Big college bowl games will bring Alabama and Michigan to Tampa

It’s a great time to be a football fan in Tampa. Our Bucs are back on top of the NFC South, keeping playoff hopes alive, and two major bowl games are confirmed for Raymond James Stadium (4201 N Dale Mabry Hwy.). Roll Tide, folks! Alabama will face the University of Michigan in the Reliaquest Bowl, a matchup announced on Sunday, December 9.

The game will take place on December 31, New Year’s Eve, at noon. Tickets are available online. The economic impact of the Reliaquest Bowl on Tampa Bay is impressive: the event has generated $1.2 billion, provided $176 million to universities and donated $4 million to charities since 2016.

A football fan’s paradise

Before the Reliaquest Bowl, the Gasparilla Bowl will take over Raymond James Stadium. The Florida Gators will play Tulane on Saturday, December 21, at 3:30 p.m. Tickets for that game are also available online.

In addition to these events, our own USF Bulls are headed to the Hawaii Bowl for the first time in program history. They’ll take on San Jose State at the Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu on December 24. We won’t blame anyone for opting to make a holiday trip to Hawaii this season—but, of course, we’ll all be supporting our local squad!