Live United Texarkana Bowl
| Live United Texarkana Bowl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | Razorback Stadium |
| Location | Texarkana, Arkansas |
| Operated | 2013–2023 |
| Conference tie-ins | GAC vs. at-large (2013-2016), GAC vs. MIAA (2017-2023) |
The Live United Texarkana Bowl was an American NCAA Division II college football bowl game held at Razorback Stadium in Texarkana, Arkansas. The game was established in 2013 and played annually through 2023 with the exception of 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2020 to 2023 the title sponsor was Farmers Bank & Trust.[1]
In each of its ten seasons, the game's selection committee extended an invitation to the highest-standing team from the Great American Conference (GAC) which did not qualify for the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs.[2] Initially, the opponent was an at-large team selected from either the Lone Star Conference (LSC) or the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Starting in 2017, when teams from the GAC, MIAA, and LSC also became eligible for bids to the Heritage Bowl (played in Corsicana, Texas), the Texarkana game became a GAC-MIAA matchup. At the time of its demise, the Live United Bowl was the oldest of four Division II sanctioned bowl games. The others were the Heritage Bowl, America's Crossroads Bowl, and Florida Beach Bowl.
The game raised between $10,000 and $15,000 annually for the United Way of Greater Texarkana. It also generated an estimated $500,000 per year for the local economy.[3][4] Despite these successes, on July 2, 2024, Texarkana (Arkansas) mayor Allen Brown announced that the game was being "retired" after a run of ten seasons. Brown, who also served as bowl president, called it "disappointing" that the game was "not really supported by our local community." He noted that "sponsorships have declined" while "expenses have continued to increase."[5]
Game results
[edit]| Date played | Winning team | Losing team | notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 13, 2013 | Harding (GAC) | 44 | Texas A&M–Commerce (LSC) | 3 | [6] |
| December 6, 2014 | Central Missouri (MIAA) | 48 | Southeastern Oklahoma State (GAC) | 21 | [7] |
| December 5, 2015 | Central Oklahoma (MIAA) | 38 | Southwestern Oklahoma State (GAC) | 21 | [8] |
| December 3, 2016 | Texas A&M–Kingsville (LSC) | 24 | Southern Arkansas (GAC) | 17 | [9] |
| December 2, 2017 | Pittsburg State (MIAA) | 48 | Arkansas Tech (GAC) | 31 | [10] |
| December 1, 2018 | Missouri Western (MIAA) | 30 | Southern Arkansas (GAC) | 25 | [11] |
| December 7, 2019 | Missouri Western (MIAA) | 35 | Henderson State (GAC) | 14 | [12] |
| December 4, 2021 | Southeastern Oklahoma State (GAC) | 37 | Emporia State (MIAA) | 34 | [13] |
| December 3, 2022 | Emporia State (MIAA) | 48 | Southeastern Oklahoma State (GAC) | 27 | [14] |
| December 2, 2023 | Southern Arkansas (GAC) | 43 | Missouri Western (MIAA) | 27 | [15] |
Wins by conference
[edit]| Conference | Games | Win | Loss | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-America | 8 | 6 | 2 | .750 |
| Lone Star | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 |
| Great American | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 |
Appearances by team
[edit]| Team | Appearances | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Central Missouri | 1 | 1–0 |
| Central Oklahoma | 1 | 1–0 |
| Harding | 1 | 1–0 |
| Pittsburg State | 1 | 1–0 |
| Texas A&M-Kingsville | 1 | 1–0 |
| Missouri Western | 3 | 2–1 |
| Emporia State | 2 | 1–1 |
| Southern Arkansas | 3 | 1–2 |
| Southeastern Oklahoma State | 3 | 1–2 |
| Arkansas Tech | 1 | 0–1 |
| Henderson State | 1 | 0–1 |
| Southwestern Oklahoma State | 1 | 0–1 |
| Texas A&M–Commerce | 1 | 0–1 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Live United Bowl Has New Title Sponsor". Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ "GAC To Participate In Live United Texarkana Bowl". Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ "Live United Bowl a winner for Texarkana". KSLA-TV 12. December 6, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ Hopkins, Jason (July 3, 2024). "End of an Era: Texarkana's Live United Bowl 'retired' after 10 years". Texarkana Gazette. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ Hopkins, Jason (July 3, 2024). "End of an Era: Texarkana's Live United Bowl 'retired' after 10 years". Texarkana Gazette. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ Haslett, Mark (December 16, 2013). "Lions fall to Harding in Texarkana Bowl". KETR-FM 88.9. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ "Central Missouri 48, Southeastern 21". Daily Oklahoman. December 7, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- ^ "UCO takes bowl game win over Southwestern". Daily Oklahoman. December 6, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- ^ "Javelinas win Live United Bowl". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. December 4, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- ^ "Gorillas Pour It On In Live United Bowl". Kansas City Star. December 3, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- ^ Zenner, Brandon (December 1, 2018). "Fast start helps Missouri Western to win in Live United Bowl". News-Press NOW. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ "Borderline Beatdown: Griffons maul Reddies with run game, returns". St. Joseph News-Press. December 8, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- ^ "Live United Bowl a winner for Texarkana". KSLA-TV 12. December 6, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ "Live United Bowl Champs: Emporia State rolls to 48-27 win over Southeastern Oklahoma". Emporia State University Athletics. December 3, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ "Griffons fall 43-27 to Southern Arkansas in Live United Bowl". Missouri Western State University Athletics. December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.