The idea of a New Year’s Day football classic in New Orleans was first presented in 1927 by Colonel James M. Thomson, publisher of the New Orleans Item, and Sports Editor Fred Digby, but it took until 1934 for the New Orleans Mid-Winter Sports Association to become a reality. In late October of that year, it was able to announce it had in escrow the sum of $30,000 for the promotion of the inaugural Sugar Bowl Football Classic. That first Sugar Bowl Classic featured Tulane University against Temple University on January 1, 1935 and fans were able to purchase the official game program for the Sugar Bowl for 25 cents.
