About the Bowl

The Tampa Bay Bowl Association hosts a college football game featuring teams from the SEC and Big Ten Conference. The game is a culmination of a week-long schedule of events throughout Tampa Bay.

Date:December 2024
Location:Raymond James Stadium - Tampa, FL
Time:kickoff 12:00 PM ET
Stadium Capacity:65,657
Network:
Teams:SEC vs Big Ten
Payout:Typically $6.4 million
Tickets/Info:$170 each for club seats; $80 each for all other seats - available at Ticketmaster.com For additional information or special ticket packages call the ReliaQuest Bowl office at (813) 874-2695.
President / CEO:Jim McVay
Director of Communications & Sponsorships:Mike Schulze
Director of Community Partnerships: Blake Guthrie
Ticket Manager:Linda Karpovich
Assistant to the Ticket Manager:Matt Karl
Executive Assistant/Administration:Becky Weightman
Events/Marketing:Abby Hope
Media Note:The Bowl was formerly named the Hall of Fame Bowl from Dec. 1986 - Jan. 1995 and Outback Bowl from April 1995 to March 2022.
The Tampa Bay Bowl Association
4211 W. Boy Scout Blvd.
Suite 560
Tampa, FL 33607
(813) 874-2695
Fax: (813) 873-1959
Email: [email protected]

Tampa Bay Bowl History

On April 16, 1986 the NCAA awarded a college bowl game to Tampa Bay. On December 23rd of that year the first Hall of Fame Bowl was played in Tampa Stadium between Georgia and Boston College.

On April 12, 1995 the bowl signed Outback Steakhouse as its title sponsor and changed the name to the Outback Bowl which continued until March 2022.

On June 9, 2022 the bowl signed ReliaQuest as the new title sponsor in a four year partnership.

Today, the game has reached amazing heights. The bowl has been a part of the prestigious New Year's Day bowl lineup since 1989. It features teams from the most successful and popular conferences in college football - the SEC and Big Ten Conference.

The bowl is now one of the most popular and successful bowl games in the country contributing more than $176 million combined to universities and generating an estimate of more than $1.2 billion in economic impact for the Tampa Bay region over its history. Beyond the millions of dollars provided to universities each year the bowl also started a Charitable Giving Initiative in 2016 to provide additional contributions to Tampa Bay area charities each year. To date more than $4 million has been donated to more than 190 charitable organizations through this program. The bowl has also pledged additional donations of at least $500,000 each year. The Bowl has been recognized as a two-time "One Tampa Bay Honoree for Corporate Philanthropy" by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

The Bowl has also played host to some great match-ups over the years, and therefore has hosted some of the sport's best players and coaches. Over its history life-long memories have been provided to more than 7,600 players, 109,000 halftime show performers and more than 2 million college football fans.

View Bowl History

Tampa Bay Bowl Mission Statement

The mission of the Tampa Bay Bowl Association is to create an economic impact in the Tampa Bay area, positively showcase the community nationally and internationally and manage an event that adds to the quality of life in our area while making a significant financial contribution to NCAA member institutions while providing a safe, educational and unique experience for the student athletes participating in the game.

Governance

The Tampa Bay Bowl Association Organization is comprised of a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation: The Tampa Bay Bowl Association. The organization annually manages and operates the bowl game and numerous affiliated events throughout the Tampa Bay communities. It is governed by an approximately twenty-member volunteer Board of Directors. The board oversees a full-time staff of seven employees, including the President/CEO of the bowl.

The Board of Directors has established and maintains governance rules to help ensure that the organization achieves, and continues to sustain, the very highest level of public trust. The organization is devoted to doing the right thing in the right way to reinforce our commitment to the highest ethical and legal standards. The board has numerous policies in place such as: Code of Conduct, Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest, Political Activity and Whistleblower Protection.

Finances

As a 501(c)(3) corporation the Tampa Bay Bowl Association adheres to all IRS regulations pertaining to such a designation. This includes filing annual IRS 990 reports and conducting annual audits by an independent recognized auditor.

To request a copy of the most recent Tampa Bay Bowl IRS 990 forms please contact the bowl office at 813-874-2695 during normal business hours.