Bicentennial Bowl was the name of two different postseason bowl games played in the United States after the 1975 and 1976 college football seasons.[1] The games were held in different venues; first in Little Rock, Arkansas, and then in Richmond, Virginia. The bowls were named after the United States Bicentennial.
| Bicentennial Bowl (defunct) | |
|---|---|
 Program cover for the 1976 game | |
| Stadium | War Memorial Stadium (1975) City Stadium (1976) |
| Location | Little Rock, Arkansas (1975) Richmond, Virginia (1976) |
| Operated | 1975, 1976 |
History
editBicentennial Bowl results are listed in NCAA records as two independent games, not a bowl series, and the games were not NCAA-sanctioned events.[1]
1975 game
editThe 1975 game matched teams from the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference and Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference, and was considered an NAIA "special event."[2] It was contested at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Ouachita Baptist Tigers opted not to participate in the game, in hopes of playing in the 1975 NAIA postseason.[3]
| Season | Date | Winner | Loser | Venue | Att. (est.) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | November 29, 1975 | Henderson State | 27 | East Central (OK) | 14 | War Memorial Stadium[2] – Little Rock, Arkansas | 2,000[1] |
MVPs: Willie Guient (TE, East Central) and Johnny Gross (DT, Henderson State)[4]
1976 game
editThe 1976 game matched teams from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).[5] It was played in Richmond, Virginia, at City Stadium. The game had originally been planned for December 4, in Charlotte, North Carolina,[6] but was rescheduled for December 11, and moved, to allow for television coverage.[7]
| Season | Date | Winner | Loser | Venue | Att. (est.) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | December 11, 1976 | South Carolina State | 26 | Norfolk State | 10 | City Stadium[8] – Richmond, Virginia | 7,500[1] |
MVPs: Ricky Anderson (FB, South Carolina State) and Jerry Curry (RG, Norfolk State)[8]
Four additional bowl games played from 1977 to 1980 at City Stadium in Richmond were known as the Gold Bowl.[1] Each of the five bowls played in Richmond during 1976–1980 featured teams from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "BOWL/ALL STAR GAME RECORDS" (PDF). NCAA. 2016. p. 158. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 31, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b "Little Rock to Host Bicentennial Bowl". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. October 15, 1975. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ouachita Passes Up Bicentennial Bowl". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. AP. November 25, 1975. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Henderson Gains Bicentennial Win". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. AP. November 30, 1975. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "South Carolina State Takes Berth In Bicentennial Bowl". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. AP. November 16, 1976. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Charlotte Bowl Game May Become Permanent". York Daily Record. York, Pennsylvania. UPI. August 31, 1976. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "CIAA, MEAC Champions To Meet in City Stadium". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 20 October 1976. Retrieved 21 December 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Hirsch, Alan (December 12, 1976). "S.C. State, Anderson Topple Spartans, 26-10". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via newspapers.com.