Pioneer Bowl

The Pioneer Bowl was a December college football bowl game contested in two different eras, by teams below the level of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Between 1971 and 1982, the game was held 10 times in Wichita Falls, Texas, first as an NCAA College Division regional final, then as a playoff game for Division II and Division I-AA. Between 1997 and 2012, the game was played 14 times in five different cities in the South, between historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in Division II.

Pioneer Bowl (defunct)
Logo for the 2012 game
StadiumA. J. McClung Memorial Stadium (2010–2012)
Charlie W. Johnson Stadium (2007–2009)
Memorial Stadium (2005–2006)
Ladd–Peebles Stadium (2004)
Georgia Dome (1999–2003)
Herndon Stadium (1997–1998)
Memorial Stadium (1971–1978, 1981–1982)
LocationColumbus, Georgia (2010–2012)
Columbia, South Carolina (2007–2009)
Charlotte, North Carolina (2005–2006)
Mobile, Alabama (2004)
Atlanta, Georgia (1997–2003)
Wichita Falls, Texas (1971–1978, 1981–1982)
Operated1997–2012 (no game '02 & '08)
1981–1982
1971–1978
Conference tie-insCIAA & SIAC (1997–2012)
Program cover for the 1971 game

History

Early Pioneer Bowls

The Pioneer Bowl was originally one of the four regional finals in the College Division (which was subdivided into Division II and Division III in 1973). It was played for this purpose in 1971 and 1972 in Wichita Falls, Texas; there were no playoffs as the national champion was determined by poll at the end of the regular season. The game succeeded the Pecan Bowl, which was played in Abilene (1964–67) and Arlington (1968–70). The other three regional finals were the Boardwalk, Grantland Rice, and Camellia bowls.

With the launch of Division II in 1973 and its full playoff system, the Pioneer Bowl was one of the two Division II semifinals (with the Grantland Rice Bowl) for the first three years, and then became the championship game for two years. For the inaugural season of Division I-AA in 1978, the Pioneer Bowl became the new division's title game. The I-AA title game was played in Florida in 1979 and California in 1980, then returned to Wichita Falls as the Pioneer Bowl in 1981 and 1982.

HBCUs

Starting in 1997, the game was contested between teams from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), two Division II athletic conferences composed mainly of HBCUs. For most of its second existence, it was one of just two or three NCAA Division II bowl games. No game was played in 2002 or 2008, and the final playing of the game took place in 2012. The 2013 edition was canceled, and the event was indefinitely suspended in 2014.

Tuskegee University had the most appearances and victories at the Pioneer Bowl, winning 7 times in 10 appearances. Until 2012, Tuskegee's regular season extended longer than most other Division II teams (including the Turkey Day Classic on Thanksgiving Day), which prevented the team from playing in the NCAA's Division II playoff tournament; the Pioneer Bowl was thus the only way Tuskegee could play in the postseason.

"Pioneer Bowl" was used in 1993 as the name of a fictional bowl game played at the Alamodome in the television series Coach.[1]

Game results

Early Pioneer Bowls
Date playedWinning teamLosing teamVenueLocationNCAA Playoff
December 11, 1971Louisiana Tech14Eastern Michigan3Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, TexasCollege Division
Regional Final
December 9, 1972Tennessee State29Drake7Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, Texas
December 8, 1973Louisiana Tech38Boise State34Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, TexasDiv. II semifinal
December 7, 1974Central Michigan35Louisiana Tech14Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, Texas
December 6, 1975Northern Michigan28West Alabama26Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, Texas
December 11, 1976Montana State24Akron13Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, TexasDiv. II championship
December 10, 1977Lehigh33Jacksonville State0Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, Texas
December 16, 1978Florida A&M35Massachusetts28Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, TexasDiv. I-AA championship
December 15, 1979no bowl name [2]played in Orlando, Florida
December 20, 1980see Camellia Bowlplayed in Sacramento, California
December 19, 1981Idaho State34Eastern Kentucky23Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, Texas
December 18, 1982Eastern Kentucky17Delaware14Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, Texas
Further information: 1978 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, 1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, and 1982 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

HBCUs

Winning teams and their scores appear in bold font.

Date playedSIAC teamCIAA teamVenueLocation
December 20, 1997Kentucky State30Livingstone26Herndon StadiumAtlanta, Georgia
December 19, 1998Tuskegee23Livingstone9Herndon StadiumAtlanta, Georgia
December 18, 1999Tuskegee7Winston-Salem State23Georgia DomeAtlanta, Georgia
December 16, 2000Tuskegee12Winston-Salem State9Georgia DomeAtlanta, Georgia
December 22, 2001Tuskegee28Virginia Union0Georgia DomeAtlanta, Georgia
2002Cancelled
December 20, 2003Albany State52Fayetteville State30Georgia DomeAtlanta, Georgia
December 4, 2004Tuskegee28Shaw30Ladd–Peebles StadiumMobile, Alabama
December 3, 2005Tuskegee28Bowie State26Memorial StadiumCharlotte, North Carolina
December 2, 2006Tuskegee17Johnson C. Smith7Memorial StadiumCharlotte, North Carolina
December 1, 2007Tuskegee58Virginia Union51Charlie W. Johnson StadiumColumbia, South Carolina
2008Cancelled
December 5, 2009Tuskegee21Elizabeth City State7Charlie W. Johnson StadiumColumbia, South Carolina
December 4, 2010Fort Valley State9St. Augustine's20A. J. McClung StadiumColumbus, Georgia
December 3, 2011Miles33Johnson C. Smith35A. J. McClung StadiumColumbus, Georgia
December 4, 2012Tuskegee13Elizabeth City State28A. J. McClung StadiumColumbus, Georgia

Of the 14 games played between HBCUs, SIAC teams won 9 and CIAA teams won 5.

Cancelled games
Date scheduledSIAC teamCIAA teamVenueLocationRef.
December 15, 2002TuskegeeBowie StateRaymond James StadiumTampa, Florida[3]
December 6, 2008TuskegeeCharlie W. Johnson StadiumColumbia, South Carolina[4]
December 7, 2013Albany State[5][6]
2014[7][8]

See also

References
  1. ""Coach" The Pioneer Bowl (TV Episode 1993)". IMDb. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  2. Coffin, Phil (December 12, 1979). "The name of the game". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. p. B 11. Retrieved May 10, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. "Officials call off Pioneer Bowl". Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. AP. December 7, 2002. Retrieved April 13, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  4. "SIAC, CIAA suspend bowl". Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. November 2, 2008. Retrieved April 13, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "Pioneer Bowl Cancelled". thesiac.com (Press release). November 20, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  6. Millikan, John (November 19, 2013). "Pioneer Bowl cancelled, ending Albany State's football season". The Albany Herald. Albany, Georgia. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  7. "Pioneer Bowl Cancelled". thesiac.com (Press release). November 22, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  8. "CIAA® AND SIAC CANCEL 2014 PIONEER BOWL". theciaa.com (Press release). November 23, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
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