Garden State Bowl
Template:Short description Template:Collegebowl The Garden State Bowl was an annual post-season college football bowl game played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, from 1978 until 1981.<ref>Foldesy, Jody. "Bowls burgeon as big business", The Washington Times. December 21, 1997. Page A1.</ref> Freezing temperatures each year at the game, together with a lack of successful local college teams, contributed to its rapid demise.
Game results
| Date | Winner | Loser | Notes | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 16, 1978 | Arizona State | 34 | Rutgers | 18 | Notes | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| December 15, 1979 | No. 20 Temple | 28 | California | 17 | Notes | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| December 14, 1980 | Houston | 35 | Navy | 0 | Notes | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| December 13, 1981 | Tennessee | 28 | Wisconsin | 21 | Notes | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
Broadcasters
Television
| Date | Network | Play-by-play | Color commentator(s) | Sideline reporter(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 16, 1978 | Mizlou | Merle Harmon | Al DeRogatis | Howard David |
| December 15, 1979 | Mizlou | Merle Harmon | Al DeRogatis | Howard David |
| December 14, 1980 | Mizlou | Bob Murphy | Al DeRogatis | Howard David |
| December 13, 1981 | Mizlou | Ray Scott | Al DeRogatis | Pat Scanlon |
Effects
After the demise of the Garden State Bowl following the 1981 game, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which operated and scheduled events at Giants Stadium, decided to host a game in the beginning of the season, rather than the end. This led to the formation of the Kickoff Classic, which was held either the last week of August or the first week of September every year for 20 seasons.