During the 1996 season , the Orange Bowl was a member of the Bowl Alliance , a precursor to the modern Bowl Championship Series . The Bowl Alliance was formed prior to the 1995 college football season in an effort to match the No. 1 and No. 2 teams at the conclusion of the regular season while also ensuring other high-ranking teams were allowed to participate in high-profile bowl games . The Alliance included the Southeastern Conference , Big 12 Conference , Atlantic Coast Conference , and Big East Conference . As agreed , the champions of each conference would play in one of three Bowl Alliance games : the Orange Bowl , Sugar Bowl , and Fiesta Bowl . The Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences , which had a separate agreement with the Rose Bowl , were not included in the Bowl Alliance until 1998 , when the Alliance became the Bowl Championship Series
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
1996 Orange Bowl (December)