Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens , Florida . It has been played annually since January 1 , 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1 , 2009 . The Orange Bowl , along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl , are the second - oldest bowl games in the country , behind the Rose Bowl ( first played 1902 , played annually since 1916 ) . The Orange Bowl is a member of the Bowl Championship Series . The Orange Bowl hosted the BCS National Championship Game in 2001 and 2005 . However , since the 2006 season , the BCS National Championship Game has been a stand - alone event , hosted by the local bowl organization one week following the New Year ' s Day bowl games ( including the Orange Bowl ) . In other words , under the current BCS format , the Orange Bowl Committee hosted two games in 2009 : the 2009 Orange Bowl on January 1 and the 2009 BCS National Championship Game on January 8 , both at Sun Life Stadium . Since 2007 the Orange Bowl has been host to the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) champion unless they are involved in the national championship game and has used the brand " Home of the ACC Champion " . The 2013 match - up ended with the Florida State Seminoles , who won the ACC championship , defeating the MAC champion Northern Illinois Huskies 31 - 10 . This was the first time a non - AQ team that had suffered a loss previously in the season made it to the Orange Bowl . The game is officially known as the Discover Orange Bowl , since Discover Financial was announced as title sponsor on August 26 , 2010 as part of a new four year agreement . The game had been called the FedEx Orange Bowl from 1989 to 2010 , as FedEx sponsored the event during that period . Starting with the 2010 - 2011 season , ESPN carried the Orange Bowl , replacing Fox after four seasons . ABC aired the game from 1999 to 2006 , with CBS ( 1995 – 1998 ) and NBC ( 1964 – 1994 ) previously carrying the game . History . Early roots . In 1890 , Pasadena , California held its first Tournament of Roses Parade to showcase the city ' s mild weather compared to the harsh winters in northern cities . As one of the organizers said : " In New York , people are buried in snow . Here , our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear . Let ' s hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise . " In 1902 , the annual festival was enhanced by adding an American football game . In 1926 , leaders in Miami , Florida , decided to do the same with a " Fiesta of the American Tropics " that was centered around a New Year ' s Day football game . Although a second " Fiesta " was never held , Miami leaders - Earnest E Seiler , later revived the idea with the " Palm Festival " ( with the slogan " Have a Green Christmas in Miami " ) . Palm Festival Game . In 1932 , George E . Hussey , official greeter of Miami , organized the first Palm Festival Game , predecessor of the Orange Bowl . With Miami suffering from both the Great Depression and the preceding Florida land bust , Hussey and other Miamians sought to help its economy by organizing a game similar to Pasadena ' s Rose Bowl . Two games were played in this series at Moore Park in Miami , both pitting an invited opponent against a local team , the University of Miami . In the first game , played on January 2 , 1933 , Miami defeated Manhattan College 7 – 0 . In the second game , played on New Year ' s Day 1934 , Duquesne defeated Miami 33 – 7 . Duquesne was coached by Elmer Layden one of the Four Horseman of Notre Dame . These games are not recognized as bowl games by the NCAA because one team was guaranteed a berth regardless of record . However , following the success of these games , backers organized another game for New Year ' s Day 1935 under the Orange Bowl name . This game , unlike the Palm Festival Games , did not automatically grant a berth to one team , although the University of Miami was again a participant . For this reason , the 1935 Orange Bowl was later recognized by the NCAA as an official bowl game . Modern game . The Orange Bowl was played at Miami Field ( located where Miami Orange Bowl was later built ) from 1935 to 1937 , the Miami Orange Bowl from 1938 to 1996 and 1999 , and was moved to its current site , Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens , Florida , in December 1996 . The game was moved back to the namesake stadium in 1999 ( which would be the final bowl game ever in the Miami Orange Bowl ) because the game was played on the same day the Miami Dolphins hosted an NFL Wild Card Playoff game . Coincidentally , both of those games were aired on ABC . In 1964 , the Texas vs . Alabama Orange Bowl was the first college bowl game to be televised in prime time . From 1968 , the game usually featured the champion of the former Big Eight Conference . When the Big Eight Conference absorbed four members of the defunct Southwest Conference in 1996 , the newly formed Big 12 Conference moved its conference champion tie - in to the Fiesta Bowl . Since 1998 , however , with the creation of the Bowl Championship Series system , team selection for the Orange Bowl is now tied into the other three BCS Bowls . From 1998 - 2005 , the game hosted the champion of either the ACC or Big East conferences , unless they were invited to the National Championship game , or if the Orange Bowl itself was hosting the national championship matchup . Starting with the 2006 season , the Orange Bowl has been exclusively tied with the ACC and has used the brand " Home of the ACC Champion " . As one of the Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ) bowl games , the site of the Orange Bowl also hosts the national championship game one week after the Orange Bowl game ; it does so on a four - year rotating basis with the other three BCS games ( the others being the Sugar , Fiesta , and Rose Bowl s ) . King Orange Jamboree Parade . From 1936 to 2001 , the Orange Bowl Committee also sponsored a parade . In its heyday , the parade was a nighttime New Year ' s Eve tradition , televised nationally with lighted floats and displays . However ratings drooped and the national television contract was lost in 1997 , causing the parade to quickly become a shell of its former self since there were no sponsors for the elaborate floats . As a result the committee chose to bring this tradition to an end in early 2002 . Game results . + - Denotes Bowl Coalition Championship game < br > ^ - Denotes Bowl Alliance Championship game < br > < nowiki > * < / nowiki > Denotes BCS National Championship Game ~ Game played at Miami Orange Bowl due to scheduling conflict with NFL playoff game † Denotes overtime ( s ) Broadcasting . ESPN are the current rights holders ( as of 2011 ) as part of a four year , US $ 500 million contract with the Bowl Championship Series and the Tournament of Roses , the owners of the Rose Bowl Game . Prior to that , Fox held the rights to the event ( along with the other BCS bowls ) since 2007 , preceded by ABC ( 1999 – 2006 and 1962 – 64 ) , CBS ( 1996 – 98 and 1953 – 61 ) , and NBC ( 1965 – 95 ) . This game , along with the Fiesta Bowl , is one of only two bowl games ever to air on all the " big 4 " broadcast television networks in the USA . ESPN Deportes added a Spanish language telecast of the game in 2013 . In November 2012 , ESPN announced that it had reached a deal with the game ' s organizers to maintain broadcast rights to the Orange Bowl through 2026 . ESPN will pay $ 55 million yearly to broadcast the game beginning in the 2014 - 15 season under the new contract , which will take effect following the conclusion of ESPN ' s contract with , and subsequent discontinuation of the BCS . ESPN made a similar deal to maintain broadcast rights to the Sugar Bowl for the same duration as well . The game is also broadcast nationally by ESPN Radio .