Gridiron Classic (1999–2005)

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.

Gridiron Classic (defunct)
Stadium	Citrus Bowl (1999–2003) The Villages Polo Stadium (2004–05)
Location	Orlando, Florida (1999–2003) The Villages, Florida (2004–05)
Operated	1999–2005
Sponsors
Tyco (1999–2002) Rotary International (1999–2003) The Villages (2004–05)

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

• List of college bowl games

References

1. Schmadtke, Alan (August 6, 2003). "Gridiron Classic Moving To Villages". Orlando Sentinel.
2. "Gridiron classic canceled". Florida Today. August 20, 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
3. "Gridiron classic draws fewer spectators". bizjournals.com. January 15, 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
4. "Gridiron Classic". Pensacola News Journal. Pensacola, Florida. January 14, 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
5. "Gridiron Classic". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. February 1, 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
6. "Gridiron Classic". Asbury Park Press. Asbury Park, New Jersey. January 16, 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
7. "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.
8. Gardenour, Jeff (January 30, 2000). "Dawson fuels USA in Gridiron Classic". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florid]. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
9. "Gridiron Classic". Lawrence Journal-World. Lawrence, Kansas. January 14, 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
10. Caywood, Barbara (January 27, 2002). "Mitchell Gridiron's MVP". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
11. "USA tops Florida in Gridiron Classic". The Index-Journal. Greenwood, South Carolina. Associated Press. January 26, 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
12. "North wins, Gridiron Classic records fall". Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Michigan. Associated Press. February 1, 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
13. "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.