Perry (Michigan) | 2003 |
| Rushing yards | 251, Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) | 2015 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 4, Chris Perry (Michigan) | 2003 |
| Passing yards | 532, Mike Kafka (Northwestern) | 2010 |
| Passing touchdowns | 4, most recent: Mike Kafka (Northwestern) | 2010 |
| Receiving yards | 205, Tavarres King (Georgia) | 2012 |
| Receiving touchdowns | 2, most recent: Tyler Johnson (Minnesota) | 2020 |
| Tackles | 16, Traveon Henry (Northwestern) | 2016 |
| Sacks | 3, most recent: David Pollack (Georgia) | 2005 |
| Interceptions | 2, most recent: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (Florida) | 2017 |
| Long Plays | Performance, Team/Player vs. opponent | Year |
| Touchdown run | 77 yds., Jamie Morris (Michigan) | 1988 |
| Touchdown pass | 85 yds., Austin Appleby to Mark Thompson (Florida) | 2017 |
| Kickoff return | 96 yds., shared by: Jordan Cotton (Iowa) Noah Igbinoghene[18] (Auburn) | 2014 2020 |
| Punt return | 92 yds., Brandon Boykin (Georgia) | 2012 |
| Interception return | 100 yds., shared by: Walter McFadden (Auburn) Evan Berry (Tennessee) | 2010 2016 |
| Fumble return | 88 yds.,Tony Davis (Penn State) | 2007 |
| Punt | 70 yds., Tyeler Dean (South Carolina) | 2002 |
| Field goal | 53 yds., Charles Campbell (Indiana) | 2021 |
The inaugural edition of the bowl was carried by Mizlou in December 1986, with NBC carrying the next five editions (1988–1992). Since 1993, the game has been carried by ESPN or ESPN2, except for four broadcasts on ABC (2011, 2012, 2017, and 2021).[20]