National Bowl Game

Last updated
National Bowl Game
National Bowl Game logo.jpg
StadiumCelebration Stadium
Location Celebration, Florida
Previous stadiums
Previous locations
Operated2011–present
Sponsors
East Preps LLC

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.

Contents

History

The 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

National Bowl Game in Miami National Bowl Game FIU Snap.jpg
National Bowl Game in Miami
No.DateWinning teamLosing teamStadiumCityRef.
1April 10, 2011Blue Nation10Red Nation7 J. Birney Crum Stadium Allentown, PA [1]
2December 4, 2011Blue Nation34Red Nation31 [7]
3December 9, 2012Red Nation35Blue Nation21 [8]
4December 8, 2013Red Nation40Blue Nation26 Riccardo Silva Stadium Miami, FL
5December 7, 2014Blue Nation14Red Nation7
6December 6, 2015American16National9 [9]
7December 4, 2016American16National9 Municipal Stadium Daytona Beach, FL [3] [10]
8December 10, 2017American48National13 [11]
9December 9, 2018American16National13 [12]
10December 8, 2019National31American29 Spec Martin Stadium DeLand, FL [3] [13]
11January 20, 2024National27American6Celebration Stadium Celebration, FL [14]

Note: It appears there have been no games following the 2019 season. Since then, it has been replaced by a "National Pro Combine Day" held in February. [15] A game is scheduled for January 2024 in Celebration, Florida.

MVPs

Overall 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.

National Bowl Game in Miami FCS BOWL at Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium in Miami, FL.jpg
National Bowl Game in Miami
YearMVPPos.College
2011 (Apr.)Beau ReedTE Fairleigh Dickinson University
2011 (Dec.)Jordan GriffinSB Glenville State College
2012Scott PillarWR Albright College
2013 Mason Espinosa QB Ohio Wesleyan University
2014Bobby BrownQB Buena Vista College
2015Travis SparksRB University of La Verne
2016Michael EverettCB Southwest Minnesota State University
2017Patrick O'BrienQB Catawba College
2018Trent WhiteQB Westminster College (MO)
2019Matt McDonaldRB/KR Upper Iowa University

See also

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References

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  2. 1 2 "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.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "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.
  4. "National Bowl". nationalbowl.org. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
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  6. "RECORD 26 FCS- NATIONAL BOWL PLAYERS TO THE NFL FROM THE 2015 CLASS". nationalbowl.org. May 6, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  7. 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.
  8. Blouse, Michael (December 9, 2012). "Albright's Pillar MVP in National Bowl Game". The Morning Call . Allentown, Pennsylvania . Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  9. "IMG_6739". flickr.com. Retrieved June 10, 2017 via Flickr.
  10. "Scoring Summary (Final) 2016 National Bowl" (PDF). gobattlers.com. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  11. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ybZZfBmKpI3MhH6DoAuoNqsGcnpR6k-X/view [ dead link ]
  12. https://footballgameplan.com/feat/football-gameplans-2018-national-bowl-fcs-bowl-coverage/
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  14. "Stadium & Tickets". nationalbowl.org. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  15. "Stadium & Tickets". nationalbowl.org. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023 via newspapers.com.

Further reading