The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, usually contested on or around New Year's Day. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first televised nationally. The game was originally played at Gator Bowl Stadium through the December 1993 game. The December 1994 game was played at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville after the namesake stadium was demolished to make way for a replacement venue, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. That venue, now known as EverBank Stadium, has been home to the Gator Bowl since the January 1996 game.
The game is operated by Gator Bowl Sports and has been sponsored by TaxSlayer.com since 2012, and starting with the 2018 edition is officially known as the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. From 2015 to 2017, it was officially referred to as simply the TaxSlayer Bowl. Previous sponsors include Progressive Insurance (2011), Konica Minolta (2008–2010), Toyota (1995–2007), Outback Steakhouse (1992–1994), and Mazda (1986–1991).
History
According to writer Anthony C. DiMarco, Charles Hilty Sr. first conceived of the event. Hilty, together with Ray McCarthy, Maurice Cherry, and W. C. Ivey, put up $10,000 to underwrite the first game, which was held at Jacksonville's football stadium, Fairfield Stadium, on January 1, 1946.
The first two years of the event did not sell out the small capacity stadium, drawing only 7,362 to the 1946 game when the Wake Forest Demon Deacons defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks, 26–14. The stadium was expanded in 1948 and renamed the Gator Bowl Stadium in honor of the event. However, it was not until the 1949 matchup between the Clemson Tigers and the Missouri Tigers that the future of the Gator Bowl was assured: the 1948 attendance of 16,666 for a 20–20 tie between Maryland and Georgia was nearly doubled with 32,939 watching Clemson squeak by Missouri, 24–23, on a late field goal by Jack Miller.
By the 1970s, the attendance regularly reached 60,000–70,000.
Hotel Roosevelt fire in 1963
The Gator Bowl is one of Jacksonville's annual sports highlights. However, the event was once associated with a tragedy. In the early morning of December 29, 1963, the Hotel Roosevelt in downtown Jacksonville caught fire after a post-Gator Bowl party in the ballroom. It was later determined that the party was not the cause of the fire, and that the timing was a coincidence. The fire resulted in 22 deaths.
Woody Hayes incident in 1978
In the 1978 game between Ohio State and Clemson, Ohio State coach Woody Hayes lost his temper after a late game interception by Clemson nose guard Charlie Bauman, who stepped in front of the receiver on a pass from quarterback Art Schlichter. Bauman ran the ball out of bounds on the Ohio State sideline where Hayes struck Bauman with his right forearm. The play sealed the Tigers' 17–15 win over the Buckeyes, while Hayes was fired the next day before leaving Jacksonville.
Bowden's Last Stand in 2010
In the 2010 game between Florida State and West Virginia, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden (who previously coached at West Virginia) coached the final game of his career. Bowden had been the head coach at Florida State since 1976 and had won two national championships, 13 ACC championships, and had a 14-year streak of top five finishes during that time. A record crowd of over 84,000 people witnessed Bowden being carried off the field after a 33–21 Florida State victory.
TaxSlayer sponsorship
thumb|right|The [[2016 TaxSlayer Bowl (January)|2016 TaxSlayer Bowl featuring the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Georgia Bulldogs]]
In 2014, Gator Bowl Sports announced the bowl would be renamed the TaxSlayer Bowl following a new six-year deal with tax preparation company TaxSlayer.com. As a result of the deal, the bowl increased its payout and moved to a new time slot on January 2 for 2015 and 2016. A new logo was released on April 3, 2014. For the December 2018 contest, "Gator" was reinstated in the name for the first time since 2015, with the bowl being called the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Venues
The 1946 and 1947 games were played in Fairfield Stadium, which had a seating capacity of 7,600. The stadium was expanded to 16,000 seats in 1948, and the structure was renamed the Gator Bowl. Prior to the 1949 game, the seating capacity was expanded to 36,058, at which it remained until 1957. That stadium hosted the game through 1993, when it was almost completely demolished for the construction of Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on the same site. During construction, the December 1994 game was played at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. The January 1996 game, and all subsequent games to date, have been held at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, currently known as EverBank Stadium.
Organization
The game and associated activities are overseen by Gator Bowl Sports. Founded as the Gator Bowl Association in 1945, the organization expanded in 2013 to branch into other sports and events and increase its charity wing.
The association comprises 225 Gator Bowl Committee members, 84 Chairman's Club members and sponsors, more than 700 volunteers, plus over a dozen paid staff members. In addition to the Gator Bowl, the GBA has also coordinated other events. It hosted the ACC Championship Game from 2005 to 2007 and the River City Showdown, a neutral site game between the Florida State Seminoles and another team, in 2007 and 2008.
Teams typically featured
thumb|170px|Cover of the 1973 Gator Bowl game program
In the early years of the bowl, from 1946–1952, it featured a team from the Southern Conference against an at-large opponent. Beginning with the 1953 game, it switched to generally featuring a Southeastern Conference (SEC) team against an at-large opponent. From 1953 to the 1975 game, at least one SEC team appeared in 20 out of the 24 games, and in three of those games both teams were from the SEC. The games from 1976 to 1995 usually, but not always, involved a team from the southeastern United States against a team from another part of the country. Teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) played in ten of these 20 games.
From 1996–2006, the Gator Bowl traditionally hosted the second-place ACC team against the second-place Big East Conference team. With the 2007 game, the ACC runner-up became contractually tied to play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl and the Gator Bowl began hosting the third-place ACC team versus a team from either the Big East (still the conference's #2 team unless they qualified for the Bowl Championship Series), the Big 12 Conference, or the unaffiliated Notre Dame Fighting Irish (who would take the Big East's spot in this game). The contract, which ran for four years, was held in conjunction with the Sun Bowl, with the Gator Bowl receiving first choice of teams, and required both bowls to take Big East teams twice and Big 12 teams twice. Since the previous two Gator Bowls featured the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, both Big 12 teams, a Big East team or Notre Dame would play in the 2010 Gator Bowl per the terms of the contract (West Virginia lost to Florida State in this game).
The conference alignment changed again in 2010, as the Big East and Notre Dame moved their hybrid arrangement to the Champs Sports Bowl for 2010, while the Gator Bowl declined to renew its contract with the Big 12. The Gator Bowl would feature the SEC and the Big Ten Conference starting with the 2010 season, joining the Capital One Bowl and the Outback Bowl as the third Big Ten-SEC bowl matchup on New Year's Day. Starting in 2015, the bowl returned to a hybrid arrangement for a six-year period, with SEC teams playing ACC teams for three years and Big Ten teams the other three years; the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are also eligible during ACC years. On December 14, 2010, the Gator Bowl Association announced that Progressive Insurance would become the title sponsor for the 2011 Gator Bowl. On September 1, 2011, GBA announced a multi-year title sponsorship deal with TaxSlayer.com.
Game results
All rankings are taken from the AP poll prior to the game being played. Italics denote a tie game.
thumb|Clemson v Pitt, 1977 edition
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Date played
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Bowl name
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;" colspan="2"| Winning team
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;" colspan="2"| Losing team
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"| Attnd.
|-
|align=right|January 1, 1946 || Gator Bowl ||#19 Wake Forest||26 || South Carolina || 14 || 7,362
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1947 || Gator Bowl ||#14 Oklahoma||34 || #18 NC State|| 13 || 10,134
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1948 || Gator Bowl || Georgia || 20 || Maryland || 20 || 16,666
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1949 || Gator Bowl ||#11 Clemson||24 || Missouri || 23 ||35,273
|-
| align=right|January 2, 1950 || Gator Bowl ||#14 Maryland||20 || #20 Missouri|| 7 || 18,409
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1951 || Gator Bowl ||#12 Wyoming||20 || #18 Washington & Lee|| 7 || 26,354
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1952 || Gator Bowl || Miami (Florida) || 14 || #19 Clemson|| 0 || 37,208
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1953 || Gator Bowl ||#15 Florida||14 || #12 Tulsa|| 13 || 30,015
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1954 || Gator Bowl ||#12 Texas Tech||35 || #17 Auburn|| 13 || 28,641
|-
| December 31, 1954 || Gator Bowl ||#13 Auburn||33 || #18 Baylor|| 13 || 34,408
|-
| December 31, 1955 || Gator Bowl ||#8 Vanderbilt||25 || Auburn || 13 || 32,174
|-
| December 29, 1956 || Gator Bowl ||#4 Georgia Tech||21 || #13 Pittsburgh|| 14 || 37,683
|-
| December 28, 1957 || Gator Bowl ||#13 Tennessee||3 || #9 Texas A&M|| 0 || 41,160
|-
| December 27, 1958 || Gator Bowl ||#11 Ole Miss||7 || #14 Florida|| 3 || 41,312
|-
| align=right|January 2, 1960 || Gator Bowl ||#9 Arkansas||14 || Georgia Tech || 7 || 45,104
|-
| December 31, 1960 || Gator Bowl ||#18 Florida||13 || #12 Baylor|| 12 || 50,122
|-
| December 30, 1961 || Gator Bowl ||#17 Penn State||30 || #13 Georgia Tech|| 15 || 50,202
|-
| December 29, 1962 || Gator Bowl || Florida || 17 || #9 Penn State|| 7 || 50,026
|-
| December 28, 1963 || Gator Bowl || North Carolina || 35 || Air Force || 0 || 50,018
|-
| align=right|January 2, 1965 || Gator Bowl || Florida State || 36 || Oklahoma || 19 || 50,408
|-
| December 31, 1965 || Gator Bowl || Georgia Tech || 31 || #10 Texas Tech|| 21 || 60,127
|-
| December 31, 1966 || Gator Bowl || Tennessee || 18 || Syracuse || 12 || 60,312
|-
| December 30, 1967 || Gator Bowl ||#10 Penn State || 17 || Florida State || 17 || 68,019
|-
| December 28, 1968 || Gator Bowl ||#16 Missouri||35 || #12 Alabama|| 10 || 68,011
|-
| December 27, 1969 || Gator Bowl ||#15 Florida||14 || #11 Tennessee|| 13 || 72,248
|-
| align=right|January 2, 1971 || Gator Bowl ||#10 Auburn||35 || Ole Miss || 28 || 71,136
|-
| December 31, 1971 || Gator Bowl ||#6 Georgia||7 || North Carolina || 3 || 71,208
|-
| December 30, 1972 || Gator Bowl ||#6 Auburn||24 || #13 Colorado|| 3 || 71,114
|-
| December 29, 1973 || Gator Bowl ||#11 Texas Tech||28 || #20 Tennessee|| 19 || 62,109
|-
| December 30, 1974 || Gator Bowl ||#6 Auburn||27 || #11 Texas|| 3 || 63,811
|-
| December 29, 1975 || Gator Bowl ||#17 Maryland||13 || #13 Florida|| 0 || 64,012
|-
| December 27, 1976 || Gator Bowl ||#15 Notre Dame||20 || #20 Penn State|| 9 || 67,827
|-
| December 30, 1977 || Gator Bowl ||#10 Pittsburgh||34 || #11 Clemson|| 3 || 72,289
|-
| December 29, 1978 || Gator Bowl ||#7 Clemson||17 || #20 Ohio State|| 15 || 72,011
|-
| December 28, 1979 || Gator Bowl || North Carolina || 17 || #14 Michigan|| 15 || 70,407
|-
| December 29, 1980 || Gator Bowl ||#3 Pittsburgh||37 || #18 South Carolina|| 9 || 72,297
|-
| December 28, 1981 || Gator Bowl ||#11 North Carolina||31 || Arkansas || 27 || 71,009
|-
| December 30, 1982 || Gator Bowl || Florida State || 31 || #10 West Virginia|| 12 || 80,913
|-
| December 30, 1983 || Gator Bowl ||#11 Florida||14 || #10 Iowa|| 6 || 81,293
|-
| December 28, 1984 || Gator Bowl ||#9 Oklahoma State||21 || #7 South Carolina|| 14 || 82,138
|-
| December 30, 1985 || Gator Bowl ||#18 Florida State||34 || #19 Oklahoma State|| 23 || 79,417
|-
| December 27, 1986 || Gator Bowl || Clemson || 27 || #20 Stanford|| 21 || 80,104
|-
| December 31, 1987 || Gator Bowl ||#7 LSU||30 || #9 South Carolina|| 13 || 82,119
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1989 || Gator Bowl ||#19 Georgia||34 || Michigan State || 27 || 76,236
|-
| December 30, 1989 || Gator Bowl ||#14 Clemson||27 || #17 West Virginia|| 7 || 82,911
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1991 || Gator Bowl ||#12 Michigan||35 || #15 Ole Miss|| 3 || 68,297
|-
| December 29, 1991 || Gator Bowl ||#20 Oklahoma||48 || #19 Virginia|| 14 || 62,003
|-
| December 31, 1992 || Gator Bowl ||#14 Florida||27 || #12 NC State|| 10 || 71,233
|-
| December 31, 1993 || Gator Bowl ||#18 Alabama||24 || #12 North Carolina|| 10 || 67,205
|-
| December 30, 1994 || Gator Bowl || Tennessee || 45 || #17 Virginia Tech|| 23 || 62,200
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1996 || Gator Bowl || Syracuse || 41 || #23 Clemson|| 0 || 45,202
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1997 || Gator Bowl ||#12 North Carolina||20 || #25 West Virginia|| 13 || 52,103
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1998 || Gator Bowl ||#7 North Carolina||42 || Virginia Tech || 3 || 54,116
|-
| align=right|January 1, 1999 || Gator Bowl ||#12 Georgia Tech||35 || #17 Notre Dame|| 28 || 70,791
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2000 || Gator Bowl ||#23 Miami (Florida)||28 || #17 Georgia Tech|| 13 || 43,416
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2001 || Gator Bowl ||#6 Virginia Tech||41 || #16 Clemson|| 20 || 68,741
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2002 || Gator Bowl ||#24 Florida State||30 || #15 Virginia Tech|| 17 || 72,202
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2003 || Gator Bowl ||#17 NC State||28 || #11 Notre Dame|| 6 || 73,491
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2004 || Gator Bowl ||#23 Maryland||41 || #20 West Virginia|| 7 || 78,891
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2005 || Gator Bowl ||#17 Florida State||30 || West Virginia || 18 || 70,112
|-
| align=right|January 2, 2006 || Gator Bowl ||#12 Virginia Tech||35 || #15 Louisville|| 24 || 63,780
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2007 || Gator Bowl ||#13 West Virginia||38 || Georgia Tech || 35 || 67,714
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2008 || Gator Bowl || Texas Tech || 31 || #21 Virginia|| 28 || 60,243
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2009 || Gator Bowl || Nebraska || 26 || Clemson || 21 || 67,232
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2010 || Gator Bowl || Florida State || 33 || #18 West Virginia|| 21 || 84,129
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2011 || Gator Bowl ||#21 Mississippi State ||52 || Michigan || 14 || 68,325
|-
| align=right|January 2, 2012 || Gator Bowl || Florida || 24 || Ohio State || 17 || 61,312
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2013 || Gator Bowl ||#21 Northwestern ||34 || Mississippi State || 20 || 48,612
|-
| align=right|January 1, 2014 || Gator Bowl || Nebraska || 24 || #22 Georgia|| 19 || 60,712
|-
| align=right|January 2, 2015 || TaxSlayer Bowl || Tennessee || 45 || Iowa || 28 || 56,310
|-
| align=right|January 2, 2016 || TaxSlayer Bowl || Georgia || 24 || Penn State || 17 || 58,212
|-
| December 31, 2016 || TaxSlayer Bowl || Georgia Tech || 33 || Kentucky || 18 || 43,102
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| December 30, 2017 || TaxSlayer Bowl ||#24 Mississippi State||31 || Louisville || 27 || 41,310
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| December 31, 2018 || Gator Bowl || #21 Texas A&M || 52 || NC State || 13 || 38,206
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| align=right|January 2, 2020 || Gator Bowl || Tennessee || 23|| Indiana || 22 || 61,789
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| align=right|January 2, 2021 || Gator Bowl || Kentucky || 23 || #24 NC State || 21 || 10,422
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| December 31, 2021 || Gator Bowl || #20 Wake Forest || 38 || Rutgers || 10 || 28,508
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| December 30, 2022 || Gator Bowl || #19 Notre Dame || 45 || #20 South Carolina || 38 || 67,383
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| December 29, 2023 || Gator Bowl || Clemson || 38 || Kentucky || 35 || 40,132
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| align=right|January 2, 2025 || Gator Bowl || #16 Ole Miss || 52 || Duke || 20 || 31,290
|-<!--AP RANKINGS-->
| December 27, 2025 || Gator Bowl || #20 Virginia || 13 ||#25 Missouri || 7 || 31,802
|}<!--
TABLE USES AP RANKINGS ONLY (as they date back to the 1930s)
-->
Tennessee's win the January 2020 edition was vacated by the NCAA in July 2023.
Source:
MVPs
From 1946 through 1952, an overall game MVP was named. From 1953 through 2021, MVPs were named for each team; in several instances, co-MVPs were named. Since the 2022 edition, the bowl has again named an overall game MVP; the honor was shared in the December 2023 game.
{| class="wikitable collapsible" style="width:850px; text-align:center; font-size:95%;"
|+
! colspan="8" style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b; text-align:center;" bgcolor=""|<big>Most Valuable Players</big>
|-
!|Date Played
!|MVP
!|Team
!|Position
! colspan=3|
!|Ref
|-
|January 1, 1946 || Nick Sacrinty || Wake Forest || QB ||colspan=3| ||
|-
|January 1, 1947 || Joe Golding || Oklahoma || HB ||colspan=3| ||
|-
|January 1, 1951 || Eddie Talboom || Wyoming || HB ||colspan=3| ||
|-
| December 31, 1960 || Larry Libertore || Florida || QB ||Bobby Ply || Baylor || QB ||
|-
| December 31, 1971 ||Jimmy Poulos || Georgia || TB ||James Webster || North Carolina || LB ||<br>Amos Lawrence || North Carolina || QB<br>RB ||John Wangler <br>Anthony Carter|| Michigan || QB<br>WR ||
|-
| December 28, 1981 || Kelvin Bryant<br>Ethan Horton || North Carolina || TB<br>TB ||Gary Anderson || Arkansas || RB || || Michigan || N/A ||Tyrone Ashley || Ole Miss || DB ||
|-
| December 29, 1991 || Cale Gundy || Oklahoma || QB ||Tyrone Davis || Virginia || DB ||
|-
| January 1, 2001 || Michael Vick || Virginia Tech || QB ||Rod Gardner || Clemson || WR || || Virginia || DE ||
|-
|January 1, 2011 || Chris Relf || Mississippi State || QB || Denard Robinson || Michigan || QB ||
|-
|January 2, 2021 || Asim Rose Jr. || Kentucky || RB || Zonovan Knight || NC State || RB ||
|-
|December 29, 2023 || Phil Mafah<br>Barion Brown || Clemson<br>Kentucky || RB<br>WR || colspan=3| ||
|-
|January 2, 2025 || Jaxson Dart || Ole Miss || QB || colspan=3| ||
|-
|December 27, 2025 || Chandler Morris || Virginia || QB || colspan=3| ||
|}
Most appearances
Updated through the December 2025 edition (81 games, 162 appearances).
;Teams with multiple appearances
{|class = "wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Rank
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Team
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Appearances
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Record
|-
|1 || Clemson || 10 || 5–5
|-
|2 || Florida || 9 || 7–2
|-
|3 || Georgia Tech || 8 || 4–4
|-
|T4 || Florida State || 7 || 6–0–1
|-
|T4 || North Carolina || 7 || 5–2
|-
|T4 || Tennessee || 7 || 4–2
|-
|T4 || West Virginia || 7 || 1–6
|-
|8 || Auburn || 6 || 4–2
|-
|T9 || Georgia || 5 || 3–1–1
|-
|T9 || Virginia Tech || 5 || 2–3
|-
|T9 || Penn State || 5 || 1–3–1
|-
|T9 || NC State || 5 || 1–4
|-
|T9 || South Carolina || 5 || 0–5
|-
|T14 || Maryland || 4 || 3–0–1
|-
|T14 || Texas Tech || 4 || 3–1
|-
|T14 || Notre Dame || 4 || 2–2
|-
|T14 || Ole Miss || 4 || 2–2
|-
|T14 || Missouri || 4 || 1–3
|}
{|class = "wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Rank
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Team
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Appearances
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Record
|-
|T19 || Mississippi State || 3 || 2–1
|-
|T19 || Oklahoma || 3 || 2–1
|-
|T19 || Pittsburgh || 3 || 2–1
|-
|T19 || Kentucky || 3 || 1–2
|-
|T19 || Michigan || 3 || 1–2
|-
|T19 || Virginia || 3 || 1–2
|-
|T25 || Miami (Florida) || 2 || 2–0
|-
|T25 || Nebraska || 2 || 2–0
|-
|T25 || Wake Forest || 2 || 2–0
|-
|T25 || Alabama || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T25 || Arkansas || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T25 || Oklahoma State || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T25 || Syracuse || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T25 || Texas A&M || 2 || 1–1
|-
|T25 || Baylor || 2 || 0–2
|-
|T25 || Iowa || 2 || 0–2
|-
|T25 || Louisville || 2 || 0–2
|-
|T25 || Ohio State || 2 || 0–2
|}
Tennessee's record excludes their January 2020 win, which was vacated by the NCAA in July 2023.
;Teams with a single appearance
Won (4): LSU, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Wyoming
<br>
Lost (10): Air Force, Colorado, Duke, Indiana, Michigan State, Rutgers, Stanford, Texas, Tulsa, Washington & Lee
Appearances by conference
Updated through the December 2025 edition (81 games, 162 appearances).
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;"
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #e2223b;" rowspan=2|Conference
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #e2223b;" colspan=5|Record
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#FFFFFF; border: 2px solid #e2223b;" colspan=4|Appearances by season
|-
! style="border: 2px solid #e2223b;" |Games
! style="border: 2px solid #e2223b;" |W
! style="border: 2px solid #e2223b;" |L
! style="border: 2px solid #e2223b;" |T
! style="border: 2px solid #e2223b;" |Win pct.
! style="border: 2px solid #e2223b;" class=unsortable|Won
! style="border: 2px solid #e2223b;" class=unsortable|Lost
! style="border: 2px solid #e2223b;" class=unsortable|Tied
! style="border: 2px solid #e2223b;" class=unsortable|Vacated
|-
| SEC || 47 ||
| <!--W-->1952*, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1969, 1970*, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1983, 1987, 1988*, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2010*, 2011*, 2014*, 2015*, 2017, 2018, 2020*, 2024*
| <!--L-->1953*, 1955, 1958, 1959*, 1961, 1968, 1969, 1970*, 1973, 1975, 1990, 2012*, 2013*, 2016, 2022, 2023, 2025
| <!--T-->1947*
| <!--V-->2019*
|-
| ACC || 35 ||
| <!--W-->1963, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1986, 1989, 1996*, 1997*, 1998*, 2001*, 2002*, 2003*, 2004*, 2005*, 2009*, 2016, 2021, 2023, 2025
| <!--L-->1971, 1977, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995*, 1999*, 2000*, 2006*, 2007*, 2008*, 2017, 2018, 2020*, 2024*
| <!--T-->bgcolor=lightgrey|
| <!--V-->
|-
| Independents || 24 ||
| <!--W-->1951*, 1961, 1964*, 1965, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1985, 2022
| <!--L-->1956, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1998*, 2002*
| <!--T-->1967, 1967<!--BOTH teams that played in the 1967 game were independent-->
| <!--V-->
|-
| Big East || 12 ||
| <!--W-->1995*, 1999*, 2000*, 2006*
| <!--L-->1994, 1996*, 1997*, 2001*, 2003*, 2004*, 2005*, 2009*
| <!--T-->bgcolor=lightgrey|
| <!--V-->
|-
| Big Ten || 13 ||
| <!--W-->1990, 2012*, 2013*
| <!--L-->1978, 1979, 1983, 1988*, 2010*, 2011*, 2014*, 2015*, 2019*, 2021
| <!--T-->bgcolor=lightgrey|
| <!--V-->
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|Big Eight || 9 ||
| <!--W-->1946*, 1968, 1984, 1991
| <!--L-->1948*, 1949*, 1964*, 1972, 1985
| <!--T-->bgcolor=lightgrey|
| <!--V-->
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|SoCon || 8 ||
| <!--W-->1945*, 1948*, 1949*
| <!--L-->1945*, 1946*, 1950*, 1951*
| <!--T-->1947*
| <!--V-->
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|SWC || 8 ||
| <!--W-->1959*, 1973
| <!--L-->1954, 1957, 1960, 1965, 1974, 1981
| <!--T-->bgcolor=lightgrey|
| <!--V-->
|-
| Big 12 || 2 ||
| <!--W-->2007*, 2008*
| <!--L-->
| <!--T-->bgcolor=lightgrey|
| <!--V-->
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|Border || 1 ||
| <!--W-->1953*
| <!--L-->
| <!--T-->bgcolor=lightgrey|
| <!--V-->
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|Skyline || 1 ||
| <!--W-->1950*
| <!--L-->
| <!--T-->bgcolor=lightgrey|
| <!--V-->
|-
| bgcolor=lightgrey|MVC || 1 ||
| <!--W-->
| <!--L-->1952*
| <!--T-->bgcolor=lightgrey|
| <!--V-->
|-
| Pac-10 || 1 ||
| <!--W-->
| <!--L-->1986
| <!--T-->bgcolor=lightgrey|
| <!--V-->
|}
The SEC's win–loss–tie totals and winning percentage exclude Tennessee's win following the 2019 season (played in January 2020), which was vacated by the NCAA in July 2023.
- Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
- Records reflect conference affiliations at the time each game was played.
- Conferences that are defunct or no longer active in FBS are marked in italics.
- The Big Eight's record includes appearances when the conference was known as the Big Six and Big Seven.
- Big East teams made 12 appearances and were 4–8; the American Conference retains the conference charter following the 2013 split of the original Big East along football lines.
- Two teams from the same conference have met five times: 1945*, 1955, 1958, 1969, and 1970*. The first instance was SoCon teams, while the others have been SEC teams.
- Two independent teams have met four times: 1967, 1976, 1980, and 1982.
- Independent appearances (23): Air Force (1963), Florida State (1964*, 1967, 1982, 1985), Georgia Tech (1965), Miami-FL (1951*), Notre Dame (1976, 1998*, 2002*, 2022), Penn State (1961, 1962, 1967, 1976), Pitt (1956, 1977, 1980), South Carolina (1980, 1984, 1987), Syracuse (1966), and West Virginia (1982, 1989).
To date:
- Every current member of the SEC has appeared in at least one Gator Bowl. Former member Georgia Tech has also appeared, former member Tulane has not.
- Seven former members of the Big East appeared in the bowl, though not all while in the Big East: Louisville, Miami (FL), Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia. Five members have not: Boston College, Cincinnati, UConn, USF and Temple.
- Thirteen current members of the ACC have appeared in the bowl, though not all while in the ACC: Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (FL), UNC, NC State, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest, as have two former members (Maryland and South Carolina). One member. Boston College, has yet to appear in the bowl.
Gator Bowl Hall of Fame
The Gator Bowl created a Hall of Fame in 1989; new members were announced annually through 2013, with a total of 82 inductees at that time. After 2013, additions have occurred intermittently.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Year
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Inductees
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Ref.
|-
| 1989 || Dan Devine, Ray Graves, Ralph Jordan, Floyd Little, Archie Manning, Bobby Dodd || rowspan=18 |
|-
| 1990 || Vince Dooley, Bobby Gage, Frank Howard, Pat Sullivan, Bob Woodruff, George R. Olsen
|-
| 1991 || Wally Butts, Bill Peterson, Ron Sellers, Ken Willard
|-
| 1992 || Maxie Baughan, Lu Gambino, Don Faurot, Johnny Vaught
|-
| 1993 || DeWitt Weaver, Tom Shannon, Joe Childress
|-
| 1994 || Doug Dickey, Rip Engle, Larry Libertore Jr.
|-
| 1995 || Fred Biletnikoff, Frank Broyles, Nicholas Sacrinty, Richard Stratton, Steve Tensi
|-
| 1996 || Dave Robinson, Wade Mitchell, Jim Dooley, Dick Crum
|-
| 1997 || Judge John "Papa" Hall, Gene Stallings, Kim Hammond, John F. Lanahan
|-
| 1998 || Ross Browner, James Stewart, Danny Ford
|-
| 1999 || Jack Bush, Walter C. Dunbar, Jay Solomon
|-
| 2000 || Joe Paterno, Terry McMillan, Bob Bradley
|-
| 2001 || John David Crow, Don Nehlen, Carlisle Jones
|-
| 2002 || W. W. "Bill" Gay, Jackie Sherrill, Hugh Green
|-
| 2003 || Donny Anderson, Rodney Hampton, Ash Verlander
|-
| 2004 || Chip Ferguson, Bill Nimnicht Jr., Steve Spurrier, Greg Allen
|-
| 2005 || Desmond Howard, Peter Kirill Sr., Peahead Walker
|-
| 2006 || Dave Braine, Carl Cannon
|-
| 2007 || Don Davis, George Rogers, Bear Bryant ||
|-
| 2008 || Errict Rhett, Wendell Davis ||
|-
| 2009 || Wilford C. Lyon, Jr, Gary Pajcic, Bob Golic ||
|-
| 2010 || Bobby Bowden, Mike Tranghese ||
|-
| 2011 || Pat Jones, Anthony Carter, Bill Nimnicht Sr. ||
|-
| 2012 || Corky Rogers, Donald Orr ||
|-
| 2013 || Donovin Darius ||
|-
| 2016 || Frank Beamer, Tom Shouvlin ||
|-
| 2017 || Leon Washington, Ronald L. Bailey ||
|}
75th Anniversary All Gator Bowl Team
In September 2019, bowl organizers announced an All Gator Bowl Team, in commemoration of the 75th anniversary game, played in January 2020.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #e2223b;" colspan=4|Offense
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #e2223b;" colspan=4|Defense
|-
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Player
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Pos.
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Team
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Game
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Player
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Pos.
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Team
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Game
|-
|Archie Manning || QB || Mississippi || No. 26 || Ed Reed|| DB || Miami || No. 55
|-
|Floyd Little ||RB || Syracuse || No. 22 || Tony Lilly || DB || Florida || No. 39
|-
|Larry Csonka || FB || Syracuse || No. 22 || Hugh Green || DE || Pittsburgh || No. 36
|-
|Fred Biletnikoff || WR || Florida State || No. 20 || Jack Youngblood || DE || Florida || No. 25
|-
|Andre Rison || WR || Michigan State || No. 44 || Wilber Marshall || LB || Florida || No. 39
|-
|Ken MacAfee || TE || Notre Dame || No. 32 || Donovin Darius || DB || Syracuse || No. 51
|-
|Mark May || T || Pittsburgh || No. 36 || Mark McLaurin || DB || Mississippi State || No. 73
|-
|Greg Skrepenak || T || Michigan || No. 46 || Matt Millen || DT || Penn State || No. 32
|-
|Dean Dingman || G || Michigan || No. 46 || Ndamukong Suh || DT || Nebraska || No. 64
|-
|Zeke Smith || G || Auburn || No. 11 || Ryan Shazier || LB || Ohio State || No. 67
|-
|Maxie Baughan || C || Georgia Tech || No. 15 || Lawrence Taylor || LB || North Carolina || No. 35
|}
Game records
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Team
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Record, Team vs. Opponent
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Year
|-
|Most points scored (one team)
| 52, shared by:<br>Mississippi State vs. Michigan<br>Texas A&M vs. NC State<br>Ole Miss vs. Duke
| <br>2011<br>2018<br>2025
|-
|Most points scored (losing team)
| 38, South Carolina vs. Notre Dame
| 2022
|-
|Most points scored (both teams)
| 83, Notre Dame (45) vs. South Carolina (38)
| 2022
|-
|Fewest points allowed
| 0, most recently:<br>Syracuse vs. Clemson
| <br>1996
|-
|Largest margin of victory
| 41, Syracuse (41) vs. Clemson (0)
| 1996
|-
|Total yards
| 715, Michigan vs. Ole Miss
| Jan. 1991
|-
|Rushing yards
| 423, Auburn vs. Baylor
| Dec. 1954
|-
|Passing yards
| 407, Texas Tech vs. Virginia
| 2008
|-
|First downs
| 40, Georgia Tech vs. West Virginia
| 2007
|-
|Fewest yards allowed
|
|
|-
|Fewest rushing yards allowed
| 45, Missouri vs. Alabama
| 1968
|-
|Fewest passing yards allowed
| 0, Alabama vs. Missouri
| 1968
|-
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Individual
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Year
|-
|All-purpose yards || ||
|-
|Touchdowns (overall) || 4, shared by:<br>Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State vs. Oklahoma<br>James Stewart, Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech
Phil Mafah, Clemson vs. Kentucky
| Jan. 1965<br>Dec. 1994<br>2023
|-
|Rushing yards || 236, Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M vs. NC State || 2018
|-
|Rushing touchdowns || 4, Phil Mafah, Clemson vs. Kentucky || 2023
|-
|Passing yards || 407, Graham Harrell, Texas Tech vs. Virginia || 2008
|-
|Passing touchdowns || 5, Steve Tensi, Florida State vs. Oklahoma || Jan. 1965
|-
|Receiving yards || 252, Andre Rison, Michigan State vs. Georgia || Jan. 1989
|-
|Receiving touchdowns || 4, Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State vs. Oklahoma || Jan. 1965
|-
|Tackles || ||
|-
|Sacks || ||
|-
|Interceptions || 4, Jim Dooley, Miami (FL) vs. Clemson || 1952
|-
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Long Plays
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Year
|-
|Touchdown run || 96, Mikell Simpson, Virginia vs. Texas Tech || 2008
|-
|Touchdown pass || 99, Quincy Enunwa, Nebraska vs Georgia || 2014
|-
|Kickoff return || 99, shared by:<br>Andre Debose, Florida vs Ohio State<br>Sahmir Hagans, Duke vs. Ole Miss || <br>2012<br>2025
|-
|Punt return || ||
|-
|Interception return || 100, O'Donnell Fortune, South Carolina vs. Notre Dame || 2022
|-
|Fumble return || ||
|-
|Punt || 76, Bobby Joe Green, Florida vs. Ole Miss || 1958
|-
|Field goal || 51, Brian Lee, Ole Miss vs. Michigan || Jan. 1991
|-
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Miscellaneous
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Record, Teams
! style="background:#2a3439; color:#fff; border:2px solid #e2223b;"|Year
|-
|Bowl Attendance || 84,129, Florida State vs. West Virginia || 2010
|}
Source:
Television coverage
- CBS (1955–1963)
- ABC (1964–1968)
- NBC (1969–1971)
- ABC (1972–1985)
- CBS (1986–1987)
- ESPN (1988–1990)
- TBS (1991–1994)
- NBC (1995–2006)
- CBS (2007–2010)
- ESPN2 (2011–2014)
- ESPN (2015 – Jan. 2025)
- ABC (Dec. 2025 – future)
Source: