The Gridiron Classic, also known as the Rotary Gridiron Classic presented by Tyco and later The Villages Gridiron Classic for sponsorship reasons, was a post-season college football all-star game played each January in Florida from 1999 through 2005.
From 1999 to 2003, it featured a team representing Florida versus a team from the rest of the United States; it was played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. In 2004 and 2005, it was played at The Villages Polo Stadium in The Villages, a retirement community approximately 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Orlando.[1] During the two years at The Villages, the game used a North vs. South format.
On August 19, 2005, game organizers Florida Citrus Sports canceled the 2006 playing of the Gridiron Classic, after failing to find a sponsor once The Villages decided not to renew the annual game at their facility.[2] The game has not resumed since.
Game results
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Attendance | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 16, 1999 | Team Florida | 17 | Team USA | 9 | 29,725[1][3] | Citrus Bowl Orlando, Florida |
| January 29, 2000 | Team USA | 21 | Team Florida | 14 | 21,298[3] | |
| January 13, 2001 | Team Florida | 10 | Team USA | 0 | 20,958[4][3] | |
| January 26, 2002 | Team Florida | 42 | Team USA | 13 | 20,344[1] | |
| January 25, 2003 | Team USA | 20 | Team Florida | 17 | 9,375[1] | |
| January 31, 2004 | North All-Stars | 35 | South All-Stars | 31 | 12,312[5] | The Villages Polo Stadium The Villages, Florida |
| January 15, 2005 | South All-Stars | 24 | North All-Stars | 21 | 12,635[6] | |
- All-time series: Team Florida over Team USA (3–2); North and South tied (1–1).
MVPs
| Year | Player | Pos | College | Type | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Daunte Culpepper Paul Miranda |
QB CB |
Central Florida Central Florida |
Offensive & Overall Defensive |
[7] |
| 2000 | JaJuan Dawson Anthony Midget |
WR S |
Tulane Virginia Tech |
Offensive Defensive |
[8] |
| 2001 | Rashard Casey Chris Edmonds |
QB LB |
Penn State West Virginia |
Offensive & Overall Defensive |
[9] |
| 2002 | Chad Hayes Mel Mitchell |
TE S |
Maine Western Kentucky |
Offensive Defensive & Overall |
[10] |
| 2003 | Jonathan Ruffin | PK | Cincinnati | Overall | [11] |
| 2004 | Troy Fleming | RB | Tennessee | Overall | [12] |
| 2005 | Marcus Randall | QB | LSU | Overall | [13] |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Schmadtke, Alan (August 6, 2003). "Gridiron Classic Moving To Villages". Orlando Sentinel.
- ^ "Gridiron classic canceled". Florida Today. August 20, 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Gridiron classic draws fewer spectators". bizjournals.com. January 15, 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
- ^ "Gridiron Classic". Pensacola News Journal. Pensacola, Florida. January 14, 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gridiron Classic". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. February 1, 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gridiron Classic". Asbury Park Press. Asbury Park, New Jersey. January 16, 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Culpeper has his bowl in lifting Team Florida to 17-9 Classic win". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. January 17, 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Gardenour, Jeff (January 30, 2000). "Dawson fuels USA in Gridiron Classic". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florid]. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gridiron Classic". Lawrence Journal-World. Lawrence, Kansas. January 14, 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
- ^ Caywood, Barbara (January 27, 2002). "Mitchell Gridiron's MVP". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "USA tops Florida in Gridiron Classic". The Index-Journal. Greenwood, South Carolina. Associated Press. January 26, 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "North wins, Gridiron Classic records fall". Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Michigan. Associated Press. February 1, 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "South captures Gridiron Classic". Hattiesburg American. Hattiesburg, Mississippi. January 16, 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
External links
- "Promo – The Gridiron Classic at The Villages". mlb629. Aug 28, 2011 – via YouTube.