FCS to Kick Off 80th Citrus Bowl Season at Member Celebration Presented by AdventHealth
ORLANDO, Florida (Thursday, May 15, 2025) — Florida Citrus Sports will launch a season-long campaign celebrating the upcoming 80th edition of the Citrus Bowl game this Friday at the organization’s annual Member Celebration presented by AdventHealth—the first in a series of special moments reflecting on the history, growth and lasting community impact of one of college football’s most storied postseason traditions.
As part of the event, FCS will present the Howard Palmer Award, the organization’s most prestigious member honor, to longtime civic leader George Stuart, Jr. The award celebrates a lifetime of service rendered without regard for personal recognition, and Stuart—a former Orlando City Councilman, a longtime State Senator and FCS’ second-ever board president—has played a central role in the organization’s evolution since its earliest days.
An Orlando native and lifelong supporter of FCS and its predecessors, Stuart’s ties to today’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl date back to the game’s origins, having attended the inaugural Tangerine Bowl as an infant on Jan. 1, 1947. Decades later, he would play a major role in the bowl’s transformation during a period of significant growth, ultimately helping elevate the Citrus Bowl into a household brand and one of college football’s premier postseason events.
To this day, he remains a guiding voice and enduring symbol of the organization’s legacy, making his recognition especially meaningful as the 80th Citrus Bowl celebration commences.
“George Stuart, Jr.’s decades of leadership have left an enduring legacy on FCS and the community we serve,” FCS CEO Steve Hogan said. “As we prepare to embark on our 80th college football postseason as an organization, it’s a privilege to recognize someone who helped lay the groundwork for so much of what this event represents today.”
A LIFETIME OF SERVICE: Howard Palmer Award winner George Stuart served as the second board president of the Tangerine Sports Association, which later became FCS.
The son of renowned Orlando businessman George Stuart, Sr., Stuart, Jr.’s half-century of involvement with FCS reflects a continuation of a proud family tradition of civic engagement and support of the bowl.
Shortly after Stuart, Sr.’s passing in January 1976, Stuart, Jr. stepped in to fill his father’s seat on the board, ensuring the family’s legacy of backing the organization (known then as the Tangerine Sports Association) would live on. Ten months later, when the George L. Stuart, Sr. Memorial Trophy was commissioned by the bowl, Stuart, Jr. personally delivered the plaster mold to a bronze foundry in New York for casting.
In 1978, Stuart, Jr. took over as the TSA’s second president, succeeding Will Geiger, who had served in the role since the organization was formed in 1972. By that time, Stuart, Jr. had also successfully campaigned to finalize ongoing stadium renovations, bringing capacity up to 50,000 seats. Further, in his role on the City Council, Stuart, Jr. helped initiate the transfer of stadium operations from the former Civic Facilities Authority to the City of Orlando.
Following his term as president—a year that saw the Tangerine Bowl secure its first sponsorship from the state’s Citrus Commission—Stuart, Jr. also chaired the search committee that hired Charlie McClendon as the bowl’s executive director after McClendon’s LSU Tigers appeared in the 1979 game, adding national credibility to the brand. He then remained on the board through the 1982 hiring of the late Chuck Rohe, who revolutionized both the bowl and the industry during a historic two-decade run at the helm of FCS.
By March 1983, less than a year after Rohe took over, the Citrus Commission deal Stuart, Jr. initially forged had become a full-fledged title sponsorship—a first-of-its-kind naming rights partnership that resulted in the rebranding of the Florida Citrus Bowl and the Florida Citrus Sports Association.
Stuart, Jr. also played a key role in early national TV negotiations that led to the Citrus Bowl’s ABC debut in 1986, and he’s credited, alongside Steve Slack and Chuck Zegelbone, with founding the Zonies!—a nationally recognized fan group that became one of Orlando’s most beloved traditions over their nearly 30-year run.
STUART RECALLS EARLY DAYS: Click to hear from Howard Palmer Award winner George Stuart, Jr., regarding his initial involvement with the former Tangerine Bowl in the 1970s.
Even after his time formally serving FCS ended, Stuart, Jr. remained a champion for the organization, the community and its venues, pushing for continued investment in facilities to attract major sports leagues and events. So, it was only fitting that when the stadium was dedicated in 1991 following the addition of the current upper decks, the George L. Stuart, Sr. Memorial Trophy became life-size in the form of a 12-foot-tall statue that still stands outside the stadium.
Seventeen members of the Stuart family attended the ceremony, including at least two spectators from the very first Tangerine Bowl game—George Stuart, Jr. and his mother, Vicki.
First awarded in April 1990, the Howard Palmer Award is named for the late Howard L. Palmer, himself a local businessman and dedicated supporter whose leadership helped shape the organization before his passing in 1989. The award is presented only when merited, honoring individuals whose sustained contributions reflect Palmer’s passion, humility and commitment to the community.
FCS’ 80th Citrus Bowl celebration will continue throughout the year, with a full slate of retrospective storytelling, digital features, fan engagement initiatives and special tributes highlighting the game’s most memorable moments and lasting community impact. Additional details will be announced in due course.
For more information regarding the 80th Citrus Bowl celebration and FCS membership opportunities, visit FloridaCitrusSports.com