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The Coca-Cola Classic was a regular season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college football game played in Tokyo, Japan, from 1977 to 1993. It was originally sponsored by Mitsubishi and known as the Mirage Bowl, and later sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company and renamed for the soft drink Coca-Cola Classic. Because the game was merely a re-location of a late regular season game, it was not considered a traditional postseason bowl game.

Background

Japan universities began forming their own college football teams since 1934. In 1971, the Utah State Aggies became the first American college football team to play in Japan, in a series of games against teams of Japan's college all-stars. January 1976 saw the beginning of the Japan Bowl, a post-season college football all-star game played in Japan each January from 1976 to 1993.

In September 1976, Grambling State and Morgan State played a regular-season game at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Won by Grambling State, 42–16, it was the first regular-season NCAA game played in Japan. Referred to as the "Pioneer Bowl" in some sources, the game was unrelated to the postseason Pioneer Bowl played in Wichita Falls, Texas, during 1971–1982, or the later Pioneer Bowl contested between historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) during 1997–2012.

Corporate sponsorship

Mitsubishi

The Mirage Bowl was hosted by Mitsubishi Motors in Japan from its inception through 1985. The name refers to Mitsubishi's Mirage line of subcompact cars. Chrysler imported the Mirage and sold it in the US as the Dodge Colt and the Plymouth Champ.

Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company took over corporate sponsorship from Mitsubishi in 1986, renaming it the "Coca-Cola Classic". Other sports contests sponsored by Coca-Cola have also been called "Coca-Cola Classic", for example, in college basketball and volleyball. The company's flagship beverage, itself, was re-branded "Coca-Cola Classic" in the wake of the "New Coke" fiasco.

Game results

Notable games

1977

The inaugural Mirage Bowl was played in 1977 at Korakuen Stadium on December 11, between Grambling and Temple. Grambling rallied to win 35–32 with a last-minute touchdown, and All-American quarterback Doug Williams was named MVP.

1984

The eighth edition, between Army and Montana, marked the introduction of "The Wave" to Japan. A line of Army and Montana cheerleaders on the playing field demonstrated the concept of The Wave, and it was quickly adopted by spectators in the stands.

1988

Heisman Trophy winning running back Barry Sanders concluded his Division I-A (now FBS) record-setting rushing season in this game, since the NCAA did not begin counting bowl game statistics until 2002 (four weeks later, he gained 222 yards in the Holiday Bowl, which are not included in his record-setting total). He watched the Heisman Trophy announcement in a Tokyo television studio at five o'clock in the morning. Sanders rushed for more than 300 yards in Oklahoma State's 45–42 win against Texas Tech to finish the season with 2,628 yards.

1990

Houston quarterback David Klingler passed for 716 yards against Arizona State, a Division I-A (now FBS) single-game passing yardage record that stood for over two decades, broken by Connor Halliday in 2014.

1992

Nebraska won the Big Eight conference title, edging out runner-up Colorado with the win. It was the finale of Kansas State's last non-bowl season until 2004.

1993

With their 21-point win over Michigan State, Wisconsin became co-champions of the Big Ten (with Ohio State, who they had tied earlier in the season) and received the invitation to the Rose Bowl, the program's first New Year's Day appearance in 31 years.

See also

• List of college bowl games
• List of college football games played outside the United States

References

1. History of American Football in Japan, Japan American Football Association, accessed May 28, 2024.
2. Kaz Nagastuka, Coaches recall trail-blazing '71 Utah State visit, The Japan Times, January 20, 2016.
3. Bobak Ha'Eri, /r/CFB Reporting: Mills Bowl IV is this Saturday: What to know about the team from Japan and notes from the ground at Southern Oregon, /r/CFB, May 3, 2024.
4. ^ "Coaches see football in Japan". Baltimore Afro-American. October 5, 1976. p. 16. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
5. "G-Men Slight Favorite to Win Pioneer Bowl, Japanese Style". Shreveport Journal. Shreveport, Louisiana. AP. September 23, 1976. p. 4C. Retrieved December 31, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
6. "WVU Record in Coca-Cola Classic". Archived from the original on 2007-10-30. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
7. University of Alaska Fairbanks Volleyball Archives
8. "Grambling tops Temple in Tokyo on last-minute TD". The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 12, 1977. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "BC finishes 0–11, but falls to Temple with verve". The Boston Globe. December 11, 1978. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Irish run to victory over Miami". The Kokomo Tribune. November 26, 1979. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Beavers lose in Japan, finish 0–11 for season". Albany Democrat-Herald. December 1, 1980. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "San Diego State Upset by Air Force". The Los Angeles Times. November 30, 1981. p. III-18. Retrieved 17 January 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Tigers edge Deacs, take title". The News and Observer. November 29, 1982. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Southern Methodist wins in Japan". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 28, 1983. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Mirage Bowl, Griz-Army shootout was entertaining lesson in football for Japanese". The Missoulian. November 18, 1984. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Trojans go from sayonara to aloha with win over Oregon". The Los Angeles Times. December 1, 1985. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Stanford holds on for victory". Record Searchlight. December 1, 1986. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
18. "Field goal lifts California to 17–17 tie with Cougars". The Olympian. November 29, 1987. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
19. Telander, Rick (December 12, 1988). "Big hand for a quiet man". Vault SI. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
20. "Long bombs, unlikely hero allow Syracuse to shoot down U of L". The Courier-Journal. December 4, 1989. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
21. Andrews, Cooper (5 December 2024). "'The best 6 days of my life': Reliving Syracuse football's Tokyo trip 35 years later". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
22. "Houston has fun at ASU's expense". Arizona Republic. December 2, 1990. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
23. "Tigers pull away from Blue Devils". The Herald-Sun. December 1, 1991. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
24. "NU goal is made in Japan". The Lincoln Star. December 6, 1992. Retrieved January 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
25. Sanger, David E. (6 December 1993). "Wisconsin Is on Top a World Away". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
26. "Grambling QB takes win over record in Tokyo game". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 12, 1977. p. 6D.
27. Lammers, David (November 17, 1984). "Army rips Montana in Mirage Bowl matchup". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. p. 12.
28. Nissenson, Herschel (December 3, 1988). "Tale of the unwanted Heisman Trophy". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. B1.
29. "Heisman rout for Sanders". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 4, 1988. p. D1.
30. Trotter, Jake (August 8, 2014). "Sanders' 1988 season stands alone". ESPN. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
31. Bonagura, Kyle (October 5, 2014). "Connor Halliday sets passing record". ESPN. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
32. "It's roses for Badgers after win over MSU". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. December 6, 1993. p. 20.

• College football games
• Defunct college football bowls
• American football in Japan
• Coca-Cola
• Recurring sporting events established in 1977
• Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1993
• 1977 establishments in Japan
• 1993 disestablishments in Japan