Bobby Bowden’s rings represented a defining era in Florida State football history — worn by the man who rescued the program and built it into a national powerhouse.
So it came as little surprise that Bowden’s collection of 27 rings emerged as some of the most sought‑after items for a second consecutive night as the Bobby Bowden Legacy Auction closed Wednesday, March 18.
Bowden’s 1995 ACC championship ring led the final night, selling for $15,250, while his 1999 Fiesta Bowl ring fetched $14,500. Several others — including Sugar Bowl, Gator Bowl and ACC championship rings — clustered in the $6,750 to $7,000 range.
Two of four commemorative rings discovered on Bowden’s closet floor — representing his 389 career wins — sold for $5,000 and $5,250. Tuesday’s top bid of $20,000 went to Bowden’s engraved 1993 Orange Bowl ring, symbolizing the first national championship for both Bowden and the Seminoles.
By the time bidding wound down, nearly 1,925 registered bidders had participated, placing more than 33,000 bids across 1,568 items, with only seven lots failing to receive a single bid.
Tallahassee resident and FSU alum Reagan Hobbs on Tuesday emerged as the winning bidder at $670,000 for Bowden’s Killearn Estates home. With a 10% buyer’s premium, the final sale price totaled $737,000.
Bobby Bowden’s handwritten legal pads also popular
Not all of the auction’s biggest moments came from championship hardware.
One of the more surprising results involved collections of Bowden’s handwritten legal pads — filled with notes, one‑liners and personal thoughts. One lot sold for $3,000, followed by others at $2,700, $2,150 and $1,450.
Bowden’s golf bag, bearing his name, brought $4,000, while American flags — including one flown during Operation Enduring Freedom — climbed above $2,000. Framed artwork from Bowden’s office consistently reached four figures, and the framed lyrics to “The Ballad of Bobby Bowden” sold for $2,000.
With bidding complete, the work continues for Wiregrass Auction Group, which managed the two‑week estate auction that began last November. Invoices are being sent, pickup schedules arranged and shipping requests processed.
Over the next two days, buyers will retrieve pieces of Bowden’s life, one carefully cataloged item at a time.
For Wiregrass owner and president Mark Manley, the lasting takeaway isn’t a number. It’s the stories — from Bowden’s family, former players and fans who never met him but felt they knew him.
“I could sit and listen to those stories all day,” Manley said. “That’s what made this different and so special.”
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Bobby Bowden’s rings, handwritten notes sell for thousands as auction ends
Reporting by Jim Henry, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
