As New Orleans prepares to host the 2008 BCS National Championship Game, The Historic New Orleans Collection is gearing up for a monumental show of its own. Opening November 29, 2007, Classic! A Celebration of Sugar Bowl Memories showcases more than seven decades of Sugar Bowl history.

Through photographs, programs, scrapbook pages and interviews with coaches and players, the exhibition explores classic moments in Sugar Bowl history, beginning with the inaugural 1935 game and closing with the 2008 championship game.

Highlights include Tulane running back “Monk” Simons’s incredible run in the 1935 game; Kentucky’s stunning upset of Oklahoma in 1951; the classic 1973 matchup between Ara Parseghian’s Fighting Irish and Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide; Alabama’s gutsy goal-line stand in the 1979 Sugar Bowl, a move that secured the national championship title for the Tide; LSU’s national championship winning performance in 2004; and many more.

Patrons will also have the rare opportunity to view the original Sugar Bowl trophy, a silver bowl made in London in 1830 and donated to the Mid-Winter Sports Association by the Waldhorn Company of New Orleans in 1934. In addition, the 2008 BCS trophy will be on display at The Collection, but only for a limited time.

Original Sugar Bowl trophy
1830; silver
courtesy of Sugar Bowl

Download the exhibition catalog (pdf 4.2 MB)

First Annual Sugar Bowl Classic Program Cover 1935
Sugar Bowl Archive

Joseph Addai of LSU, 2004 Sugar Bowl Classic
Barry Lawrence, photographer
2007.0208.112

Sugar Bowl archive

Classic! A Celebration of Sugar Bowl Memories was developed in recognition of the Sugar Bowl’s decision to name The Historic New Orleans Collection as the permanent home of its archive. Originally housed in the Superdome, the Sugar Bowl archive survived Hurricane Katrina, but a more secure home was needed. During the summer of 2007, the Sugar Bowl donated its materials to The Collection, which houses more than 300 years of history. More...

The Collection also invites you to help expand this exciting new archival addition by sharing your own classic Sugar Bowl memories on our interactive bulletin board.