Camellia Bowl
StadiumCramton Bowl (25,000)
LocationMontgomery, Alabama
Operated2014–present
Conference tie-insMAC, Sun Belt, C-USA (alternate)
PayoutUS$300,000 (2019)[1]
Sponsors
Former names
  • Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (2014–2018)
  • Camellia Bowl (2019–2020)
  • TaxAct Camellia Bowl (2021)
2022 matchup
Georgia Southern vs. Buffalo
(Buffalo 23–21)
2023 matchup
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois
(Northern Illinois 21–19)

The Camellia Bowl is an annual National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned FBS college football bowl game played in Montgomery, Alabama, at the Cramton Bowl.[2][3] The game features teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid-American Conference (MAC).[2][3] The bowl game was announced in August 2013 and first played in December 2014. The game is owned and managed by ESPN Events and is named after the camellia, which is the state flower of Alabama.

Sponsorship

The bowl was sponsored at its inception by Raycom Media, a major owner of television stations in the southeastern United States with heavy involvement in college sports broadcasting, and was officially known as the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.[4] In June 2018, Gray Television announced its intent to acquire Raycom[5][6] The acquisition was completed in January 2019,[7] and the 2019 and 2020 editions of the bowl were played without a title sponsor.

On November 24, 2021, TaxAct was named as the new title sponsor of both the Camellia Bowl and the Texas Bowl.[8]

Game results

Date Winning Team Losing Team Attendance Notes
December 20, 2014Bowling Green33South Alabama2820,256notes
December 19, 2015Appalachian State31Ohio2921,395notes
December 17, 2016Appalachian State31Toledo2820,300notes
December 16, 2017Middle Tennessee35Arkansas State3020,612notes
December 15, 2018Georgia Southern23Eastern Michigan2117,710notes
December 21, 2019Arkansas State34FIU2616,209notes
December 25, 2020Buffalo17Marshall102,512notes
December 25, 2021Georgia State51Ball State207,345notes
December 27, 2022Buffalo23Georgia Southern2115,322notes
December 23, 2023Northern Illinois21Arkansas State1911,310notes

Source:[9][10]

MVPs

The bowl's MVP receives the Bart Starr Most Valuable Player Award; Starr was born and raised in Montgomery, where the Camellia Bowl is played.[11]

Year MVP Team Position
2014James KnapkeBowling GreenQB
2015Marcus CoxAppalachian StateRB
2016Taylor LambAppalachian StateQB
2017Darius HarrisMiddle TennesseeOLB
2018Shai WertsGeorgia SouthernQB
2019Omar BaylessArkansas StateWR
2020Kevin MarksBuffaloRB
2021Darren GraingerGeorgia StateQB
2022Justin MarshallBuffaloWR
2023Rocky LombardiNorthern IllinoisQB

Source:[12][13][14]

Most appearances

Updated through the December 2023 edition (10 games, 20 total appearances).

Teams with multiple appearances
Rank Team Appearances Record
1Arkansas State31–2
2Appalachian State22–0
Buffalo22–0
Georgia Southern21–1
Teams with a single appearance

Won (4): Bowling Green, Georgia State, Middle Tennessee, Northern Illinois
Lost (7): Ball State, Eastern Michigan, FIU, Marshall, Ohio, South Alabama, Toledo

Appearances by conference

Updated through the December 2023 edition (10 games, 20 total appearances).

Conference Record Appearances by season
Games W L Win pct. Won Lost
Sun Belt954.5562015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 20212014, 2017, 2022, 2023
MAC844.5002014, 2020, 2022, 20232015, 2016, 2018, 2021
C-USA312.33320172019, 2020

Game records

Team Record, Team vs. Opponent Year
Most points scored (one team) 51, Georgia State vs. Ball State 2021
Most points scored (losing team) 30, Arkansas State vs. Middle Tennessee 2017
Most points scored (both teams) 71, Georgia State vs. Ball State 2021
Fewest points allowed 10, Marshall vs. Buffalo 2020
Largest margin of victory 31, Georgia State vs. Ball State 2021
Total yards 525, Arkansas State vs. FIU 2019
Rushing yards 331, Georgia Southern vs. Eastern Michigan 2018
Passing yards 393, Arkansas State vs. FIU 2019
First downs 31, Arkansas State vs. FIU 2019
Fewest yards allowed 248, Marshall vs. Buffalo 2020
Fewest rushing yards allowed 74, Ball State vs. Georgia State 2021
Fewest passing yards allowed 33, Eastern Michigan vs. Georgia Southern 2018
Individual Record, Player, Team Year
All-purpose yards180, Omar Bayless (Arkansas State)2019
Touchdowns (all-purpose)2, multiple players—most recently:
Corey Rucker (Arkansas State)

2023
Rushing yards162, Marcus Cox (Appalachian State)2015
Rushing touchdowns2, multiple players—most recently:
Shai Werts (Georgia Southern)

2018
Passing yards393, Layne Hatcher (Arkansas State)2019
Passing touchdowns4, Layne Hatcher (Arkansas State)2019
Receiving yards180, Omar Bayless (Arkansas State)2019
Receiving touchdowns2, multiple players—most recently:
Corey Rucker (Georgia State)

2023
Tackles18, Maleki Harris (South Alabama)2014
Sacks2, shared by:
Bryan Thomas (Bowling Green)
Eric Black (Buffalo)
Jamil Muhammad (Georgia State)

2014
2020
2021
Interceptions2, BJ Edmonds (Arkansas State)2017
Long Plays Record, Player, Team Year
Touchdown run45 yds., Terelle West (Middle Tennessee)2017
Touchdown pass79 yds., Joshua Thompson from Kyle Vantrease (Georgia Southern)2022
Kickoff return94 yds., Darrynton Evans (Appalachian State)2016
Punt return25 yds., Corey Jones (Toledo)2016
Interception return55 yds., Antavious Lane (Georgia State)2021
Fumble return54 yds., D. J. Sanders (Middle Tennessee)2017
Punt61 yds., shared by:
Cody Grace (Arkansas State)
Robert LeFevre (Marshall)
Anthony Venneri (Buffalo)

2017
2020
2022
Field goal52 yds., José Borregales (FIU)2019

For all-purpose yardage, the bowl's record book lists Murray's 179 yards (76 receiving, 103 kickoff return) despite Bayless having 180 yards (all receiving).

Source:[15][16]

Media coverage

Television

Date Network Play-by-play announcers Color commentators Sideline reporters
2014 ESPN Dave LaMont Joey Galloway Paul Carcaterra
2015 Dave Neal Anthony Becht
2016 Eamon McAnaney John Congemi Lauren Sisler
2017 Taylor Zarzour Andre Ware Olivia Dekker
2018 Mike Corey Rene Ingoglia Lauren Sisler
2019 Taylor Zarzour Matt Stinchcomb Alyssa Lang
2020 Bill Roth Dustin Fox Lauren Sisler
2021 Roy Philpott Hutson Mason Abby Labar
2022 Drew Carter Aaron Murray Lauren Sisler
2023 Courtney Lyle Hutson Mason Ashley Stroehlein

Radio

Date Network Play-by-play announcers Color commentators Sideline reporters
2014 ESPN Radio Jason Benetti Gene Chizik Niki Noto
2015 Marc Kestecher Cole Cubelic Dawn Davenport
2016 John Brickley Mike Golic Jr.
2017 Brad Edwards
2018 Jay Alter Ben Hartsock
2019 Kevin Winter Brad Edwards
2022 Bowl Season Radio JD Byars Chad Pilcher
2023 ESPN Radio Mike Couzens Aaron Murray

References

  1. "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Poe, Janita (August 19, 2013). "Montgomery unveils Alabama's 3rd college bowl, inaugural game set for December 2014". AL.com. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  3. 1 2 McMurphy, Brett (August 19, 2013). "Bowl created for MAC, Sun Belt". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  4. "2014 Event Sponsors". ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  5. Hufford, Austen (2018-06-25). "Gray TV to Buy Raycom in $3.65 Billion Deal". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
  6. Hayes, Dade (2018-06-25). "Gray Acquiring Raycom For $3.65B, Forming No. 3 Local TV Group". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-06-25.
  7. "Gray Completes Acquisitions for Raycom Media and Related Transactions", Gray Television, 2 January 2019, Retrieved 2 January 2019
  8. "TaxAct® Named Title Sponsor of Texas and Camellia Bowl Games as Part of a Multi-Event College Football Agreement with ESPN Events". bowlseason.com. November 24, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  9. "Camellia Bowl" (PDF). Bowl/All Star Game Records. NCAA. 2020. p. 16. Retrieved January 3, 2021 via NCAA.org.
  10. "Camellia Bowl Results". camelliabowl.com. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  11. "Camellia Bowl MVP Trophy Named For Montgomery Native Bart Starr". camelliabowl.com. Camellia Bowl Media Relations. December 12, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  12. "Bart Star MVP Award". camelliabowl.com. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  13. @UBFootball (December 27, 2022). "Camellia Bowl MVP @JusMarshall!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 27, 2022 via Twitter.
  14. @NIUAthletics (December 23, 2023). "RECAP: Offense, defense and special teams combine as NIU earns Camellia Bowl win, 21-19, over Arkansas State. Rocky Lombardi named Bart Starr MVP" (Tweet). Retrieved December 23, 2023 via Twitter.
  15. "Camellia Bowl Records" (PDF). camelliabowl.com. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  16. Allen, Barry (December 22, 2019). "Arkansas State Passes Camellia Bowl Test". camelliabowl.com. Camellia Bowl Media Relations. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
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