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Montgomery Bowl most valuable player Brady White is the 31^st recipient of the William Campbell Trophy, awarded to the nation’s top scholar-athlete.

The Memphis quarterback became the school’s all-time leading passer on the field while pursuing a doctorate off the field.

“A doctoral student who ranks as Memphis’ all-time leading passer, Brady White is the epitome of what the Campbell Trophy represents,” said National Football Foundation chairman Archie Manning. “Working towards one’s PhD is a daunting challenge by itself. To do it while excelling at the highest level of college football is truly exceptional.”

White is only the sixth non-Power Five recipient of the trophy and the first since Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell won the award in 2016. The California native was among 12 finalists for the trophy, which included Alabama State running back Ezra Gray and Tennessee center Brandon Kennedy, a transfer from Alabama and a former Wetumpka High standout.

“Brady and his fellow members of the 2020 NFF national scholar-athlete class represent more than just their standout athletic ability seen on the field,” said NFF president & CEO Steve Hatchell. “Their academic achievements and their contributions as leaders in the community send a powerful message about the young men who play our sport. They have taken full advantage of the educational opportunities created by college football, and they have created a compelling legacy for others to follow.”

A grad transfer, White graduated cum laude with a 3.58 GPA in business from Arizona State in 3.5 years. After completing his master’s in sports administration at Memphis in just over a year, he is currently pursuing a doctorate in liberal studies. This season, he led the Tigers to an 8-3 record under first-year coach Ryan Silverfield, including a win over Florida Atlantic in the Montgomery Bowl at Cramton Bowl with a 284-yard, three-touchdown performance.

Although the game has been canceled this season, White received an invitation to the 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl and will be able to participate in various virtual training/informational drills with current NFL coaches and members of the NFL Operations staff.

Active off the field, White completed 35 hours of community service in 2019 alone, and he was a semifinalist for the 2020 Wuerffel Trophy which recognizes off-the-field character. He has visited LeBonheur Children’s and St. Jude Children’s hospitals, volunteered with the Jessie Reed Foundation by distributing Joy Jars to hospitalized kids and participated in the Tiger Blue Holiday event at Gardenview Elementary. He continued to give back during the pandemic, reading a book to a local school system via Facebook Live.

White will be recognized on Thursday at the Home Depot college football awards show and with a video tribute on Monday at the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Launched in 1959 and celebrating its 62nd year in 2020, the NFF national scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships based on a player’s combined academic, athletic and community accomplishments, and the program has awarded $11.9 million to 878 top athletes since its inception. Candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

The centerpiece to the NFF’s scholar-athlete program, the William V. Campbell trophy, was first awarded in 1990.

Memphis Tigers vs. Florida Atlantic Owls
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Historic Cramton Bowl
Montgomery, Alabama

THE GAME:

• Memphis defeated Florida Atlantic 25-10 in the inaugural Montgomery Bowl
• Memphis (8-3) closed the season with a 2-game winning streak
• FAU (5-4) ended the season with three straight losses
• Memphis QB Brady White was named the Most Valuable Player

MONTGOMERY BOWL FIRSTS:

Pregame Weather: Cloudy; 63 degrees; 46% Humidity; 76% chance of showers
Coin Toss: Memphis won toss (called heads); deferred to second half
Game Captains: Memphis #3 Brady White; FAU: #5 Ahman Ross
Kickoff: Riley Patterson kicks off; Touchback; FAU ball at FAU 25-yard line
First Play: James Charles rush for 5 yards to FAU 30 (JJ Russell)
First Punt: Matt Hayball 35-yard punt; Memphis fair catch at UM 12-yard line
First Score: Patterson 53-yard field goal in first quarter (7:15 mark)
First Touchdown: #3 Brady White 5-yard TD pass to Javon Ivory with 2:26 left in first quarter

PATTERSON SETS CRAMTON BOWL RECORD; SCORES FIRST POINTS IN MONTGOMERY BOWL HISTORY:

Memphis kicker Riley Patterson kicked a 53-yard field goal for the game’s first points. That’s the longest field goal in the history of the stadium. The record was 51 yards until Florida International’s Jose Borregales booted a 52-yarder last December in the Camellia Bowl. Patterson, who set the all-time NCAA bowl record with six field goals in the 2019 Cotton Bowl, recorded the longest field goal in Cramton Bowl history.

CLEMSON GRAD TRANSFER CATCHES TD PASS:

FAU receiver T. J. Chase transferred from Clemson this year after being on two national championship teams (2016 and 2018), losing to Alabama in the 2017 semifinals and to LSU last year. He is from Plant City Fla., and caught the Owls’ only touchdown on a 3-yard reception from Nick Tronti (that made it 18-7). He finished with two catches for 6 yards.

IVORY SHINES FOR TIGERS:

Memphis redshirt freshman receiver Javon Ivory caught the first of three touchdown passes from Brady White and finished with seven catches for 126 yards. He is a redshirt freshman from Clarke County High School who was pressed into a bigger role this season when Coye’ Fairman – in response to several positive COVID-19 tests on the team – elected to opt out of the 2020 season in early September.

“That’s our motto, you’ve got to treat each day the same as the next day. You’ve got to bring it to work every day. Tonight was just that we had to bring more effort. It’s great to end it the way we did because we went through so much adversity this season.”

D-LINEMAN CATCHES TD PASS:

Memphis senior defensive lineman Joseph Doreus caught one of three touchdown passes from White. Dorceus entered the game as a blocking back on a first-and-goal at the FAU 2-yard line. White threw a 2-yard TD pass to his big blocking back to give the Tigers a 16-0 lead. The Tigers then went for two as Preston Brady, the holder on extra points, flipped the ball to John Hassell, who ran in the –point conversion to give the Tigers an 18-0 halftime lead.

“When we left the huddle and the Coach had called the play, my eyes had already lit up,” he said. “When I was lined up in my stance and saw where I was supposed to go and how soft the coverage was, I attacked it right away. When I looked back, Brady had the ball for me in the right place, so I couldn’t ask for anything better than that.”

MEMPHIS COACH HIT WITH UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT PENALTY:

Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first quarter.

“It was selfish of me,” he said. “That’s 100 percent on me. I was just telling him how much I liked his outfit. That’s what I was telling him. I was wishing him happy holidays, but he must have thought I said something else.”

In addition, FAU fifth-year senior OL Desmond Noel was ejected for fighting in the next-to-last play of the first half.

MARTIN PACES RUN GAME:

Memphis rushed for 185 yards (second most in the last eight games) and Asa Martin, former Mr. Football from Austin High in Decatur, rushed for a season-high 96 yards (previous high was 39 vs. Tulane).

“I’ve always pinned it on me, it’s my fault that it wouldn’t get going,” Silverfield said. “But I do think we were able to execute at a higher level. It was great to see Asa Martin. Asa is one of those guys who has stepped up. Week in, week out, he’s going to continue to progress. It’s been running back by committee with us and it’s nice to have a guy that we know at least we can hang our hat on next year.”

GILBERT BACK ON HOME TURF:

FAU fifth-year senior CB Zyon Gilbert had an 11-yard interception for the Owls in the second quarter. Gilbert played high school football at Jeff Davis High School in Montgomery. He played the majority of his prep games here at the Cramton Bowl. Gilbert also added seven tackles and one pass breakup.

2020 Montgomery Bowl Final Book (Dec 21)

MONTGOMERY – There was only one major hurdle left for Brady White and the Memphis quarterback delivered in his final game as a Tiger.

White threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns in the inaugural Montgomery Bowl on Wednesday night, leading Memphis to a 25-10 win over Florida Atlantic at Cramton Bowl. The win helped the Tigers snap a five-game losing skid in bowl games and hand the Owls their first-ever postseason loss in their fifth bowl appearance.

For White, it was a fitting end to a long collegiate journey. He will leave Memphis as the most prolific passer in yards and touchdowns in school history as well as the winningest quarterback ever in a Tiger uniform. He will add Montgomery Bowl most valuable player to his list of accolades after shredding the Owls’ defense in impressive fashion.

“It feels great,” White said. “Another piece of history was made tonight for myself and this team. I’m extremely proud of our program and everything that it took – this whole weird year – in this game. We finished it off right, we’re bowl champs and it feels good to walk out of here with the ‘W’ and the trophy.”

The Newhall, Calif., native started his career at Arizona State in 2015-17, then followed head coach Mike Norvell to Memphis, where he stepped into a starting role in 2018-19 and added to those accomplishments in 2020 as Ryan Silverfield took over for Norvell, who left for Florida State.

White could have returned for a seventh season – NCAA rules permit a return in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic – but confirmed after the bowl he would be leaving with an eye on the upcoming NFL draft.

“The NFL is the next step, that’s the plan,” White said. “I’m going to start training, so I’m excited for that, to see what God has in store for me.”

After a redshirt season in 2015 and injury-plagued years in 2016 and 2017, White got a fresh start at Memphis in 2018 and made the most of it, throwing a school-record 90 touchdowns and for a school-record 10,690 yards, breaking records set in 2004 by Danny Wimprine. He also posted 28 wins in three years, beating the school record of 23 set by Lloyd Patterson in 1975-78.

Off the field, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Arizona State in 2017, a master’s degree in sports and leisure commerce from Memphis in 2019 and a PhD in liberal studies from Memphis this year.

“My time here at Memphis has just been special,” he said. “It’s a special city, a special program. No one truly knows what it’s all about unless they’re around it. To have the opportunity to be the quarterback here with this awesome team, this awesome program, to have done what we’ve done over these last three seasons, a lot of people wouldn’t even have thought of that. We set the new foundation moving forward.

“The football speaks for itself, but I hope I walk out of here having positively impacted more people than I can think of and hopefully made a positive influence in their life or given them hope or excitement or joy. And hopefully establish what the culture is on this team and how that’ll be carried out over many years to come.”

White was part of a Memphis squad that was clicking in all three phases of the game, finding its long-lost running game in the process while putting together a good defensive performance to hold the Owls in check.

“Our O-line stepped up huge,” White said. “We ran the ball really well, had great pass pro. I was clean the whole night. Obviously, the rest of the crew made plays on the outside and the running backs ran the ball well. I’m extremely proud of the way we won that game.”

White had plenty of praise for his offensive line after an illegal procedure penalty resulted in White being knocked to the ground by a Florida Atlantic defender, which nearly touched off a brawl as the offensive linemen came to his aid.

“That means the world,” White said. “That shows that there’s really strong relationships between myself and those boys and they’ve got my back. I told them right away, even though they knew, I appreciate you guys and I love you. A play like that speaks volumes over a pass play. That shows the brotherhood I have with those guys and the brotherhood on this team, so I’m grateful for the five up front that sacrifice a lot for myself.”

Silverfield offered a similar assessment of his quarterback after the MVP performance in the bowl.

“He’s just been top notch and that’s kind of the key to this whole thing,” Silverfield said. “He’s meant so much to everybody. He does it the right way. He’s a legend. The highest honor I could ever pay a young man is if I ever had a son, I hope he’s like Brady White.”

White struggled to find the right words to express his feelings after hearing of Silverfield’s comments.

“That means the world to me because football is going to end,” he said. “To hear that a coach would want their son to be like you, that means a whole lot. It makes me want to be emotional, thinking about that. That is a humongous honor.”

MONTGOMERY – Memphis senior quarterback Brady White threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers, and the Tigers overcame three turnovers in a 25-10 win over Florida Atlantic in the inaugural Montgomery Bowl at historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.

White, who was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, completed 22-of-34 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw one interception.

“One of the things that was able to help us was to get the running game going a little early,” Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said. “I think it was finding consistency and a rhythm in all three phases. I think we were able to get a little bit of that at times tonight (and) … execute at a higher level. That’s a fantastic FAU defense.”

White, a sixth-year senior who began his career Arizona State, went 13-for-15 for 158 yards on the Tigers’ three touchdown drives. His favorite targets were a pair of freshman receivers Tahj Washington and Javon Ivory, who combined for 15 catches in the win. Washington caught eight passes for 105 yards, while Ivory added seven catches for 126 yards and one score.

Junior receiver Calvin Austin caught three passes for 28 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter that slowed down FAU’s momentum. Senior defensive lineman Joseph Dorceus, who lined up in the backfield on the goal-line, caught a 2-yard touchdown pass for the Tigers.

Memphis (8-3) led 18-0 at halftime but had to rely on the defense in the second half after a pair of costly turnovers.

FAU (5-4) forced three turnovers but only converted for three points. The Owls only scored one touchdown in four red zone possessions.

“We didn’t take advantage of the opportunities that we had,” FAU head coach Willie Taggart said. “We forced three turnovers and only came away with three points. You can’t beat a team like Memphis when you don’t take advantage of the opportunities. We moved the ball, we just didn’t score.”

Florida Atlantic (5-4) scored on its first possession of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 18-7. The Owls marched 73 yards in 10 plays, capped by Nick Tronti’s 3-yard pass to TJ Chase in the corner of the end zone.

On the ensuing kickoff, Memphis redshirt freshman tight end Chase Preiskorn fumbled the kickoff at the Tigers 24-yard line. FAU junior Kelvin Dean, Jr., pounced on the loose football giving FAU great field position at the UM 24. Six plays only netted 16 yards and FAU had to settle for 27-yard field goal by Vladimir Rivas to cut the deficit to 18-10.

Memphis answered as White led a 7-play, 75-yard on its next possession to extend the lead. Facing a third-and-10 from his own 37, White hooked up with Ivory on a 51-yard catch and run that put the Tigers at the FAU 12-yard line. Two plays later, White threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin to give the Tigers a 25-10 lead.

The Tigers fumbled on its next possession giving the Owls the ball at the Memphis 33-ayrd line. FAU moved 30 yards to the Tigers 3-yard line, but four straight runs ended with a loss of down at the Tigers 5-yard line. Rodney Owens and Tyrez Lindsey were credited with the stop of Tronti on the fourth-down run.

Memphis ran almost six minutes off the clock before a punt. FAU took over at its own 20-yard line and moved to the Memphis 17 yard line in 10 plays before an interception by Thomas Pickens at the 1-yard line sealed the win.

Memphis scored on three of five first half possessions to take an 18-0 lead into the dressing room

The Tigers marched 53 yards in 10 plays on its opening possession to take a 3-0 lead.  White completed three of his first four passes taking the Tigers from their own 12 to the FAU 35-yard line. On fourth-and-13, Memphis senior kicker Riley Patterson drilled 53-yard field for the first points in Montgomery Bowl history.

Patterson, who set the all-time NCAA bowl record with six field goals in the 2019 Cotton Bowl, recorded the longest field goal in the history of the 98-year-old stadium, which has hosted Alabama and Auburn games over its existence as well as 63 Blue-Gray college all-star games.

Memphis stretched the lead to 10-0 on its next possession. White directed the Tigers to an 8-play, 52-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Ivory. White was a perfect 5-for-5 for 54 yards on the drive. Ivory caught three passes for 34 yards on the drive.

After a missed field goal and an interception, Memphis found its rhythm again on offense to score on its final drive of the half.

Following an FAU punt, Memphis took over the Owls 42-yard line. The Tigers marched 58 yards in 10 plays for its second touchdown of the half.  Facing second-and-goal at the 2-yard line, Memphis sent fifth-year senior defensive lineman Joseph Dorceus into the game as a blocking back. White threw a 2-yard TD pass to his big blocking back to give the Tigers a 16-0 lead. The Tigers then went for two as Preston Brady, the holder on extra points, flipped the ball to John Hassell, who ran in conversion to give the Tigers an 18-0 halftime lead.

2020 Montgomery Bowl Final Book (Dec 21)

Florida Atlantic and Memphis meet in the inaugural Montgomery Bowl at Historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. The game will kick off at 6:00 p.m. (CT) and will be televised by ESPN. Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst) and Lauren Sisler (sidelines) will call the game. The bowl serves as a substitute for the Fenway Bowl, which was scheduled to be played at Fenway Park but was postponed due to the pandemic.

The Montgomery Bowl is one of two bowls being played at the Cramton Bowl this year. The seventh annual Camellia Bowl will be played on Friday, Dec. 25 at 1:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Memphis Tigers and Florida Atlantic Owls are set to meet in the Montgomery Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 6 p.m. CT, on ESPN. The game will be played at the historic Cramton Bowl in downtown Montgomery.

“We are thrilled that Memphis and Florida Atlantic will be joining us for the Montgomery Bowl,” Johnny Williams, executive director of the Montgomery Bowl said.  “In an unusual and challenging year, we are grateful to ESPN Events, Montgomery County and the City of Montgomery to host two bowl games in three days at the Cramton Bowl. We are excited to be a part of this historic occasion.”

Following the Montgomery Bowl, the Cramton Bowl will host the seventh annual Camellia Bowl on Friday, Dec. 25 at 1:30 p.m. (CST). The pairings for the Camellia Bowl will be announced at a later date.

Memphis (7-3, 5-3 American Athletic Conference) ranks in the Top 25 nationally in total offense (451.1 total yards per game) and passing offense (310.3 passing yards per game).The offense is led by sixth-year senior quarter Brady White, who transferred to UM from Arizona State. White ranks in the Top 10 nationally in touchdown passes (28), passing yards (3,096), passing yards per game (309.6) and total offense (317.2).

The Tigers have wins this season against Arkansas State (the defending Camellia Bowl champions), UCF, Temple, USF, Stephen F. Austin, Navy and Houston.  The signature win was a 50-49 thriller over UCF on Oct. 17 at Liberty Bowl Stadium in Memphis. The Tigers posted the largest comeback in school history for the one-point win. White threw for 486 yards and six touchdowns as the Tigers rallied from three double-digit deficits (20-7, 35-14 and 43-29) for the one-point win. The losses came to SMU (after 28-day layoff), Cincinnati and Tulane. Three other games (Purdue, UTSA and UT Martin) were cancelled due to Covid-19.

Memphis will be making its 14^th all-time bowl appearance. The Tigers are 5-8 all-time in bowl games and are one year removed from the school’s first-ever New Year’s Six bowl with a 53-39 loss to Penn State in the Cotton Bowl. Memphis kicker Riley Paterson set NCAA, Cotton Bowl and Memphis record with six made field goals in the loss. He finished the game with 21 (6 FGM, 3 PATs) total points.

The Tigers bowl history dates back to the 1956 Burley Bowl in Johnson City, Tenn. Memphis State posted a 32-12 win over East Tennessee State on Nov. 22 at Memorial Stadium. Memphis defeated San Jose State 28-9 in the 1971 Pasadena Bowl. The game was played on Dec. 18 and was played inside the Rose Bowl. Memphis next bowl appearance would come 32 years later with an appearance in the 2003 New Orleans Bowl. The Tigers posted a 27-17 win over North Texas in the Louisiana Superdome. Memphis has played 11 of its 13 games since 2003. Memphis is riding a 5-game bowl losing streak with its last win coming in the 2014 Miami Beach Bowl. Memphis beat BYU 55-48.

Memphis is playing in its fourth bowl game in the state of Alabama. The Tigers played in the 2004 GMAC Bowl (Bowling Green 52, Memphis 35) in Mobile; 2015 Birmingham Bowl (Auburn 31, Memphis 10) and 2018 Birmingham Bowl (Wake Forest 37, Memphis 34).

In addition, Memphis has sent 49 players to Montgomery for the annual Blue-Gray All-Star Game. A pair former Tigers were named Blue-Gray Game MVP, including guard Bob Finamore (1964) and safety David Berrong (1969).  Former Memphis wide receiver Issac Bruce played in the 1993 Blue-Gray Game. He played 22 games for the Tigers and caught 113 passes for 1,586 yards and 15 TDs. He was drafted by the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He led the Rams to Super Bowl XXXIV win over the Tennessee Titans (23-16) on Jan. 30, 2000 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Florida Atlantic (5-3, 4-2 Conference USA) will enter the game with a stingy defense, led by senior cornerback and Montgomery native Zyon Gilbert. Gilbert, who played at Jeff Davis High School and played his home games in the Cramton Bowl, has been an instrumental leader for a team that made the transition to first year head coach Willie Taggart nearly a year ago. He has recorded 39 tackles and four pass breakups this season. A total of six Owls originally hail from the state of Alabama.

FAU leads Conference USA in pass efficiency defense (108.54) and sacks (25) this season. The Owls ranked second in the league in pass defense (175.8).

Former Alabama assistant coach Howard Schnellenberger started the FAU program from scratch in 2001. Schnellenberger was the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant from 1961-65. The Crimson Tide won the national championship in 1961, 1964 and 1965.  Schnellenberger played for Bryant at Kentucky in 1952-53.

This marks the program’s fifth bowl since 2007, the first season FAU was eligible to play in a bowl game, and third bowl game in the last four years. FAU has previously played in the 2007 New Orleans Bowl (FAU 44, Memphis 27), 2008 Motor City Bowl (FAU 24, Central Michigan 21), 2017 Boca Raton Bowl (FAU 50, Akron 3) and 2019 Boca Raton (FAU 52, SMU 28).

ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes four early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

We have taken enhanced health and safety measures for you.  You must follow all posted instructions while attending this event.

Mask required.

An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present.  COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and persons with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable.

By attending this event you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19, and agree to waive and release any and all claims, actions and lawsuits related to COVID-19 against any party involved in the staging, production or distribution of this event.

Let’s keep each other healthy and safe.

• College Football Playoff National Championship Set for Jan. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium
• Thirteen ESPN Events Owned and Operated Bowl Games
• Bowl Season Kicks Off Saturday, Dec. 19 with Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl

ESPN will televise a 35-game college football bowl season schedule in 2020-21, continuing its long-standing commitment to the sport. The schedule features 13 ESPN Events owned and operated games, the College Football Playoff Semifinals (Friday, Jan. 1) and the entire New Year’s Six, culminating with the College Football Playoff National Championship (Monday, Jan. 11) from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Bowl Season Begins December 19

This year’s bowl season kicks off Saturday, Dec. 19 with ESPN Events’ Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl from Frisco, Texas at 7 p.m. ET.

ESPN’s lineup includes the new Montgomery Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 23 (7 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2), in addition to Camellia Bowl, also in Montgomery, Ala., which will be played on Friday, Dec. 25.

The busiest day of ESPN’s bowl campaign will be Saturday, Dec. 26, when six games are scheduled across ESPN and ABC beginning at noon with the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa and the Cure Bowl in Orlando.

ESPN continues to be the industry’s home to college football’s postseason, airing 35 of the 37 bowl games that are scheduled to be played during the newly rebranded Bowl Season.

College Football Playoff Semifinals on New Year’s Day – The Rose Bowl Game and Allstate Sugar Bowl

This season’s College Football Playoff Semifinals will return to its traditional New Year’s Day date on ESPN. The Rose Bowl Game (5 p.m.) and Allstate Sugar Bowl (8:45 p.m.) will host this year’s CFP Semifinals, while the New Year’s Six’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (12:30 p.m., ESPN) is also scheduled for Jan. 1.

The New Year’s Six also features the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Dec. 30 (7:15 p.m.) and a pair of games on Saturday, Jan. 2 – the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (4 p.m.) followed by the Capital One Orange Bowl (8 p.m.), all on ESPN.

ESPN’s 2020-21 Bowl Season Schedule

All times Eastern. Subject to change.

** ESPN Events bowl games

Note: A decision regarding the Las Vegas Bowl will be announced in the near future

-30-

Media contacts:
Amanda Brooks at 704-973-5042; [email protected] and @BrooksAD
Bill Hofheimer at 860-766-9589; [email protected] and @bhofheimer_espn

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The city of Montgomery will host two college football bowl games this season.

The Montgomery Bowl and Camellia Bowl will both be played at the historic Cramton Bowl.

“In a unique season, we have a unique opportunity to host two bowl games in Montgomery this year,” Camellia Bowl executive director Johnny Williams said. “We have a great relationship with ESPN and we are thankful for the opportunity to continue our bowl tradition during this pandemic season. We had a successful FCS Kickoff Classic in August, and we expect the same with our two bowl games in December.”

The Montgomery Bowl will be played on Wednesday, Dec. 23 with kickoff set for 6 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2.

The seventh annual Camellia Bowl will be played on Friday, Dec. 25 with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised by ESPN.

“Our partnership with ESPN continues paying dividends and diversifying an already broad array of entertainment and cultural assets that bolster our growing tourism industry,” Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said. “A second bowl game in the River Region is the perfect complement to the Camellia Bowl. Above all, I commend our staff for successfully reimagining how to host primetime events amid a worldwide pandemic and prioritizing the health and safety of the players, staff and limited fans visiting the Cramton Bowl.”

The city of Montgomery is synonymous with Christmas Day bowl games. The annual Blue-Gray Football Classic was played at the historic Cramton Bowl from 1939-2003.  The inaugural game was played on Jan. 1, 1939. The Blue-Gray Football Classic was first played on Christmas Day in 1954. The event became an annual Christmas Day tradition beginning in 1979.

“Christmas has come early for Montgomery County! In a year that has been unique to say the least, we are being gifted with not one but two college football games that will be nationally televised on ESPN. We are thrilled to once again host the Camellia Bowl as we know the tradition and value it brings to Montgomery. This year, for the first time, we will host the Montgomery Bowl named after our great county. These two bowl games will help Montgomery tremendously with both the economic impact and national exposure. Montgomery will again be in the national spotlight and we can’t wait,” said Montgomery County Commission Chairman Elton Dean. “We are grateful to ESPN for choosing Montgomery and thankful for the hard work by our residents to bring these bowl games here.

Playing on Christmas Day adds to the excitement of Camellia Bowl, which has had some thrilling games with the first six games decided by 25 total points. All six games were decided in the fourth quarter, with three games decided on the final play.

Ticket information for both the Montgomery Bowl and Camellia Bowl will be announced at a later date.

CAMELLIA BOWL ALL-TIME RESULTS:

Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28 (Dec. 20, 2014)

Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29 (Dec. 19, 2015)

Appalachian State 31, Toledo 28 (Dec. 17, 2016)

Middle Tennessee 35, Arkansas State 30 (Dec. 16, 2017)

Georgia Southern 23, Eastern Michigan 21 (Dec. 15, 2018)

Arkansas State 34, FIU 26 (Dec. 21, 2019)

ESPN Events 

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes four early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

Logo and visual identity developed for the annual “Celebration of College Football”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | OCTOBER 23, 2020                                                      

CONTACT | Tony Fay PR, Tony Fay, 972.273.0794, [email protected]

DALLAS, TEXAS (October 23, 2020) — The Football Bowl Association is getting a new name and brand: Bowl Season. The debut of the name change, logo and website for the organization is part of a major brand overhaul announced today by Executive Director Nick Carparelli.

The new Bowl Season tagline, “A Celebration of College Football,” embraces the grand tradition of the bowl system and its enduring value to student-athletes. Highlighting the broader university community, including spirit squads, marching bands, student athletic staff and fans, Bowl Season will work with all existing bowls to promote the benefits of the entire bowl system.

Carparelli has collaborated over the last six months with leaders of the 44 bowl games, each of the 10 FBS conferences, media partners and other stakeholders to build consensus and solidify plans for the new brand.

“For four decades, the Football Bowl Association has served as a staunch advocate of the bowl system,” said Carparelli. “But until now, it’s been a behind-the-scenes organization designed to facilitate conversation among bowl leadership and stakeholders.  Since joining the organization last spring, I’ve listened to our membership’s clear desire for a new identity– to rebrand the FBA to speak directly to those who love this sport.”

“The stretch from mid-December through the first week of January marks one of the most endlessly entertaining times on the sports calendar,” Carparelli continues.  “Footballs are flying morning, noon and night. It creates an opportunity to honor teams that have put in the work and provides an unforgettable victory lap for student-athletes. We’re excited to build up ‘Bowl Season’ as a true celebration of college football.”

The Bowl Season logo consists of a centrally-placed, collegiate-style football inside an overhead view of a stadium or bowl, from which the term “bowl game” was derived. The logo is also evocative of the top of championship rings, which are often awarded to teams that play in bowl games. The stadium contains 10 sections, each representing a conference member of the Football Bowl Subdivision: American Athletic Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12, Big 10, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference, PAC 12, Southeastern Conference and Sun Belt Conference.

The new name and visual identity were developed by Connecticut-based 1919 Productions and Joe Bosack & Co.  Tony Fay Public Relations, based in Dallas, was hired to oversee communications efforts for the organization.

“Our goal was to create a new brand that is distinctive, ownable and clearly defines what Bowl Season is,” said Marc Jacobson, Owner, 1919 Productions. “The new name and logo taps into the passion and emotion of college football, which we think will resonate well with all parties involved.”

More information can be found at www.bowlseason.com.

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About Bowl Season

Bowl Season is the collective coalition of the 44 bowl games played in the traditional college football postseason. Dubbed “A Celebration of College Football,” Bowl Season promotes the grand tradition of the bowl system and its endearing value to student-athletes. It also highlights the broader university and college communities, including spirit squads, marching bands, athletic staff and fans. A nonprofit, Bowl Season spotlights the distinctiveness of each of the bowl games along with their histories and traditions, embracing and honoring the bowl experience for present and future generations.