The History of the Rose Bowl
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
Watching college bowl games during the holidays is as much a part of the festivities as turkey, eggnog, and twinkling lights. As you settle in to enjoy your favorite game, it might surprise you to know that these ever present games originated as a part of the annual Rose Parade.
The First Rose Bowl Game
The first Rose Bowl game was played in 1902, and the game has been a popular New Year's Day activity just about ever since. In 1901, the annual Tournament of Roses Parade, just 12 years old, was still a relatively unsung activity. To draw more attention to the event and more people to the area, the organizers of the parade decided to add a football game to the festivities. The two teams to square off in the first game were Michigan and Stanford, and about 8,000 people made up the cheering crowd. Michigan destroyed Stanford 49-0.
The Follow-Ups
The first game was such a wipe out that organizers were afraid crowds wouldn't return, so even though the game was a financial success, they replaced it with chariot races for several years. The next game took place in 1916, when Washington beat Brown, 14-0. The games were played in Pasadena's Tournament Park until 1923, when they moved into the brand new Rose Bowl stadium that could hold over 100,000 people. The game took on the name of the new stadium that year, too.
Throughout the early years (until 1942), the opponents in the game came from an at-large opponent (almost always from an Eastern school) pitted against the Pacific Coast Conference champion. From 1946 until 1993, the game featured the PAC-10 and Big Ten champions. Today, the Rose Bowl is a member of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which uses a complex formula to decide what teams will match up in several key games.
Bowl Games Pop Up all Over
Bowl games began to spread to other parts of the country after the success of the Rose Bowl was certain. In 1933, Miami created their own "Palm Festival" on New Year's Day, and created a bowl game to go along with it, which eventually turned into the Orange Bowl in 1935. The Sugar Bowl also started in 1935, followed by the El Paso Sun Bowl in 1936 and the Dallas Cotton Bowl in 1937. Bowl games continued to become popular after World War II, and they continue in popularity today.
So, the next time you get comfortable with the remote – ready to enjoy that bowl game – remember you have Pasadena and the Tournament of Roses Parade to thank for your football holiday enjoyment!
