America's Crossroads Bowl
StadiumHammond Central Stadium
LocationHammond, Indiana, U.S.
Operated2019–present
Conference tie-insGLVC, G-MAC

The America's Crossroads Bowl is an annual American NCAA Division II college football bowl game held at Hammond Central High School Stadium in Hammond, Indiana. The game originated as a partnership between the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC), the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, and the city of Hobart, Indiana.[1] From 2019 through 2022, the game was played at Brickyard Stadium in Hobart, roughly 20 miles (32 km) east of its current location.

The America's Crossroads Bowl is one of four Division II sanctioned bowl games. The others are the Heritage Bowl, Live United Texarkana Bowl, and Florida Beach Bowl. The top-placing teams from the GLVC and G-MAC not qualifying for the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs receive an invitation to compete.[2]

History

The creation of America's Crossroads Bowl was announced in April 2019, at a joint press conference including officials of the GLVC, the G-MAC, the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, and the city of Hobart.[3]

In the seasons prior to the creation of the bowl, neither the GLVC nor the G-MAC had ever sent more than one team to the Division II playoffs, and it was assumed the game would match the second-place finishers of the two conferences. For the G-MAC, this has been the case for every game thus far, with the conference sending a team finishing the season in second (or a second-place tie) behind the conference's lone Division II playoff qualifier.[4][5][6][7] The GLVC sent third-place Truman State as its representative to the inaugural game, because Lindenwood and Indianapolis both qualified for the Division II playoffs in 2019, [8] After the 2020 game was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Truman State once again represented the GLVC in 2021 as a third-place team, when Lindenwood qualified for the playoffs and Indianapolis declined the bowl bid.[9] Starting in 2022, the GLVC, like the G-MAC, has sent a team finishing in second place or in a second-place tie.[10][11] Since 2023, the GLVC has made the game optional for the previous year's participant.

The first three games were held on the afternoon of the first Saturday in December, the most common date for NCAA Division II bowl games. With the move from Hobart to Hammond, the bowl became a night game on the first Friday in December.

The 2022 game brought an estimated $200,000 in economic impact to the Hobart area.[12] Following the move to Hammond, the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority anticipated an economic impact of "at least $240,000" from the 2023 game.[13]

Game results

Date played Winning team Losing team notes
December 7, 2019Truman State (GLVC)21Ohio Dominican (G-MAC)7[14]
December 4, 2021Truman State (GLVC)34Hillsdale (G-MAC)17[15]
December 3, 2022Truman State (GLVC)28Tiffin (G-MAC)27[16]
December 1, 2023Ashland (G-MAC)23McKendree (GLVC)20[17]

References

  1. ↑ "America's Crossroads Bowl". 3 December 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  2. ↑ "Hobart to host bowl game". Munster Times. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Hobart Creates Partnership for America's Crossroads Bowl". Inside Indiana Business. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "2019 Football Standings". greatmidwestsports.com.
  5. ↑ "2021 Football Standings". greatmidwestsports.com.
  6. ↑ "2022 Football Standings". greatmidwestsports.com.
  7. ↑ "2023 Football Standings". greatmidwestsports.com.
  8. ↑ "2019 Football Standings". glvcsports.com.
  9. ↑ "2021 Football Standings". glvcsports.com.
  10. ↑ "2022 Football Standings". glvcsports.com.
  11. ↑ "2023 Football Standings". glvcsports.com.
  12. ↑ Pete, Joseph (8 December 2022). "America's Crossroads Bowl a $200,000 Impact". Munster Times. Retrieved 28 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Pete, Joseph (26 November 2023). "Bowl game returning to NWI". Munster Times. Retrieved 31 December 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Truman Football Wins America's Crossroads Bowl 21-7 for Win #10".
  15. ↑ "Truman Repeats as America's Crossroads Bowl Champions".
  16. ↑ "Tiffin Finishes Season in America's Crossroads Bowl".
  17. ↑ "Football wins America's Crossroads Bowl, Ends 2023 On Eight-Game Win Streak".
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