Capital One Bowl Kicks Off the New Year

After a wild night of partying to usher in 2009, there is no doubt revelers will want to take it easy on January 1st. And what better way is there to relax and have fun at the same time than with a rousing game of football? No ordinary game will do though – it is the beginning of the New Year, after all. Thankfully, the Capital One Bowl is anything but ordinary; this heated battle between two powerhouse champions from the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten Conference will keep fans on the edge of their seats at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium at 1 pm on January 1st.

This year, the Capital One Bowl will feature the University of Georgia and Michigan State University in their second meeting ever between the two schools. The Bowl will be televised nationally on ABC and is sure to be a heated battle, with both teams vying for their tenth win.

“This will be a showcase for two of the best running backs in the country,” said Steve Hogan, the Executive Director of Florida Citrus Sports. “Both Michigan State and Georgia have something to prove at 9-3 and conference bragging rights are on the line with the Big Ten winning the bowl’s last four games to bring the head-to-head record to 8-8 over the last 16 years.”

The Georgia Bulldogs finished the season 9-3 after suffering losses against two of the nation’s top teams, Alabama and Florida. Meanwhile, the Michigan State Spartans finished 9-3 after a loss to Penn State that killed all hopes of a Big Ten title, yet they still posted their highest finish in the league since 1999. The Spartans are returning to Orlando for the second consecutive year after playing in last year’s Champs Sports Bowl.

Not only will New Year’s Day promise a great game, but sports fans can also gear up for the Bowl in the days preceding it. It starts as early as December 30th at 11 am with the Spherion Orlando Citrus Parade in Downtown Orlando and the Bowl-a-Palooza Fanfest at Pointe Orlando on International Drive. Part of a weeklong festival that includes the Champs Sports Bowl on December 27th, Bowl-a-Palooza gives bowl fans a chance to unite and enjoy music, food, entertainment, and college football excitement.

The fun continues on December 31st at noon with the Capital One Bowl Kickoff Luncheon at SeaWorld Orlando’s Renaissance, and with the final Capital One FanFest at 9 am on January 1st at McCracken Field. True fans can also ring in the New Year with their favorite teams at the Capital One Bowl’s official New Year’s Eve Party at Universal Orlando. The Michigan State Band will perform at 2 pm at the park, and Georgia’s Band will perform at 3 pm.

Since 2006, more than 100,000 fans flock to Central Florida for the all the Bowl festivities. Though many other cities host bowl games, only Orlando offers this much fun and entertainment in one week. Don’t miss all the action as the Capital One Bowl delivers a fun day of college football that will make for a memorable start to your year.

See the Future of NFL at Disney’s Pop Warner Super Bowl

There is only one event where you can see future stars of the NFL, along with the future cheerleaders and dancers who will be rooting them on – the Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer & Dance Championship. From December 6th through December 13th, the nation’s top youth football players will compete at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex for the 52nd annual Pop Warner Super Bowl. The Bowl will be taking place alongside the cheer and dance competition, which brings thousands of cheerleaders from all over the country to Orlando.

This year, more than 60 youth football teams nationwide battled through local and regional tournaments in order to come to Walt Disney World for the Pop Warner Super Bowl. Teams will compete in four divisions based on weight and age: Jr. Pee Wee (ages 8-10), Pee Wee (ages 9-11), Jr. Midget (ages 10-12), and Midget (ages 11-14). In addition, there are two divisions, Division I and II, each fielding 32 teams. During the 7-day event, 72 games in total will take place.

Since 70% of current NFL players got their start in the Pop Warner Super Bowl, there’s a strong likelihood that many of this year’s players will go on to become NFL stars. Heisman Trophy winners Tim Tebow, Troy Smith, Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, and Reggie Bush are all Pop Warner Super Bowl alumni.

All the Bowl games will take place on the Hess Sports Fields, the same fields used by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during training camp. This is the Pop Warner’s 14th consecutive year at Walt Disney World.

While the games are going on out on the fields, the National Cheer and Dance Championship will featuring competing cheerleading and dance teams from communities and schools throughout the nation. From December 8th through December 12th, the championship will pit over 350 squads against each other for the title of National Champion.

Squads will compete in four age classifications and vary in size and skill level. On the stage of the Wide World of Sport’s Milk House, each team will perform their best two minute and thirty second routine complete with music and cheering. It’s a heated competition that teams often prepare all year for.

The Wide World of Sports is host to several national youth and high school football events throughout the year, such as the NFL Flag Football National Championships. The sprawling complex features eight different venues for amateur and professional sports and entertainment events, including 11 tennis courts, and stadium court, and a track & field complex.

Anyone is welcome to come watch the Pop Warner Super Bowl or the National Cheer and Dance Championship. For anyone who’s not participating in event, admission to the Wide World of Sports Complex is $12.75 for those ages 10 and up and $10 for children ages 9 and under. You can also catch the Midget Championship Game on TV when it airs on ESPN and ESPN2 during the week of the NFL Super Bowl. Don’t miss all the fun when young football players and cheerleaders compete for glory and a national title!