CBS held the rights to airing the Cotton Bowl Classic beginning in 1958. It added the Sun Bowl in 1968, which continues to air on CBS as of 2025. From 1974 to 1977, it also aired the Fiesta Bowl, and from 1978 to 1986 it carried the Peach Bowl.
History
As the 1990s began, CBS' Division I-A college football coverage was reduced to its bowl game contracts, which it had with the then-John Hancock (reverted to Sun Bowl in 1994), Cotton and the then-Blockbuster bowls. However, it lost the rights to the Cotton Bowl to NBC after the 1992 game, leaving the network with just two bowl games to round out its college football coverage.
For 1995, CBS re-acquired the rights to the Cotton Bowl Classic and also gained rights to the Fiesta Bowl and the Orange Bowl from NBC. This was an important move for CBS as those two bowls would become part of the Bowl Alliance with the Sugar Bowl beginning that season; the goal was to try to guarantee an undisputed national champion in college football, something its predecessor the Bowl Coalition had also tried but did not fully succeed in doing.
Under the terms of the contract, which ran from 1995 through 1997, the Bowl Alliance games would be scheduled for New Year's Eve, New Year's Night, and January 2 with the last of the three serving as the national championship game. CBS would thus be guaranteed two national championship game matchups, with the Sugar Bowl airing on ABC.
CBS was the first network to air a Bowl Alliance national championship game, as Nebraska defeated Florida in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl (on the same token, CBS also aired the last Bowl Alliance national championship game, where Nebraska defeated Tennessee in the 1998 Orange Bowl to split that year's national championship vote as Michigan, which was #1 in both the AP and Coaches Polls going into the bowls, with the latter contractually obligated to name the Nebraska–Tennessee winner as the national champion, was obligated to play in that year's Rose Bowl). CBS also continued to air the Sun Bowl, but lost the rights to the Carquest Bowl after the game was moved from New Year's Day following the Orange Bowl's move to the home of the Carquest Bowl, Joe Robbie Stadium.
CBS lost the rights to three of its bowl games following the 1997 season, as ABC gained the rights to the Orange and Fiesta Bowls as the exclusive television home of the newly formed Bowl Championship Series and Fox acquired the rights to the Cotton Bowl Classic.
List of broadcasters
Blockbuster Bowl DateNetworkPlay-by-play announcersColor commentatorsSideline reportersDecember 30, 1995CBSVerne LundquistPat HadenJanuary 2, 1995Dan FoutsMichele TafoyaJanuary 1, 1994January 1, 1993Jim NantzRandy CrossDecember 28, 1991Dan Fouts
Cotton Bowl Classic During the 1980 game, CBS announcer Lindsey Nelson was stricken with laryngitis and had to leave the telecast after the first quarter. Sideline reporter Frank Glieber took over the play-by-play for the remainder of the game.
Date Network Play-by-playColor commentator(s)Sideline reporter(s) January 1, 1992 CBS Jim Nantz Terry Bradshaw Jim Gray January 1, 1991 Tim Brant John Dockery January 1, 1990 Pat Haden January 2, 1989 Verne Lundquist January 1, 1988 Brent Musburger January 1, 1987 Verne Lundquist Pat Haden and Ara Parseghian January 1, 1986 Brent Musburger Ara Parseghian January 1, 1985 Lindsey Nelson Pat Haden January 2, 1984 January 1, 1983 Pat O'Brien January 1, 1982 Roger Staubach Frank Glieber January 1, 1981 January 1, 1980 Paul Hornung January 1, 1979 January 2, 1978 Paul Hornung and Paul Alexander Don Criqui January 1, 1977 Paul Hornung January 1, 1976 Alex Hawkins January 1, 1975 Johnny Sauer January 1, 1974 Tom Brookshier January 1, 1973 January 1, 1972 January 1, 1971 January 1, 1970 January 1, 1969 Frank Glieber Eddie LeBaron January 1, 1968 Lindsey Nelson Johnny Sauer December 31, 1966 Jack Drees Pat Summerall January 1, 1966 Jack Whitaker Frank Gifford January 1, 1965 Jack Buck George Connor January 1, 1964 Chris Schenkel Pat Summerall January 1, 1963 Lindsey Nelson Terry Brennan January 1, 1962 Chris Schenkel Johnny Lujack January 2, 1961 Jack Drees Terry Brennan January 1, 1960 Forest Evashevski January 1, 1959 Tom Harmon Darrell Royal January 1, 1958 Forest Evashevski
Fiesta Bowl DateNetworkPlay-by-playColor commentator(s)Sideline reporter(s) December 31, 1997 CBS Tim Brando Ed Cunningham January 1, 1997 Jim Nantz Terry Donahue January 2, 1996 December 25, 1977 Lindsey Nelson Tom Matte Tim Ryan December 25, 1976 Paul Hornung December 26, 1975 Pat SummerallTom Brookshier December 28, 1974 Ray Scott Wayne Walker Phyllis George
Gator Bowl CBS Sports took over the television contract in 2007 and held the rights for four years.
DateNetworkPlay-by-play announcersColor commentatorsSideline reportersJanuary 1, 2010CBSVerne LundquistGary Danielson Tracy WolfsonJanuary 1, 2009 Craig BolerjackDan Fouts and Steve Beuerlein January 1, 2008 Verne Lundquist Gary Danielson Tracy WolfsonJanuary 1, 2007 December 31, 1987CBSVerne LundquistDick VermeilJohn DockeryDecember 27, 1986Pat Haden
Orange Bowl
DateNetworkPlay-by-playColor commentatorSideline reporters January 2, 1998 CBS Sean McDonough Terry Donahue Ed Cunningham December 31, 1996 Mike Mayock Dave Logan January 1, 1996 Pat Haden January 2, 1961 CBS Ray Scott Paul Christman January 1, 1960 Joe Boland Paul Christman January 1, 1959 Jim McKay January 1, 1958 Chris Schenkel Johnny Lujack January 1, 1957 Tom Harmon January 2, 1956 Chris Schenkel January 1, 1955 Bob Neal January 1, 1954 Red Barber January 1, 1953
Peach Bowl DateNetworkPlay-by-play announcersColor commentatorsSideline reportersDecember 31, 1985CBSGary BenderSteve DavisDecember 31, 1984Verne LundquistDecember 30, 1983December 31, 1982December 31, 1981Frank GlieberJohnny MorrisDick StocktonJanuary 2, 1981Curt GowdyHank StramFrank GlieberDecember 31, 1979Gary BenderSonny JurgensenDecember 25, 1978Lindsey NelsonPaul Hornung
Sun Bowl As previously mentioned, from 1968 until the present, the game has been broadcast by CBS Sports. The Sun Bowl's contract with CBS Sports is the longest continuous relationship between a bowl game and one TV network.
See also ABC college bowl game broadcasts Fox college bowl game broadcasts NBC college bowl game broadcasts
References
External links Fiesta Bowl Numbers Game Orange Bowl Numbers Game - Sports Media Watch