National Bowl Game
{{Short description|Annual football game}}
{{Infobox college football bowl game
| name = National Bowl Game
| full_name = Trillion CFBALL National Bowl
| nickname =
| defunct =
| logo = National Bowl Game Logo.png
| logo_size = 215px
| caption =
| stadium = Celebration Stadium
| previous_stadiums = {{ubl
|J. Birney Crum Stadium (2011–2012)
|Riccardo Silva Stadium (2013–2015)
|Municipal Stadium (2016–2017)
|Spec Martin Stadium (2018–2021)
}}
| location = Celebration, Florida
| previous_locations = {{ubl
|{{nowrap|Allentown, Pennsylvania (2011–2012)}}
|Miami, Florida (2013–2015)
|Daytona Beach, Florida (2016–2017)
|DeLand, Florida (2018–2021)
}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.cfball.org/|cfball.org}}
| years = 2011–present
| previous_tie-ins =
| conference_tie-ins =
| payout =
| sponsors =
| former_names =
}}
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.
History
The National Bowl Game was first played in April 2011 at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 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).{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalbowl.org/news/2013-national-bowl-set-for-a |title=2013 NATIONAL BOWL SET FOR ALFONSO FIELD AT FIU STADIUM IN MIAMI, FL DECEMBER 8, 2013 |website=nationalbowl.org |date=October 24, 2013 |accessdate=June 11, 2017}} After three years at FIU, the game moved to Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida. It has subsequently moved to other locations in Florida.
The game has been organized by East Preps LLC, who operate the game independently. As of 2023, the game is branded as the College Football Alumni Association (CFBALL) National Bowl.{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalbowl.org |title=National Bowl |website=nationalbowl.org |accessdate=December 25, 2023}}
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.{{cite web |url=http://sportsagentblog.com/2011/10/21/the-national-bowl-d2-d3-pro-day-are-secret-weapons-for-small-school-players/ |title=The National Bowl & D2-D3 Pro Day Are Secret Weapons For Small School Players |first=Darren |last=Heitner |website=sportsagentblog.com |date=October 21, 2011}} Organizers report that 26 players from the December 2015 games (National Bowl Game and FCS Bowl) reached the NFL in some capacity.{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalbowl.org/news/record-25-2015-fcs-national-bo |title=RECORD 26 FCS- NATIONAL BOWL PLAYERS TO THE NFL FROM THE 2015 CLASS |website=nationalbowl.org |date=May 6, 2016 |accessdate=June 11, 2017}} At the December 2016 game, 14 NFL teams were represented, with over 30 scouts in attendance.
Game results
File:National_Bowl_Game_FIU_Snap.jpg
Note: during February 2023, organizers held a "National Pro Combine Day" in lieu of a game.{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalbowl.org/stadium-tickets |title=Stadium & Tickets |website=nationalbowl.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202171718/https://www.nationalbowl.org/stadium-tickets |archive-date=February 2, 2023 |accessdate=December 25, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}
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.
File:FCS_BOWL_at_Ocean_Bank_Field_at_FIU_Stadium_in_Miami,_FL.jpg
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" | |||
| 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
References
{{reflist|30em}}
Further reading
- {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiNGGgF3RAg |title=2016 National Bowl at Daytona Beach Game Film (Tight Shot) Part 1 of 2 (HD) |publisher=East Preps |date=December 7, 2016 |accessdate=June 11, 2017 |via=YouTube}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulV0WR573i0 |title=2016 National Bowl at Daytona Beach Game Film (Tight Shot) 2 of 2 (HD) |publisher=East Preps |date=December 7, 2016 |accessdate=June 10, 2017 |via=YouTube}}