FLORIDA FOOTBALL CENTRAL The only complete source for Florida’s 3 NFL, 17 College teams & 9 College Bowl Games Updated – January 3, 2016 Week 18 and 2015‐16 – In the Books The State of Florida hosted one NFL game and five college football games the week of December 28 through January 3 for a total attendance of 345,478 football fans. Through 18 weeks, from September to January, 4,024,136 football fans attended 22 NFL and 104 College Football Games in Florida. A weekly breakdown follows: December 28‐January 3 – 1 NFL and five college football games total attendance – 345,478 December 21‐27 – 2 NFL and three college football games total attendance – 191,488 December 19‐20 – 1 NFL and two college football games total attendance – 86,052 December 13‐14 – 3 NFL games total attendance – 189,918 December 5‐6 – 2 NFL games total attendance – 122,740 November 26‐29 – 1 NFL and 2 college football games total attendance – 173,360 November 19‐22 ‐ 2 NFL and 9 college football games total attendance ‐ 448,730 November 14‐15 ‐ 1 NFL and 6 college football games total attendance ‐ 181,334 November 7‐8 ‐ 1 NFL and 8 college football games total attendance ‐ 226,358 October 31 ‐ 8 college football games total attendance ‐ 186,643 October 24‐25 – 1 NFL and 7 college football games total attendance ‐ 186,907 October 17‐18 ‐ 1 NFL and 9 college football games total attendance ‐ 241,022 October 10‐11 – 1 NFL and 12 college football games total attendance ‐ 251,851 October 2‐4 ‐ 1 NFL and 7 college football games total attendance – 178,289 September 26‐27 ‐ 1 NFL and 5 college football games total attendance ‐ 197,667 September 19‐20 ‐ 1 NFL and 7 college football games total attendance ‐ 197,915 September 11‐13 ‐ 2 NFL and 6 college football games total attendance ‐ 319,597 September 3‐5 ‐ 8 college football games total attendance ‐ 295,787 22 NFL, 104 College Games 4,024,136 total attendance Florida Football Bowl Season Facts and Figures – December 19‐January 2 Nine teams finished their season with a win in the State of Florida and one advanced to play in the College Football National Championship. For a 15 day span between December 19 and January 2, a total of 366,888 football fans, from 15 states flocked to stadiums in the State of Florida for college football bowl games. Beginning with the Cure Bowl in Orlando and the NAIA National Championship in Daytona Beach on Saturday, December through Saturday January 2 at the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, the following teams took a step toward a successful 2016 season at a Florida College Football Bowl Game. NAIA National Championship, Daytona Beach – Marian (Indiana) Knights AutoNation Cure Bowl, Orlando – San Jose State Spartans Marmot Boca Raton Bowl ‐ Toledo Rockets Miami Beach Bowl, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers St. Petersburg Bowl ‐ Marshall Thundering Herd Russell Athletic Bowl, Orlando ‐ Baylor Bears College Football Playoff at Capital One Orange Bowl, National Semifinal Game, Miami‐ Clemson Tigers Outback Bowl, Tampa, Tennessee Volunteers Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, Orlando ‐ Michigan Wolverines TaxSlayer Bowl, Jacksonville ‐ Georgia Bulldogs Full results of the 2015‐16 Florida College Football Bowl Games can be found on page 6 of Florida Football Central Clemson’s run to the Championship Game goes through South Florida “Miami and South Florida have been the stage for bigger football games than this first one hosting a CFP semifinal. Twenty times the college national champion has been crowned here. Ten times Miami has hosted a Super Bowl. Clemson’s performance, as an underdog, no less, will rank as memorable and worthy of the stage and the pantheon.” Greg Cote, Miami Herald Besides team visits to Florida attractions and workouts at sports facilities in Jacksonville, Orlando, Boca Raton, Miami and the Tampa Bay area, college football players and coaches were involved in a variety of charitable events as part of their post‐season football experience. St. Petersburg Bowl ‐ All Children's Hospital Visit, Tuesday, Dec. 22 Team captains, players, mascot and two cheerleaders from UConn and Marshall visited children at All Children's Hospital with gifts provided by the two participating schools. Fill the Bowl, Tuesday, Dec. 22 Teams competed against each other to stuff as many bags of food for Feeding America as they can in a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club to feed under privileged children of the Tampa Bay Area. Miami Beach Bowl ‐ USF and WKU Visit Feeding South Florida for Team Community Service Project The teams participating in the Miami Beach Bowl, USF and WKU, shifted their focus from practice and beach activities as they made a special visit to Feeding South Florida this morning. Each team was assigned a warehouse where players, coaches and staff from both teams would help sort and arrange donated food, which later would be distributed to families in‐need in the Miami area. AutoNation Cure Bowl Here is the rest of the purpose for the AutoNation Cure Bowl. The game’s total contribution to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation was $1.15 Million. Fun for fans and players A trip to a Florida College Football Bowl Game would not be complete without visits to the many amenities and attractions the state offers. At Miami’s Orange Bowl, Clemson and Oklahoma fans were treated to a full night of activities at the Capital One Beach Bash with Imagine Dragons and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on stage taking over South Beach. Between performances, pep rallies were held for Tigers and Sooners fans. American Idol winner Phillip Phillips headlined the pre‐game Capital One Orange Bowl Fan Fest. Phillips’ performance outside Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, kicked off a day of activities for fans leading up to the first‐ever College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl featuring a matchup between Oklahoma and Clemson. At the Outback Bowl in Tampa, fans of Northwestern and Tennessee had the chance to support their teams at Outback Bowl Beach Day at Clearwater Beach. The weather could not have been better and the day featured performances by both school bands, a cheerleader tug of war, won by the Volunteers, and a key lime pie eating contest. Fans got a chance to cheer on their teams in historic Ybor City at the New Year's Eve Parade and Pep Rally. The parade included floats, marching bands, and both the Tennessee and Northwestern bands performed at the pep rally. Members of the Northwestern Wildcats and Tennessee Volunteers enjoyed the rides and animal encounters at Busch Gardens. Highlights included the rush of Falcon's Fury and feeding giraffes on the Serengeti Safari. 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 2015 ‐ A Week‐by‐Week update of Florida's NFL and College Teams Click team names for website links ‐ UPDATED JANUARY 3, 2016 Jacksonville Jaguars ‐ www.jaguars.com Miami Dolphins ‐ www.miamidolphins.com Sept 13 vs. Carolina L 20‐90‐1 60,733 Sept 13 @ Washington W 17‐10 1‐0 76,512 Sept 20 vs. Miami W 23‐20 1‐1 65,443 Sept 20 @ Jacksonville L 23‐20 1‐1 65,443 Sept 27 @ New England L 51‐17 1‐2 66,829 Sept 27 vs. Buffalo L 41‐14 1‐2 64,869 Oct 4 @ Indianapolis L 16‐13 1‐3 63,000 Oct 4 vs. NY Jets (London) L 27‐14 1‐3 83,986 Oct 11 @ Tampa Bay L 38‐31 1‐4 58,490 Oct 18 @ Tennessee W 38‐10 2‐3 62,342 Oct 18 vs. Houston L 31‐20 1‐5 58,085 Oct 25 vs. Houston W 44‐26 3‐3 65,251 Oct 25 vs. Buffalo (London) W 34‐31 2‐5 84,021 Oct 29 @ New England L 36‐73‐4 66,829 Nov 8 @ NY Jets L 28‐23 2‐6 78,160 Nov 8 @ Buffalo L 33‐17 3‐5 70,214 Nov 15 @ Baltimore W 22‐20 3‐6 70,837 Nov 15 @ Philadelphia W 20‐19 4‐5 69,596 Nov 19 vs. Tennessee W 19‐13 4‐6 60,121 Nov 22 vs. Dallas L 24‐14 4‐6 65,115 Nov 29 vs. San Diego L 31‐25 4‐7 59,477 Nov 29 @ NY Jets L 38‐20 4‐7 78,160 Dec 6 @ Tennessee L 42‐39 4‐8 57,355 Dec 6 vs. Baltimore W 15‐13 5‐7 64,519 Dec 13 vs. Indianapolis W 51‐16 5‐8 62,372 Dec 14 vs. NY Giants L 31‐24 5‐8 65,408 Dec 20 vs. Atlanta L 23‐17 5‐9 64,016 Dec 20 @ San Diego L 30‐14 5‐9 66,676 Dec 27 @ New Orleans L 38‐27 5‐10 73,064 Dec 27 vs. Indianapolis L 18‐12 5‐10 65,482 Jan 3 @ Houston L 30‐65‐11 71,899 Jan 3 vs. New England W 20‐10 6‐10 62,918 Tampa Bay Buccaneers ‐ www.buccaneers.com Sept 13 vs. Tennessee L 42‐14 0‐1 63,945 Sept 20 @ New Orleans W 26‐19 1‐1 73,006 Sept 27 @ Houston L 19‐91‐2 71,718 Oct 4 vs. Carolina L 37‐23 1‐3 57,468 Oct 11 vs. Jacksonville W 38‐31 2‐3 58,490 Oct 25 @ Washington L 31‐30 2‐4 72,912 Nov 1 @ Atlanta W 23‐20 (ot) 3‐4 71,250 Nov 8 vs.