Orange Bowl Stadium (1937 – 1947)

Story of the first decade of the Orange Bowl Stadium in Miami, Florida, from 1937 until 1947

Cover: Roddey Burdine Stadium in September of 1937

Miami’s Orange Bowl stadium was the most revered sports venue in the City of Miami for more than 70 years. The inception of the stadium and the signature New Year’s Day game that was played in that stadium was inspired by the love of football and the need for tourism. The idea of the game was to encourage fans of the top football programs to travel to Miami to play in a warm weather climate during the worst part of winter for much of the nation. This would provide a reason for tourists to spend their limited travel budget during the Great Depression on a trip to the Magic City to root their favorite team to victory.

Although the venue was not originally named for the football game, it was so tightly linked with the event that it did not take long before everyone just referred to it as the ‘Orange Bowl Stadium’. From the very first game, the venue became a shrine for football and some of South Florida’s biggest events. Interest in acquiring tickets for the big New Year’s Day game grew exponentially through the years. This put pressure on city and Orange Bowl officials to continually modernize and grow the seating capacity of the stadium. Miami’s iconic football shrine could not afford to fall behind the size and features of other stadiums for fear of losing the right to host the best matchups during college bowl season each year. The Orange Bowl being relegated to a second-tier post-season game would have serious financial implications for the city’s pivotal tourism industry.

The first ten years of the stadium represented a decade of heavy use, enlargement, and reconfiguration to accommodate the growing popularity of the sport of football. The stadium advisory and Orange Bowl committees, as well as city officials, were constantly planning the next expansion and renovation of venue. Planning for the next renovation and enlargement was continuous. This is the story of the stadium’s first decade.