Miami Orange Bowl

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Lore & Background

The Miami Orange Bowl was initially called Burdine Stadium after Roddy Burdine, one of Miami's pioneers and the owner of the Burdines department store chain, and was built by the City of Miami Public Works Department. Construction began in 1936 and was completed in December 1937 and featured stadium lights. The first game was a high school game on September 24, 1937, in which Miami Edison Senior High School shut out Ponce de Leon, 36–0. During this opening game, the stadium's new lighting system partially went out, leaving the mid-field dark with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The stadium opened for the Miami Hurricanes football program on December 10, 1937, in a 0 to 26 loss to the University of Georgia in the final game of the 1937 season. From 1926 to 1937, the University of Miami had played in a stadium near Tamiami Park and also at Moore Park until the Orange Bowl was built. For a brief time in the late 1930s, the Orange Bowl was home to the headquarters of the International Baseball Federation. The stadium originally seated 23,739 people along the sidelines, roughly corresponding to the lower level of the sideline seats in the stadium's final configuration. Attendance for its first Orange Bowl in January 1938 was under 19,000, but the following year saw over 32,000 in attendance. Seating was added in the end zones in the 1940s, and by the end of the 1950s the stadium was double-decked on the sidelines. In 1966, the AFL expansion Miami Dolphins played their first regular season game in the stadium on Friday, September 2. The west end zone upper deck section was then added in the 1960s, bringing the stadium to its peak capacity of 80,010. On January 1, 1965, the Orange Bowl was the first college bowl game to be televised in prime time. From 1966 to 1968, and again in the 1970s, a live dolphin named Flipper was situated in a water tank in the open (east) end of the Orange Bowl. He would jump in the tank to celebrate touchdowns and field goals. The tank that was set up in the 1970s was manufactured by Evan Bush and maintained during the games by Bush and Dene Whitaker. Flipper was removed from the Orange Bowl after 1968 to save costs and the 1970s due to stress. In the film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Snowflake, a live dolphin who does special behaviors after the Dolphins score a touchdown, was the basis of the film afte

In Their Own Story

In 2012, the narrative of the Miami Marlins shifted permanently when they moved from Hard Rock Stadium to LoanDepot Park, a new ballpark constructed directly on the site of the old Orange Bowl stadium in Little Havana. This transition marked the physical replacement of one sports icon with another, erasing the concrete bowl that had once hosted Super Bowls and college football classics. The demolition of the Orange Bowl cleared the way for this modern facility, which now hosts MLB games and the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. For fans of Miami's diverse teams, the site represents a tangible link between the city's past as a football stronghold and its current status as a hub for baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer. The memory of the Orange Bowl lingers in the foundation of LoanDepot Park, where the ghosts of the 1972 perfect season now share space with the roar of baseball crowds.

Reader's Guide

The stadium was located on a large city block bound by Northwest 3rd Street to its south, Northwest 16th Avenue to its west, Northwest 6th Street to its north, and Northwest 14th Avenue to its east, which was an open end of the stadium. The Orange Bowl was demolished in 2008. LoanDepot Park, the new home ballpark of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball, was built on the site. Construction began in July 2009, and the new stadium opened on March 5, 2012.

Did You Know?

• Opened in 1937, it was originally known as Burdine Stadium.
• In 1949, it was renamed to the Orange Bowl for the Orange Bowl college football bowl game, which was played annually at the venue following every season from 1938 to 1996.
• From 1956 to 1960, the Miami Marlins team of Minor League Baseball occasionally played games in the Orange Bowl.
• The stadium was the site of the NCAA's longest college football home field winning streak: the Miami Hurricanes won 58 straight home games at the Bowl between 1985 and 1994.

Five Major Franchises

The Greater Miami area is home to five major league sports teams: the Miami Dolphins (NFL), Miami Heat (NBA), Miami Marlins (MLB), Florida Panthers (NHL), and Inter Miami CF (MLS). Each team holds a valuation exceeding one billion dollars. The Heat, Marlins, and Inter Miami play within city limits at the Kaseya Center, LoanDepot Park, and Nu Stadium respectively. Wayne Huizenga was the owner of all three South Florida franchises—Dolphins, Marlins, and Panthers—and introduced baseball and ice hockey to the region. He also purchased SportsChannel Florida in 1996 to broadcast these teams' games.

Historic Achievements and Championships

The Miami Dolphins achieved the NFL's only perfect season in 1972, winning Super Bowl VII and defending it with a victory in Super Bowl VIII. They later appeared in Super Bowls XVII and XIX but lost both. The Miami Heat won three NBA championships in 2006, 2012, and 2013 after their 1988 founding. The Florida Panthers made four Stanley Cup Final appearances, losing in 1996 and 2023 before winning in 2024 and 2025. The Miami Marlins won the World Series in 1997 and 2003. Inter Miami CF won the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters' Shield in 2024, and their first MLS Cup in 2025 against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Stadiums and Venue Evolution

The Miami Orange Bowl was the former home of the Dolphins and Hurricanes before they moved to Hard Rock Stadium. LoanDepot Park, located on the site of the old Orange Bowl in Little Havana, opened in 2012 for the Marlins. The Heat play at the Kaseya Center, while Inter Miami CF plays at Nu Stadium in Grapeland Heights, which opened in April 2026. Hard Rock Stadium has hosted six Super Bowls and continues to host the Orange Bowl college football game. The city's metro area has hosted eleven Super Bowls total, tying New Orleans for the most.

Diverse Sporting Culture

Beyond major league teams, Miami hosts the Miami Open tennis tournament, greyhound racing, horse racing, boxing, jai alai, and golf. The Homestead-Miami Speedway, located 35 miles southwest, hosts NASCAR races. The city streets previously hosted the Miami Indy Challenge and Grand Prix Americas. The Miami International Autodrome has hosted the Formula One Miami Grand Prix since 2022, and a one-off Formula E race occurred in 2015. Paso Fino horse competitions are held at the Tropical Park Equestrian Center.