Bacardi Bowl was a college football bowl game played six times in Havana, Cuba. A college football game between Colorado State University and the Air Force Academy. ... This article is about the Cuban city. ...

The first five occurances pitted United States universities (all from the deep south) against Cuban Universities or athletic clubs.

The first Bacardi bowl, held on December 25, 1907, matched Louisiana State University against Havana University. This gave LSU the honor of being the first college team to play on foreign soil. The Havana University team had dominated every American service team it had played, but had never encountered football collegiate style. The finesse of the Tigers took the big Cuban team by surprise on Christmas Day at Almendares Park and LSU walked away with a convincing 56-0 victory before 10,000 fans.

Other Bacardi Bowl Results

1-1-1910 Havana AC 11, Tulane University 0

1-1-1912 Mississippi State University 12, Havana AC 0

12-25-1912 University of Florida 28, Vedado AC 0

12-31-1921 Havana University 14, Ole Miss 0

1-1-1937 Auburn University 7, Villanova University 7

The game ended in a tie. Auburn’s bowl history began in 1937 when the Tigers and Villanova tied 7-7 in the Bacardi Bowl, sometimes referred to as the Rhumba Bowl or the Cigar Bowl, the climaxing event of Cuba’s annual National Sports Festival. This game marked the first time that two United States Universities played a game on foreign soil. An Auburn drive in the first quarter stalled on the 10-yard line where the Wildcats took over on downs. After a Villanova punt, Auburn back Billy Hitchcock broke loose around left end and rambled 40 yards for the Tigers only score. The score at the half was Auburn 7, Villanova 0. Auburn stopped a Villanova drive on its own 12-yard line during the third quarter but couldn’t get field position. Villanova was able to tie the score when they blocked an Auburn quick kick and the ball bounced into the endzone where Wildcat Lineman Matthews Kuber fell on it for the score. The PAT tied up the game. Auburn’s return to the States marked an end to more than 11,000 miles of football travel for the 7-2-2 Tigers that finished the season ranked 13th in the nation under coach Jack Meagher. The game was played in a revolutionary atmosphere. Fulgencio Batista, the dictator who would be overthrown by Fidel Castro 22 years later, had just assumed power. The game was almost canceled because Batista’s picture was not in the game program. A quick trip to the printer saved the Bacardi Bowl and allowed Auburn’s bowl history to get off to a significant and historical beginning