Refrigerator Bowl

Last updated
Refrigerator Bowl (defunct)
StadiumReitz Bowl
Location Evansville, Indiana
United States
Operated1948–1956

The Refrigerator Bowl was an American college football bowl game played annually from 1948 until 1956 in Evansville, Indiana.

The game was held at the Reitz Bowl, located at F. J. Reitz High School on the west side of Evansville. The stadium opened in 1919, has been renovated several times, and remains in use today as a venue for high school football. [1]

The Refrigerator Bowl was founded as part of a post-1945 bowl boom featuring a number of short-lived games emulating the better-known contests established before World War II: the Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Orange, and Sun bowls. Like their predecessors, the new bowls were sponsored by chambers of commerce and civic organizations to promote and publicize various cities and their goods or services. Evansville at the time took pride in being known as the "refrigerator capital of the United States." In the postwar years, the city was home to three refrigerator manufacturers employing 10,000 workers, and produced 3,800 refrigerators per day. [2]

The Evansville Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) was responsible for running the game. Proceeds from it were used "to help support worthy youth charities" in the city. The most outstanding player of the Refrigerator Bowl received the William A. Carson Award, [3] and the YMCA's Camp Carson was the game's primary beneficiary. [4] Both were named after a prominent local businessman.

The Refrigerator Bowl was distinctive among the new post-World War II bowls in being contested on the first weekend in December rather than on or around New Years Day. And whereas most of its peers discontinued play by 1950, some after just a year or two, it survived well into the new decade. While the first two Refrigerator Bowls featured the local university, Evansville, the game ultimately attracted teams from as far away as Idaho and Rhode Island. At the time, the bowl's participants were all considered "small college" programs, but six of them eventually grew to compete at the highest level of the sport, in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.

The 1956 contest attracted just 3,000 fans, less than a third of the bowl's peak attendance, putting the future of the game in doubt. In late August 1957, the Jaycees finally announced the demise of the Refrigerator Bowl, citing "the lack of public support" and failure to find a sponsor for the event. [5] That same year, the city's largest manufacturer of refrigerators, the Servel Corporation, went bankrupt and closed its plant, [6] signaling the beginning of the end of the city's golden age as "the refrigerator capital of the United States."

Game results

Date playedWinning teamLosing teamAttendance [7] Notes
December 4, 1948 Evansville 13 Missouri Valley 77,500 [8]
December 3, 1949 Evansville 22 Hillsdale 75,500–6,000 [9] [10] [11] [12]
December 2, 1950 Abilene Christian 13 Gustavus Adolphus 77,500–8,000 [13] [14] [15] [16]
December 2, 1951 Arkansas State 46 Camp Breckinridge 129,000 [17] [18] [19]
December 7, 1952 Western Kentucky 34 Arkansas State 199,500 [20]
December 6, 1953 Sam Houston State 14 College of Idaho 128,500 [21]
December 5, 1954 Delaware 19 Kent State 74,500 [22] [23]
December 4, 1955 Jacksonville State 12 Rhode Island 106,000 [24] [25]
December 1, 1956 Sam Houston State 27 Middle Tennessee 133,000 [26]

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The 1955 Rhode Island Rams football team was an American football team that represented the University of Rhode Island as a member of the Yankee Conference during the 1955 college football season. In its fifth season under head coach Hal Kopp, the team compiled a 6–1–2 record, won the Yankee Conference championship, lost to Jacksonville State in the Refrigerator Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 162 to 67. The team played its home games at Meade Stadium in Kingston, Rhode Island.

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The 1956 Saint Joseph's Pumas football team was an American football team that represented Saint Joseph's College of Rensselaer, Indiana as a member of the Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC) during the 1956 NAIA football season. In their third year under head coach Bob Jauron, the Pumas compiled an 8–1–1 record, won the ICC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 360 to 32. Saint Joseph's tied with Montana State in the 1956 Aluminum Bowl. The two teams were declared co-winners of the 1956 NAIA Football National Championship.

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The 1951 Arkansas State Indians football team was an American football team that represented Arkansas State College—now known as Arkansas State University—as an independent during the 1951 college football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Forrest England, the Indians compiled a record of 10–2. They were invited to the Refrigerator Bowl, where they beat Camp Breckinridge, and the Tangerine Bowl, where they lost to Stetson.

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The 1948 Missouri Valley Vikings football team was an American football team that represented Missouri Valley College as a member of the Missouri College Athletic Union (MCAU) during the 1948 college football season. In their ninth season under head coach Volney Ashford, the Vikings compiled a perfect 9–0 record in the regular season, won the MCAU championship, lost to Evansville in the Refrigerator Bowl, tied with the St. Thomas Tommies in the Cigar Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 327 to 52.

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The 1950 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team represented Abilene Christian College—now known as Abilene Christian University—as a member of the Texas Conference during the 1950 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Garvin Beauchamp, the Wildcats compiled an overall record of 11–0 with a mark of 5–0 in conference play, winning the Texas Conference title. Abilene Christian was invited to the Refrigerator Bowl, where the Wildcats defeated Gustavus Adolphus. The team played home games at Fair Park Stadium in Abilene, Texas.

The 1951 Evansville Purple Aces football team represented Evansville College—now known as the University of Evansville—as a member of the Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC) and the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1951 college football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Don Ping, the Purple Aces compiled an overall record of 5–5 with marks 1–1 against ICC opponents, placing fourth, and 3–3 in OVC play, tying for fourth place.

The 1949 Hillsdale Dales football team, also known as the Bearcats, represented Hillsdale College as a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) during the 1949 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Jack Petoskey, the Dales compiled an overall record of 9–1 with a mark of 5–0 in conference play, winning the MIAA title. Hilldale was invited to the Refrigerator Bowl, where the Dales lost to Evansville.

The 1949 Evansville Purple Aces football team represented Evansville College—now known as the University of Evansville—as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1949 college football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Don Ping, the Purple Aces compiled an overall record of 8–2–1 with a mark of 3–1–1 in OVC play. Evansville has the third-best record of any|team in the conference, but because both team with better records, Marshall and Louisville, has not played the required number of conference games in order to be eligible for the title, the OVC championship was awards to the Purple Aces. Evansville was invited to the Refrigerator Bowl, where the Purple Aces defeated Hillsdale. On offense, Evansville employed three differnent formations: the T formation, the short punt formation, and Notre Dame Box. The team played home game at the Reitz Bowl and Bosse Field in Evansville, Indiana.

References

  1. ↑ "Reitz Bowl". March 23, 2013.
  2. ↑ "History Lesson: Refrigerator Bowl At Reitz High School". The Courier & Press. February 26, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Refrigerator Bowl Game Is Dead". The Evansville Courier. August 31, 1957. Retrieved April 8, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "History Lesson: Refrigerator Bowl At Reitz High School". The Courier & Press. February 26, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Refrigerator Bowl Game Is Dead". The Evansville Courier. August 31, 1957. Retrieved April 8, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Overview of Servel plant in Evansville, Indiana".
  7. ↑ "Refrigerator Bowl Game Is Dead". The Evansville Courier. August 31, 1957. Retrieved April 8, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Missouri Valley's Streak Of 41 Grid Wins Snapped". The Hartford Courant. December 5, 1948.
  9. ↑ "Pleasant Weather Predicted for Hillsdale-Evansville Bowl Battle Today". The Evansville Courier . Evansville, Indiana. December 3, 1949. p. 8. Retrieved March 16, 2024– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  10. ↑ Robertson, Bill (December 4, 1949). "Evansville's Air Attack Wins Bowl Tilt". The Sunday Courier and Press . Evansville, Indiana. p. 1. Retrieved March 16, 2024– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  11. ↑ Robertson, Bill (December 4, 1949). "Aces Defeat Hilldale In 22-7 Triller (continued)". The Sunday Courier and Press . Evansville, Indiana. p. 2. Retrieved March 16, 2024– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  12. ↑ "Evansville On Top, 22-7; Pins First Defeat on Hillsdale in Refrigerator Bowl". The New York Times. December 4, 1949.
  13. ↑ Robertson, Bill (December 2, 1950). "Abilene Eleven Is Favored In Big Bowl Game". The Evansville Press . Evansville, Indiana. p. 6. Retrieved July 28, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  14. ↑ Robertson, Bill (December 3, 1950). "Abilene Captures Bowl Game, 13-7 Before 7,000 Fans". The Sunday Courier and Press . Evansville, Indiana. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  15. ↑ Robertson, Bill (December 3, 1950). "Bowl Game (continued)". The Sunday Courier and Press . Evansville, Indiana. p. 2. Retrieved July 28, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  16. ↑ "Abilene Christian Wins Refrigerator Bowl Tilt in Rain". The Tennessean . Nashville, Tennessee. AP. December 3, 1950. p. 2-B. Retrieved June 9, 2023– via newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Arkansas State Team Ready for Bowl Today". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Fort Worth, Texas. Associated Press. December 2, 1951. p. 28. Retrieved January 1, 2021– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  18. ↑ Middlemas, Larry (December 3, 1951). "Arkansas State Bombs Camp Breckenridge Eleven, 46-12". The Evansville Courier . Evansville, Indiana. p. 10. Retrieved January 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  19. ↑ "Arkansas State Wins Refrigerator Bowl". The Washington Post. December 3, 1951.
  20. ↑ Robertson, Bill (December 8, 1952). "Powerful Western Kentucky Dethrones Arkansas State, 34-19". The Evansville Press . Evansville, Indiana. p. 18. Retrieved February 9, 2022– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  21. ↑ "Safety wins for Sam Houston in muddy bowl". Evansville Press. December 7, 1953. Retrieved January 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Cartwright, Al (December 6, 1954). "Delaware Rally Conquers Kent State Foe and Thrills Refrigerator Bowl Territory". Journal-Every Evening . Wilmington, Del. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "Delaware Beats Kent State, 19-7; Wins in Refrigerator Bowl as Zaiser Scores Twice in Fourth Period". The New York Times. December 6, 1954.
  24. ↑ "Rhode Island Loses Refrigerator Bowl Duel To Jacksonville, Ala., State, 12-10". The Hartford Courant. December 5, 1955.
  25. ↑ "Jacksonville rips Rhode Island, 12–10". The Evansville Courier. December 5, 1955. Retrieved December 4, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Sam Houston defeats Middle Tenn. 27–13". The Paducah Sun. December 2, 1956. Retrieved January 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
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