The Pop-Tarts Bowl to bring 40,000 Football Fans to Downtown Orlando

The 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl matchup will be between NC State and Kansas State on December 28 at Camping World Stadium.

The Pop-Tarts Bowl will take place on Thursday, December 28, at Camping World Stadium and is expected to draw a crowd of more than 40,000 to downtown Orlando with a local economic impact in excess of $20 million.

The game will see the Kansas State Wildcats take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack, with the game kicking off at 5:45 pm, with the game airing live on ESPN.

In the new College Football Playoff era, the bowl matckin the top selection from the ACC (inclusive of Notre Dame) outside of the CFP series against the second selection from the Big 12 outside of the CFP series.

Originally titled the Blockbuster Bowl, the game was born in Miami, Florida, in 1990 and thrived in its first year with a marquee matchup between Penn State and Florida State which drew more than 74,000 fans. After 11 seasons in South Florida, the game was acquired by Florida Citrus Sports and moved to Orlando. The first edition of the game in Central Florida was called the Tangerine Bowl, a tribute to the name of Orlando’s original bowl game (now the Citrus Bowl).

With each successive year in Orlando, the bowl has made strides, at one point posting eight consecutive years of attendance increases (a standing record among bowl games). The game’s place in the postseason lineup has also improved significantly over its time in Orlando.

In 2023, Pop-Tarts signed a multi-year agreement with Florida Citrus Sports to become the new title sponsor of the game.

Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster.

In addition to the the game itself, fans can enjoy the Pop-Tarts Bowl Pep Rally, Pop-Tarts Bowl Parade of Bands, and the Pop-Tarts Bowl FanFest.

Pop-Tarts Bowl Pep Rally

Gather with your team at the official pep rally at Pointe Orlando. The band and cheerleaders from the participating team will perform, and the head coach will make a special appearance to fire up the crowd before game day!

Pop-Tarts Bowl Parade of Bands

Enjoy a different part of Central Florida in the quaint community of Winter Park. Sidewalk cafes and brick streets provide a great backdrop for the Pop-Tarts Bowl participating team bands, cheerleaders and mascots as they march down picturesque Park Avenue and then convene in the park for an up-close fun-for-all performance that is FREE to the public!

Pop-Tarts Bowl FanFest

The official bowl pregame tailgate party for the Pop-Tarts Bowl features live entertainment, interactive games, inflatables, face painters and premier interactive displays held at Tinker Field next to Camping World Stadium. Admission is FREE. A wide selection of food and beverages will be available for purchase from local vendors.

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