Whether you’re actually a fan of the bowls or the teams involved or just looking for an excuse to party, check out our ideas for celebrating the bowl games.


PARTY THEME BY BOWL GAME


Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona)

Take a cue from this bowl’s Southwest setting by serving simple items like chips, salsa, queso, and nachos to eat. Or, go a little fancy and set up a taco station with different meats and toppings like Mexican-blend cheese, peppers, onions, guacamole, and more. Complement the fare with margaritas—either classic or prickly pear flavored—tequila sunrises, or Coronas. For décor, think brightly colored blankets, cacti, sombreros, and a pin the tail on the donkey (play after tequila shots to put an extra-fun twist on the game).

Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Throwing a Bayou-inspired bash starts with the food. For small plates, think mini po' boys, beignets, or BBQ shrimp. If you’re more into making a meal, plan on gumbo and jambalaya…served alongside plenty of napkins. All of that spice calls for another kind of accompaniment—drinks. Keep the hot tastes going with plenty of bourbon or cool fiery mouths off with a sweet and refreshing hurricane. Add some Bourbon Street-style bling to your soiree with Mardi Gras beads, royal purple, and masks for guests to wear.

Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)

This might be one of the only times it’s okay for both men and ladies to sip on pink drinks. Rosé wine is a simple option, especially if it’s from a Cali vineyard. Or, go for an Old-Hollywood theme to honor the SoCal roots of "The Grand Daddy Of Them All." For drinks, think pink/red-tinted classics like Champagne served with strawberries, Cosmopolitans, or Rob Roys. Serve equally classy finger foods like cubed cheeses and fruits on fancy toothpicks, fondue, or mini sandwiches. Decorate your party place with silver, gold, maybe even a red carpet, and give out fun favors like boas and sunglasses to be worn while you watch.

Orange Bowl (Miami, Florida)

Do the obvious play on orange and dress your party space completely in the color. Serve up mimosas and screwdrivers, chocolate-covered orange slices, and carrot cake. Or, go with a Miami/Cuban theme and mix bright, neon colors and palm trees, refreshing mojitos and cuba libres to drink, and don't forget the flavorful Cuban fare ranging from fried plantains to the classic cuban sandwich.

BCS Championship Game (Miami, Florida)

To pay homage to the top two going neck-and-neck, focus your whole fete around friendly competition. Divide the party into team #1 and team #2, and throw your own series of playoff drinking games. Think: beer pong, quarters, a drinking game with rules such as “take a shot when a team scores a touchdown, chug 3 seconds for a field goal…”. Or, since the game is also in Florida, repeat some of the same suggestions for celebrating the Orange Bowl.


PARTY THEME BY TEAM


Rose Bowl

Jan. 1st @ 5 P.M. EST

Stanford vs. Wisconsin

Stanford
Show everyone your roots run deep by dressing as Stanford’s goofy tree. To drink, take a cue from the school’s California setting and cardinal school color by sipping on classy Californian red wine.

Wisconsin
Pay tribute to Wisconsin’s famous cheese and serve assorted cheeses and cheese-based dips to celebrate. For drinks, have guests sip on a red punch or a Milwaukee-brewed beer. Then, dress completely in red…or as the team’s badger mascot.  Just don't forget to "Jump Around" between the 3rd and 4th quarters.  

Orange Bowl

Jan. 1st @ 8:30 P.M. EST

Northern Illinois vs. Florida State

Northern Illinois
A Cinderella team is a great reason for everyone to sport an interpretation of the famous Disney princess, Cinderella (crowns, blue sparkly dresses, clear shoes for glass slippers). Sip things only a princess would, like (spiked) tea and Champagne. Serve dainty food like tea sandwiches or lady fingers and hope that someday your prince, er, bowl title will come.

Florida State 
Pay homage to the Seminoles' Chief Osceola by dressing up as everyone’s favorite Native American—another Disney character named Pocahontas. You’ll need some leather, fringe, and natural jewelry/accessories. Sip on bourbon whiskey—aka “America’s Native Spirit”—and serve up earthy dishes like cubed fruits, or cookies or bars made from nuts.


Sugar Bowl

Jan. 2nd @ 8:30 P.M. EST

Florida vs. Louisville

Florida
Celebrate the Florida Gators by sipping on traditional Swamp Juice—or Alligator Swamp Water. For attire, don an alligator-style head, like this one.  In a pinch you can always fashion a makeshift Tebow jersey, which will inevitably lead to gator chomping and Tebowing the night away.  
  
Louisville
Show those Gators you mean business by dressing as Steve Irwin, and be sure to differentiate yourself as the Gator Hunter (NOT the Crocodile Hunter) with a clever nametag and by pinning some stuffed gators to your outfit. Or, play up the Cardinals angle and outfit yourself in red. Best of all, dress up as the cast of Swamp People—think: grown-out facial hair, gator-huntin’ clothes—since the show centers on hunting Gators. Whatever your mode of dress, be sure to fix up a Louisville drink, like the mint julep.


Fiesta Bowl

Jan. 3rd @ 8:30 P.M. EST

Oregon vs. Kansas State

Oregon
Any team known as the Ducks has a lot of interesting ways to root for them. Grab the officially licensed duck whistle, dress in crazy combinations of yellow and green to pay homage to the team’s unique uniform variations, eat winged foods like buffalo wings, and whatever you sip on, be sure to play the fuzzy duck drinking game.

Kansas State 
Show your love for Manhattan, Kansas, or the Little Apple, by sipping appletinis or cider all night. Or, play up K-State’s purple color by wearing and drinking the hue. For something especially silly, call out K-State’s Willie the Wildcat mascot by dressing like a feline, talking like an LOL-cat, and mixing up a Cheshire cat cocktail.


BCS National Title Game

Jan. 7th @ 8:30 P.M. EST

Alabama vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame
Embody the Fighting Irish with a completely green ensemble or an all-out leprechaun getup. Drink shots of Jameson, make Irish car bombs, or drink an Irish coffee for extra cheering energy. Then, snack on the likes of Irish soda bread and corned beef and cabbage while you blast some bagpipe tunes in the background. 

Alabama
Houndstooth and crimson attire only. Complement your crimson clothing with red drinks, and use sauce-covered carbs like pasta with tomato sauce, and pizza, to up your cheering energy. Enjoy a drink named after the state motto, a Yellow Hammer.  Roll Damn Tide.