Since 1997, a total of 689,592 fans have watched the Florida Classic in the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, an average of 68,708 per year. The game is televised nationally by ESPNU as a part of a multi-year contract with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). For the last two games, the game has been televised by ESPN Classic.
This is the best bowl trip in America. Best attractions. Best weather. Best hotels. One of the best payouts. Some of the best TV ratings. And then you show up at the stadium for the actual game.
"This place is a dump," says Tim Butera, a Michigan State fan from Washington, D.C., who was in town to watch Georgia's 24-12 victory over the Spartans Thursday. It's old and nasty," says Greg Stillwell, a Georgia fan from Palm City who was attending Thursday's game with his wife, Jennifer.
Better get used to it. Because of the slumping economy, it's looking more and more like this nasty, dumpy ol' Citrus Bowl will be the dingy, dog-eared face of Orlando sports for tourists who come here for holiday bowl games. Then again, we might not have to worry about it. If the stadium doesn't get renovated — and it's looking more and more like it won't — then the Capital One Bowl, the Champs Sports Bowl and other major college football games might not be here much longer anyway.
"A 63-year bowl tradition is at risk," warns Steve Hogan, executive director of Florida Citrus Sports, the non-profit group that organizes Orlando's college football games. Hogan tries to be the optimist and says a $250 million stadium renovation is "not a matter of if, but when." Maybe so, but it's hard to imagine that Hogan's "when" is going to be anytime soon. But more than 100,000 fans attended two bowl games here this week. And that doesn't count the annual Florida A&M-Bethune-Cookman game or future regular-season games involving Notre Dame and Florida State that are contingent on a new stadium being built.
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