Jacksonville, Florida served the site for the third bowl game of New Year's Day, the Toyota Gator Bowl, played at Alltel Stadium.
ESPN networks will also take over coverage of the Gator Bowl (previously on CBS) and Capital One Bowl (previously on ABC).
Recently, he has performed in numerous halftime shows with the University of Virginia Cavalier Marching Band in its second and third years (2005 and 2006) as well as in the halftime show for the 2007 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, being featured alongside student soloists for Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood and Rhythm of the Night.
His final coaching appearance was the 2010 Gator Bowl game on January 1, 2010, with a 33–21 victory over his former program, West Virginia.
The Bowl Coalition consisted of five conferences—the SEC, Big 8, SWC, ACC and Big East--independent Notre Dame, and six bowl games—the Orange, Sugar, Cotton, Fiesta, Gator and John Hancock bowls.
He was forced to miss Louisville's last regular season game (a December 2 matchup against Connecticut) and was still in rehabilitation when the Cardinals lost to Virginia Tech in the 2006 Gator Bowl.
The Landing hosts more than 300 events each year including Florida/Georgia Weekend Celebrations, the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, New Year’s Eve and Gator Bowl Celebrations, St. Patrick’s Day, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and July 4th fireworks.
As a reward for their 7-2-1 season, they were invited to the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.
As a senior in 2002, Kooistra was starting tackle for team that posted 11-3 record, capped by a win in the Gator Bowl.
Super Bowl | Orange Bowl | Rose Bowl Game | Rose Bowl | Pro Bowl | Orange Bowl (game) | Sugar Bowl | Bowl Championship Series | Hollywood Bowl | Fiesta Bowl | Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy | Super Bowl XLVIII | Super Bowl XLII | Gator Bowl | Super Bowl XLV | Cotton Bowl Classic | 2011–12 NCAA football bowl games | Sun Bowl | Rose Bowl (stadium) | Bermuda Bowl | Super Bowl XXXVIII | Super Bowl XLIV | Super Bowl XL | Miami Orange Bowl | Super Bowl XLVI | Super Bowl XIX | College Bowl | 1983 Rose Bowl | Super Bowl XXXV | Super Bowl XVI |
He had five tackles and two tackles for loss in the Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech.
In Frank Broyles' second season as head coach, Arkansas defeated his alma mater in the Gator Bowl, 14–7.
The game, which marked the Gator Bowl's silver anniversary had added drama because two days before kickoff word leaked out that Volunteers head coach Doug Dickey, the SEC Coach of the Year, would return to Florida, his alma mater, after the game.
The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, even recorded "Dooley's Junkyard Dawgs", and belted out the tune during the half time of the Georgia Florida game in the Gator Bowl stadium.