The National Bowl Game is an American independently operated post-season college football all-star game played annually since 2011, most often in December. The game showcases NFL draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility in NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and the NAIA. Since 2014, the game has been played as a doubleheader with the FCS Bowl.
| National Bowl Game | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | Celebration Stadium |
| Location | Celebration, Florida |
| Previous stadiums |
|
| Previous locations |
|
| Operated | 2011–present |
| Sponsors | |
East Preps LLC | |
History
editThe National Bowl Game was first played in April 2011 at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania.[1] Subsequent games have been held in December, and in 2013 the game moved to Riccardo Silva Stadium on the campus of Florida International University (FIU).[2] After three years at FIU, the game moved to Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida.[3] It has subsequently moved to other locations in Florida.
The game has been organized by East Preps LLC, who operate the game independently.[2] As of 2023, the game is branded as the College Football Alumni Association (CFBALL) National Bowl.[4]
The game and an associated scouting combine provide opportunity for players from smaller colleges to get exposure with scouts from various professional leagues, including the NFL and CFL.[5] Organizers report that 26 players from the December 2015 games (National Bowl Game and FCS Bowl) reached the NFL in some capacity.[6] At the December 2016 game, 14 NFL teams were represented, with over 30 scouts in attendance.[3]
Game results
edit
| No. | Date | Winning team | Losing team | Stadium | City | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 10, 2011 | Blue Nation | 10 | Red Nation | 7 | J. Birney Crum Stadium | Allentown, PA | [1] |
| 2 | December 4, 2011 | Blue Nation | 34 | Red Nation | 31 | [7] | ||
| 3 | December 9, 2012 | Red Nation | 35 | Blue Nation | 21 | [8] | ||
| 4 | December 8, 2013 | Red Nation | 40 | Blue Nation | 26 | Riccardo Silva Stadium | Miami, FL | |
| 5 | December 7, 2014 | Blue Nation | 14 | Red Nation | 7 | |||
| 6 | December 6, 2015 | American | 16 | National | 9 | [9] | ||
| 7 | December 4, 2016 | American | 16 | National | 9 | Municipal Stadium | Daytona Beach, FL | [3][10] |
| 8 | December 10, 2017 | American | 48 | National | 13 | [11] | ||
| 9 | December 9, 2018 | American | 16 | National | 13 | [12] | ||
| 10 | December 8, 2019 | National | 31 | American | 29 | Spec Martin Stadium | DeLand, FL | [3][13] |
| 11 | January 20, 2024 | National | 27 | American | 6 | Celebration Stadium | Celebration, FL | [14] |
Note: during February 2023, organizers held a "National Pro Combine Day" in lieu of a game.[15]
MVPs
editOverall MVPs of each game are listed below. Some additional awards not listed are also given, for offensive and defensive player of each team, special teams player, lineman, and the James Pratt Courage Award.
| Year | MVP | Pos. | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 (Apr.) | Beau Reed | TE | Fairleigh Dickinson University |
| 2011 (Dec.) | Jordan Griffin | SB | Glenville State College |
| 2012 | Scott Pillar | WR | Albright College |
| 2013 | Mason Espinosa | QB | Ohio Wesleyan University |
| 2014 | Bobby Brown | QB | Buena Vista College |
| 2015 | Travis Sparks | RB | University of La Verne |
| 2016 | Michael Everett | CB | Southwest Minnesota State University |
| 2017 | Patrick O'Brien | QB | Catawba College |
| 2018 | Trent White | QB | Westminster College (MO) |
| 2019 | Matt McDonald | RB/KR | Upper Iowa University |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Ready for some football?". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. April 9, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- ^ a b "2013 NATIONAL BOWL SET FOR ALFONSO FIELD AT FIU STADIUM IN MIAMI, FL DECEMBER 8, 2013". nationalbowl.org. October 24, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "14 NFL Teams and 30+ Scouts Evaluate Top Talent at 2016 National Bowl in Daytona Beach 2016". nationalbowl.org. December 5, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
- ^ "National Bowl". nationalbowl.org. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ Heitner, Darren (October 21, 2011). "The National Bowl & D2-D3 Pro Day Are Secret Weapons For Small School Players". sportsagentblog.com.
- ^ "RECORD 26 FCS- NATIONAL BOWL PLAYERS TO THE NFL FROM THE 2015 CLASS". nationalbowl.org. May 6, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
- ^ Heilig, John (December 4, 2011). "Former Wilson star Lenehan throws winning TD pass in National Bowl". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- ^ Blouse, Michael (December 9, 2012). "Albright's Pillar MVP in National Bowl Game". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- ^ "IMG_6739". flickr.com. Retrieved June 10, 2017 – via Flickr.
- ^ "Scoring Summary (Final) 2016 National Bowl" (PDF). gobattlers.com. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- ^ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ybZZfBmKpI3MhH6DoAuoNqsGcnpR6k-X/view [dead link]
- ^ "Football Gameplan's 2018 National Bowl & FCS Bowl Coverage | FOOTBALL GAMEPLAN".
- ^ "Scoring Summary (Final) 2016 National Bowl" (PDF). gobattlers.com. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- ^ "Stadium & Tickets". nationalbowl.org. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ "Stadium & Tickets". nationalbowl.org. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
Further reading
edit- "2016 National Bowl at Daytona Beach Game Film (Tight Shot) Part 1 of 2 (HD)". East Preps. December 7, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2017 – via YouTube.
- "2016 National Bowl at Daytona Beach Game Film (Tight Shot) 2 of 2 (HD)". East Preps. December 7, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2017 – via YouTube.