The Pythian Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played from 1949 through 1951.[1] In 1952, the game was played under the name of Lions Bowl.[2] The game was played each year in December in Salisbury, North Carolina, at Shuford Stadium[3] on the grounds of Catawba College. The bowl's original name came from the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization, with proceeds from the game going to a local orphanage.[3] The 1952 game was named after Lions Clubs International, with game proceeds again being used for charitable works. Like some other postseason match-ups of the era, such as the Grape Bowl, Glass Bowl, and Optimist Bowl, results are listed in NCAA records, but the games were not considered NCAA-sanctioned bowls.[1]
Game results
edit| Season | Bowl Name | Date | Winner | Loser | Attendance | References | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Pythian Bowl | December 10, 1949 | Appalachian State | 21 | Catawba | 7 | 2,000 | [4][5] |
| 1950 | Pythian Bowl | December 9, 1950 | West Liberty | 28 | Appalachian State | 26 | 4,500 | [6][7] |
| 1951 | Pythian Bowl | December 8, 1951 | Lenoir Rhyne | 13 | California (PA) | 7 | 4,500 | [8][9] |
| 1952 | Lions Bowl | December 13, 1952 | Clarion | 13 | East Carolina | 6 | 2,700 | [10] |
Notes
edit- NCAA records list the date of the first Pythian Bowl as "11-26-1949",[1] which is inconsistent with contemporary newspaper reports.[3][4]
- The 1949 game was listed as the "Olympian Bowl" in some newspapers.[11][1]
- For the 1952 game, West Chester had been invited and accepted, however the school later withdrew its acceptance due to the bowl not being sanctioned by the NCAA; Clarion was then invited and replaced West Chester.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "BOWL/ALL STAR GAME RECORDS" (PDF). NCAA. 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ "West Chester In Lions Bowl". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. AP. November 18, 1952. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Pythian Bowl Slated Today At Salisbury". Asheville Citizen-Times. Asheville, North Carolina. AP. December 10, 1949. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Appalachian State Tops Catawba, 21-7". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. AP. December 11, 1949. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Appalachian bowls over Indians, 21–7". The Charlotte Observer. December 11, 1949. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "West Liberty rally in 4th beats Appalachian, 28–26". The News and Observer. December 10, 1950. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "West Liberty – Postseason History". West Liberty Hilltoppers. May 18, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
- ^ "State Set For Pythian Content Here Tomorrow". Salisbury Post. Salisbury, North Carolina. December 7, 1951. p. 8. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ Turner, C. G. (December 10, 1951). "Bears Win Pythian Clash". Hickory Daily Record. Hickory, North Carolina. p. 6. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Clarion wins in Lions Bowl, stays unbeaten". Sunday News. December 15, 1952. Retrieved March 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bowl Results". Idaho State Journal. Pocatello, Idaho. December 11, 1949. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Clarion State In Lions Bowl". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. AP. November 23, 1952. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
