Bobby Bowden retired from college football following the 2009 season. The late longtime Florida State coach won 357 games over his Division I career at West Virginia and with the Seminoles.
Bowden won two national championships (1993 and 1999) in his 34 seasons (1976-2009) at Florida State. Among his top achievements was a string of 28 straight seasons (1982-2009) with a bowl game appearance. That included 14 straight seasons (1987-2000) in which the Seminoles won at least 10 games and finished ranked in the top five of the AP poll. Florida State went 152-19-1 (.864 win percentage) during that span.
With Jimbo Fisher taking over after Bowden at Florida State, the Seminoles reached a bowl game in 36 straight seasons (1982-2017). That remains the longest streak in college football history.
Here's a look at the programs with the most consecutive seasons with a bowl game appearance:
Florida State: 36 seasons (1982-2017)
Nebraska: 35 seasons (1969-2003)
Michigan: 33 seasons (1975-2007)
Georgia: 28 seasons (1997-2024)*
Virginia Tech: 27 seasons (1993-2019)
Oklahoma: 26 seasons (1999-2024)*
Alabama: 25 seasons (1959-1983)
Florida: 22 seasons (1991-2012)
Wisconsin: 22 seasons (2002-2023)
Alabama: 21 seasons (2004-2024)*
Clemson: 20 seasons (2005-2024)*
LSU: 20 seasons (2000-2019)
Boise State: 18 seasons (2002-2019)
Georgia Tech: 18 seasons (1997-2014)
Oklahoma State: 18 seasons (2006-2023)
*Active
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