The 1991 Sugar Bowl was a college football postseason game played on January 1, 1991, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The contest concluded the 1990 NCAA Division I‑A football season and was part of the 1990–91 bowl game schedule.
Participants
- Colorado Buffaloes (University of Colorado) – entered the game ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll.
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (University of Notre Dame) – entered the game ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll.
Result
- Colorado defeated Notre Dame, 10–9.
- Scoring summary: Colorado recorded a touchdown with a successful extra‑point conversion and a field goal; Notre Dame’s points came from three field goals.
Significance
- The victory helped Colorado secure a share of the national championship for the 1990 season; the Associated Press poll named Colorado the national champion, while the Coaches Poll selected Georgia Tech, resulting in co‑national champions.
- The game is remembered for its close margin and for being one of the few bowl games in which both teams finished within a single point of each other.
Game details
- Date: January 1, 1991
- Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Attendance: approximately 71,300 spectators
- Television broadcast: NBC (United States)
Historical context
The Sugar Bowl is one of the major “New Year’s Six” bowl games and has traditionally featured top-ranked teams from the southeastern United States and other regions. The 1991 edition continued the tradition of high‑profile matchups and contributed to the ongoing discussion of the national championship selection process prior to the establishment of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and later the College Football Playoff.
