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 2023. 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

Date Network Play-by-play announcers Color commentators Sideline reporters
December 30, 1995 CBS Verne Lundquist Pat Haden
January 2, 1995 Dan Fouts Michele Tafoya
January 1, 1994
January 1, 1993 Jim Nantz Randy Cross
December 28, 1991 Dan 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-play Color commentator(s) Sideline reporter(s)
January 1, 1992CBSJim NantzTerry BradshawJim Gray
January 1, 1991Tim BrantJohn Dockery
January 1, 1990Pat Haden
January 2, 1989Verne Lundquist
January 1, 1988Brent Musburger
January 1, 1987Verne LundquistPat Haden and Ara Parseghian
January 1, 1986Brent MusburgerAra Parseghian
January 1, 1985Lindsey NelsonPat Haden
January 2, 1984
January 1, 1983Pat O'Brien
January 1, 1982Roger StaubachFrank Glieber
January 1, 1981
January 1, 1980Paul Hornung
January 1, 1979
January 2, 1978Paul Hornung and Paul AlexanderDon Criqui
January 1, 1977Paul Hornung
January 1, 1976Alex Hawkins
January 1, 1975Johnny Sauer
January 1, 1974Tom Brookshier
January 1, 1973
January 1, 1972
January 1, 1971
January 1, 1970
January 1, 1969Frank GlieberEddie LeBaron
January 1, 1968Lindsey NelsonJohnny Sauer
December 31, 1966Jack DreesPat Summerall
January 1, 1966Jack WhitakerFrank Gifford
January 1, 1965Jack BuckGeorge Connor
January 1, 1964Chris SchenkelPat Summerall
January 1, 1963Lindsey NelsonTerry Brennan
January 1, 1962Chris SchenkelJohnny Lujack
January 2, 1961Jack DreesTerry Brennan
January 1, 1960Forest Evashevski
January 1, 1959Tom HarmonDarrell Royal
January 1, 1958Forest Evashevski

Fiesta Bowl

Date Network Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Sideline reporter(s)
December 31, 1997CBSTim BrandoEd Cunningham
January 1, 1997Jim NantzTerry Donahue
January 2, 1996
December 25, 1977Lindsey NelsonTom MatteTim Ryan
December 25, 1976Paul Hornung
December 26, 1975Pat SummerallTom Brookshier
December 28, 1974Ray ScottWayne WalkerPhyllis George

Gator Bowl

CBS Sports took over the television contract in 2007 and held the rights for four years.

Date Network Play-by-play announcers Color commentators Sideline reporters
January 1, 2010 CBS Verne Lundquist Gary Danielson Tracy Wolfson
January 1, 2009 Craig Bolerjack Dan Fouts and Steve Beuerlein
January 1, 2008 Verne Lundquist Gary Danielson Tracy Wolfson
January 1, 2007
December 31, 1987 CBS Verne Lundquist Dick Vermeil John Dockery
December 27, 1986 Pat Haden

Orange Bowl

Date Network Play-by-play Color commentator Sideline reporters
January 2, 1998CBSSean McDonoughTerry Donahue
December 31, 1996Mike MayockDave Logan
January 1, 1996Pat Haden
January 2, 1961CBSRay ScottPaul Christman
January 1, 1960Joe BolandPaul Christman
January 1, 1959Jim McKay
January 1, 1958Chris SchenkelJohnny Lujack
January 1, 1957Tom Harmon
January 2, 1956Chris Schenkel
January 1, 1955Bob Neal
January 1, 1954Red Barber
January 1, 1953

Peach Bowl

Date Network Play-by-play announcers Color commentators Sideline reporters
December 31, 1985 CBS Gary Bender Steve Davis
December 31, 1984 Verne Lundquist
December 30, 1983
December 31, 1982
December 31, 1981 Frank Glieber Johnny Morris Dick Stockton
January 2, 1981 Curt Gowdy Hank Stram Frank Glieber
December 31, 1979 Gary Bender Sonny Jurgensen
December 25, 1978 Lindsey Nelson Paul Hornung

Sun Bowl

As previously mentioned, from 1968 until the present, the game has been broadcast by CBS Sports.[1] The Sun Bowl's contract with CBS Sports is the longest continuous relationship between a bowl game and one TV network.[2][3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kelly, Doug (ed.). "2019–20 Football Bowl Association Media Guide" (PDF). Football Bowl Association. pp. 133–134. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  2. ↑ "CBS SPORTS EXTENDS BRUT SUN BOWL BROADCAST AGREEMENT THROUGH 2009". cbspressexpress.com (Press release). August 9, 2006.
  3. ↑ "CBS CELEBRATES 150 YEARS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SUN BOWL". sunbowl.org. November 6, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
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