New Year's Day Sports: College Football or Hockey

New Year's has historically been a day of celebration, Dick Clark, and important college football bowl games. This year is a little different due to New Year's being a Sunday, the bowl games are moved back a day so the NFL games can be played. These games include the Rose Bowl Game, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and others. However, the NHL has a new New Year's game, the Winter Classic, that is really gaining attention and views. So can the NHL and Winter Classic take over College Football as New Year's sport?

The Rose Bowl Game is a New Year's Tradition
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First, lets look at the reigning champion, college football. We looked at the history of all the games played yesterday and games that were mostly played on New Year's Eve, Day, and January 2nd. I consider January 2nd part of the New Year's celebration because the bowl games are usually not played on New Year's if New Year's is on a Sunday. 

The Rose Bowl Game has been played on January 1st and 2nd every time in the bowl's 98 game history except twice. Both times were when the Rose Bowl was also the BCS National Championship. 


The Sugar Bowl was played on December 31st, January 1st and 2nd every time from 1935 until 2000. Since the 2000, 6 games have been played on dates other tha the 1st and 2nd of January. 


The Orange Bowl was been played on December 31st, January 1st, and 2nd from 1935-2000. Since 2001, the Orange Bowl has switched dates during the 1st weeks of January. Only 5 of the games since 2001 have been played on the 1st or 2nd.


The Fiesta Bowl was first played on various dates in December from 1971-1980. Then, starting in 1982, the Fiesta Bowl was played on New Year's Eve, Day and the 2nd until 1997. Since 1999, 4 games have been played on different dates.

The Cotton Bowl was a New Year's Classic
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The Cotton Bowl Classic was played on December 31st, January 1st, or 2nd every time except once from 1935-2010. It was played on January 7th last year and will be played January 6th this year.


The Gator Bowl was played on the New Year's Eve, Day, and the 2nd 24 times from 1946-1994. Since 1996, January 1st and 2nd has been the date of the Gator Bowl.


The Outback Bowl has been played on January 1st or 2nd every time except in 1986, the 1st ever edition of the bowl.


From 1947-1986 The Capital One Bowl was played on the 1st 13 times. Since 1987, the bowl has been played on the 1st or 2nd every time.


The TicketCity Bowl has only been around for 2 years and was played on January 1st in 2011 and January 2nd in 2012.


The reason for the Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Sugar Bowl have not played all their games on January 1st or 2nd is because of the BCS. They like to spread out their games more. I think this is taking away from college football's tradition of New Year's games. 


The Winter Classic does not have as much history as some of the bowl games, but does have as much intrigue. The first regular season outdoor game was not a Winter Classic. It was on November 23, 2003 and it was between Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens in Edmonton. The idea for the game, called the Heritage Classic, came from an outdoor college hockey game between Michigan and Michigan State called the "Cold War" that attracted 74,554 fans two years prior. There has only been one other Heritage Classic, last year, in Calgary, between Calgary and Montreal in which Calgary won 4-0.

NHL Winter Classic 2011 in Philly
Noah Graham/NHLI via Getty Images

The idea of an outdoor game on New Year's was brought up by Executive VP of NBC Sports Jon Miller. He got the idea in 2004 and was finally approved in 2007. Buffalo hosted the first ever Winter Classic on January 1st, 2008 between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was played at Ralph Wilson Stadium and had and attendance of 71,217. The game was tied at 1 when it went into overtime and then the shootout. In the shootout, Sidney Crosby scored the goal that won it for Pittsburgh. Next, came the 2009 Winter Classic played at Wrigley Field between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings won 6-4. The next year, the Boston Bruins faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park in Boston, with the game going to Boston 2-1. 365 days later, Heinz Field in Pittsburgh hosted the 2011 Winter Classic between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals, won by the Caps 3-1. And, finally, the 2012 Winter Classic between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. New York won 3-2.


There is a lot that is appealing about the Winter Classic. The game being played outdoors, the retro sweaters, the star players, great games, are just a few of many reasons the Winter Classic is one of the best sporting events of the year. These reasons are helping the Winter Classic become more of a tradition and more popular each year.


The 4th of July has pro, minor, and independent league baseball, Thanksgiving has the NFL, Christmas has the NBA, March has college basketball, and what does New Year's have. I think that right now college football has the edge, but, I believe hockey will soon be on par with college football. However, I don't think hockey can take over New Year's due to the number of bowl games it is up against.