This was the first time the bowl was played before New Year's Day, as organizers wanted to "attract television coverage in the future".
[2] The December game date made this the second of two Tangerine Bowls played in calendar year 1958.
The Tangerine Bowl Commission hoped that the Orlando High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), which operated the stadium, would waive its rule that prohibited integrated sporting events.
When it refused, the team unanimously voted to skip the bowl because its two black players (halfback Willie Evans and end Mike Wilson) would not have been allowed on the field.
[3][4] Missouri Valley entered the game with an 8–0 record, and had previously played to a tie in the 1956 Tangerine Bowl.