FLORIDA FOOTBALL CENTRAL The only complete source for Florida’s 3 NFL, 18 College teams & 9 College Bowl Games Updated – January 3, 2017 Week 19 Preview – January 9, 2017 The State of Florida hosts one college football bowl games Monday, January 9 – College Football National Championship, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Weekly Attendance Counter – Through Week 18 December 26 – January 2, 2017 – two NFL and six college football bowl games – 400,258 total attendance December 19‐24 – one NFL and two college football bowl games – 99,609 total attendance December 17 – 2 college football games – 29,713 total attendance December 11 – three NFL games – 190,591 total attendance December 3‐4 – one NFL and one college football game – 113,703 total attendance November 26‐27 – two NFL and three college football games – 301,324 total attendance November 19‐20 – seven college football games – 108,340 total attendance November 10‐13 – two NFL and nine college games – 358,152 total attendance November 5‐6 – two NFL and six college games – 212,606 total attendance October 28‐30 – one NFL and 10 college games – 297,792 total attendance October 20‐22 – two NFL and four college games, 164,248 total attendance October 15‐16 – one NFL and 12 college games 370,441 total attendance October 4‐9 – one NFL and five college games (five games cancelled ‐ Hurricane Matthew), 169,880 total attendance October 1‐2 – one NFL and six college games, 183,377 total attendance September 24‐25 – three NFL and seven college games, 299,686 total attendance September 17‐18 – six college football games, 145,061 total attendance September 9‐11 – one NFL and eight college football games, 350,654 total attendance September 1‐5 – 11 college football games, 319,476 total attendance TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 4,085,198 for 23 NFL and 105 college football games December Florida College Football Bowl Game Action closes out 2016 The State of Florida had plenty to cheer about in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day with five College Football Bowl Games. From December 7 through January 2, Florida’s nine college football bowl games had a total attendance of 339,259. Fans from 12 states, including Florida, flocked to football stadiums statewide to see teams from nine different football playing conferences. Two in‐state teams won (Miami and Florida State), two games were decided by one point (St. Petersburg and Orange Bowls) and two games featured a winning team scoring more than 50 points (Miami Beach and Boca Raton Bowls). All eyes in the college football world now turn to Tampa and the College Football Playoff National Championship, Monday, January 9, at Raymond James Stadium, as Alabama and Clemson play the final game of the year in a rematch of last year’s championship, won by Alabama, 45‐40. Plenty of fanfare surrounds the College Football Playoff National Championship Besides the action the field at Raymond James Stadium, downtown Tampa will host a College Football theme‐ park with Playoff Fan Central, three nights of music with the Playoff Playlist Live! Concerts, a 5K Run to benefit the Extra Yard for Teachers Program, a free and open to the public Media Day and a chance to sample the best of Tampa Bay culinary delights at the Taste of Tampa Bay. For more information about the weekend of events, visit www.tampabay2017.com. Dolphins finish strong to advance to the Playoffs By virtue of their 10‐6 record and second place finish in the AFC East, the Miami Dolphins have secured their first NFL playoff appearance since 2008. The Dolphins travel to Pittsburgh to meet the Steelers on Sunday, at 1:05 p.m. A win against Pittsburgh would be Miami’s first post‐season win since the 2000 season and send the Dolphins to New England for another matchup against the Patriots on Saturday, January 14. Even with a loss to end the regular season against the New England Patriots, the Dolphins went 9‐2 in their last 11 games to claim the number six seed in the 2017 AFC post‐season. After a loss to the Tennessee Titans on October 9, the Dolphins won nine of their next 11 games to advance to the post‐season. Bowl Games off the Field Besides the on‐field thrills provided by the collegiate student‐athletes during the Florida College Football Bowl Game season each December, the student‐athletes give their time to community efforts in the bowl game host cities. University of Miami and West Virginia University players visited Give Kids the World, prior to the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando, and spent several hours brightening the lives of children with life‐threatening illnesses. While not preparing for the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, the University of Louisville and LSU spent the afternoon with local underprivileged and underserved children at the annual "Day for Kids" event. Through the efforts of the AutoNation Cure Bowl in Orlando, $2.3 million has been given, in the Game’s two years, for research to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. In advance of the Capital One Orange Bowl, the Florida State and Michigan football teams spent part of one of their evenings in South Florida with members of Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami at Dave & Busters arcade. The charitable event was one of many planned by the Orange Bowl Committee has planned for the teams before the game. The event included 20 kids and their families eating dinner and playing in the arcade with the Seminoles and Wolverines. The Miami Beach Bowl donated tickets to Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami so bigs and their littles could cheer on Tulsa and Central Michigan at Marlins Park. Players from the Florida Gators and Iowa Hawkeyes football teams visited children at Tampa General Hospital during the game week to bring them a little cheer for the holidays. They handed out Outback Bowl posters, pennants, and team gear during the visit. Florida Football Central is compiled weekly by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Send suggestions or corrections to [email protected]. #floridafootballcentral FLORIDA FOOTBALL CENTRAL 2016 ‐ A Week‐by‐Week update of Florida's NFL and College Teams Click team names for website links ‐ UPDATED January 3, 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars ‐ www.jaguars.com Miami Dolphins ‐ www.miamidolphins.com Sept 11 vs Green Bay L 27‐23 0‐1 63,179 Sept 11 @ Seattle L 12‐10 0‐1 69,012 Sept 18 @ San Diego L 38‐14 0‐2 52,165 Sept 18 @ New England L 31‐24 0‐2 66,829 Sept 25 vs Baltimore L 19‐17 0‐3 60,127 Sept 25 vs Cleveland W 30‐24 (ot) 1‐2 65,176 Oct 2 vs Indianapolis (London) W30‐27 1‐3 83,764 Sept 29 @ Cincinnati L 22‐71‐3 60,834 Oct 16 @ Chicago W 17‐16 2‐3 61,054 Oct 9 vs Tennessee L 30‐17 1‐4 64,425 Oct 23 vs Oakland L 33‐16 2‐4 62,614 Oct 16 vs Pittsburgh W 30‐15 2‐4 65,351 Oct 27 @ Tennessee L 36‐22 2‐5 61,619 Oct 23 vs Buffalo W 28‐25 3‐4 65,658 Nov 6 @ Kansas City L 19‐14 2‐6 73,294 Nov 6 vs New York Jets W 27‐23 4‐4 65,722 Nov 13 vs Houston L 24‐21 2‐7 62,091 Nov 13 @ San Diego W 31‐24 5‐4 55,107 Nov 20 @ Detroit L 26‐19 2‐8 61,486 Nov 20 @ LA Rams W 14‐10 6‐4 83,483 Nov 27 @ Buffalo L 28‐21 2‐9 67,849 Nov 27 vs San Francisco W 31‐24 7‐4 65,856 Dec 4 vs Denver L 20‐10 2‐10 63,075 Dec 4 @ Baltimore L38‐67‐5 70,916 Dec 11 vs Minnesota L 25‐16 2‐11 62,701 Dec 11 vs Arizona W 26‐23 8‐5 65,750 Dec 18 @ Houston L 21‐20 2‐12 71,803 Dec 17 @ New York Jets W 34‐13 9‐5 78,160 Dec 24 vs Tennessee W 38‐17 3‐12 59,621 Dec 24 @ Buffalo W 34‐31 (ot) 10‐5 64,690 Jan 1 @ Indianapolis L 24‐20 3‐13 65,160 Jan 1 vs New England L 35‐14 10‐6 66.163 Jan 8 @ Pittsburgh (Wild Card) Tampa Bay Buccaneers ‐ www.buccaneers.com Sept 11 @ Atlanta W 31‐24 1‐0 69,382 Sept 18 @ Arizona L 40‐71‐1 64,230 Sept 25 vs LA Rams L 37‐32 1‐2 55,009 Oct 2 vs Denver L 27‐71‐3 60,375 Oct 10 @ Carolina W 17‐14 2‐3 73,425 Oct 23 @ San Francisco W 34‐17 3‐3 70,178 Oct 30 vs Oakland L 30‐24 (ot) 3‐4 61,068 Nov 3 vs Atlanta L 43‐28 3‐5 57,797 Nov 13 vs Chicago W 36‐10 4‐5 62,898 Nov 20 @ Kansas City W 19‐17 5‐5 72,277 Nov 27 vs Seattle W 14‐56‐5 63,674 Dec 4 @ San Diego W 28‐21 7‐5 53,832 Dec 11 vs New Orleans W 16‐11 8‐5 62,140 Dec 18 @ Dallas L 26‐20 8‐6 93,101 Dec 24 @ New Orleans L 31‐24 8‐7 73,177 Jan 1 vs. Carolina W 17‐16 9‐7 62,037 University of Florida Gators ‐ 15th in AP Poll Florida State Seminoles ‐ 12th in AP Poll Sept 3 vs. Massachusetts W 24‐71‐0 88,121 Sept 5 vs Ole Miss (Orl) W 45‐34 1‐0 63,042 Sept 10 vs Kentucky W 45‐72‐0 85,921 Sept 10 vs Charleston Sou.