The 68 Ventures Bowl is a postseason NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that has been played annually in Mobile, Alabama since 1999. In 2021, the game was moved from Ladd-Peebles Stadium to Hancock Whitney Stadium, on the campus of the University of South Alabama. The game currently matches teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid-American Conference. Originally known as the Mobile Alabama Bowl during its first two playings, it has undergone many name changes.
| 68 Ventures Bowl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | Hancock Whitney Stadium |
| Location | Mobile, Alabama |
| Previous stadiums | Ladd-Peebles Stadium |
| Operated | 1999–present |
| Conference tie-ins | Sun Belt, MAC |
| Previous conference tie-ins | ACC, C-USA, WAC |
| Payout | US$1.5 million (2019 season)[1] |
| Sponsors | |
| |
| Former names | |
| |
| 2023 matchup | |
| South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan (South Alabama 59–10) | |
| 2024 matchup | |
| (December 26, 2024) | |
History
editThe game was known as the Mobile Alabama Bowl for its first two playings, in 1999 and 2000. GMAC (now Ally Financial) had become the title sponsor for the 2000 playing, and the game was renamed as the GMAC Bowl for the 2001 though January 2010 playings. It was then the GoDaddy.com Bowl for the January 2011 to January 2013 playings when GoDaddy took over sponsorship.[2] In May 2013, it was announced that the ".com" would be dropped from the bowl's name, rebranding it as the GoDaddy Bowl for the January 2014 through December 2015 editions.[3] Dollar General took over sponsorship on August 17, 2016,[4] with the 2016 through 2018 playings branded as the Dollar General Bowl. It was announced on May 29, 2019, that Dollar General would no longer sponsor the bowl.[5] It was temporarily called by its original name, the Mobile Alabama Bowl,[5] until new sponsorship by LendingTree was announced on November 15, 2019, making it the LendingTree Bowl.[6] On May 15, 2023, the game came under new sponsorship and was renamed as the 68 Ventures Bowl.[7]
When the bowl first began, it was played as one of the first games of the bowl season in December. The 2006 season saw the game moved to January, and it served as one of the last bowls played before the national championship game of either the Bowl Championship Series or the College Football Playoff. For the 2015 season, the bowl was moved back to December, where it remained for every subsequent playing except for the 2019 season.[5]
Conference tie-ins
editFrom 1999 to 2009, the bowl pitted a Conference USA (C-USA) team against a team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC), except for the first two playings, when the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) could receive the bid if one of its easternmost teams qualified as bowl eligible.
For the January 2010 edition, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) was to participate in the bowl as its ninth bowl tie-in. The ACC failed to have sufficient bowl-eligible teams to fill the slot, and the bowl chose Sun Belt Conference champion Troy as a replacement.[8] A MAC vs. Sun Belt matchup was then featured for a total of 11 consecutive bowls, through the January 2020 edition. That streak was broken when the December 2020 edition invited teams from C-USA and the Sun Belt. After Arkansas State of the Sun Belt appeared in the 2012 through 2015 editions of the bowl, the conference and bowl committee agreed on changing the team selection bylaws to avoid repeat appearances by teams in consecutive years.[citation needed]
Notable games
editThe 2001 game between the Marshall Thundering Herd and East Carolina Pirates set the record as the highest-scoring bowl game of all time, and Marshall achieved what was then the greatest scoring comeback in bowl history.[9] In this contest, Marshall battled back from a 38–8 deficit to win. 64–61, in double overtime. Thundering Herd quarterback Byron Leftwich threw for 576 yards in the game. The 2008 game had the largest margin of victory in bowl history, with Tulsa defeating Bowling Green, 63–7. Following the 2023 game, a 59–10 win by South Alabama over Eastern Michigan, an altercation took place on-field between the teams prior to the trophy presentation, initiated by an Eastern Michigan player sucker punching a South Alabama player while the South Alabama marching band and team were singing the school's alma mater.[10][11]
Game results
editSource:[37]
MVPs
edit| Date played | MVP | School | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 22, 1999 | Casey Printers | TCU | QB |
| December 20, 2000 | LaDainian Tomlinson | TCU | RB |
| December 19, 2001 | Byron Leftwich | Marshall | QB |
| December 18, 2002 | Byron Leftwich | Marshall | QB |
| December 18, 2003 | Ben Roethlisberger | Miami (OH) | QB |
| December 22, 2004 | Omar Jacobs | Bowling Green | QB |
| December 21, 2005 | Bruce Gradkowski | Toledo | QB |
| January 7, 2007 | Damion Fletcher | Southern Miss | RB |
| January 6, 2008 | Paul Smith | Tulsa | QB |
| January 6, 2009 | Tarrion Adams | Tulsa | RB |
| January 6, 2010 | Dan LeFevour | Central Michigan | QB |
| January 6, 2011 | Austin Boucher | Miami (OH) | QB |
| January 8, 2012 | Chandler Harnish | Northern Illinois | QB |
| January 6, 2013 | Ryan Aplin | Arkansas State | QB |
| January 5, 2014 | Fredi Knighten | Arkansas State | QB |
| January 4, 2015 | Kareem Hunt | Toledo | RB |
| December 23, 2015 | Favian Upshaw | Georgia Southern | QB |
| December 23, 2016 | Justin Lucas | Troy | LB |
| December 23, 2017 | Jalin Moore | Appalachian State | RB |
| December 22, 2018 | Sawyer Smith | Troy | QB |
| January 6, 2020 | Levi Lewis | Louisiana | QB |
| December 26, 2020 | Cornelious Brown IV[38] | Georgia State | QB |
| December 18, 2021 | Malik Willis[39] | Liberty | QB |
| December 17, 2022 | Frank Gore Jr.[40] | Southern Miss | RB |
| December 23, 2023 | Gio Lopez[41] | South Alabama | QB |
Most appearances
editUpdated through the December 2023 edition (25 games, 50 total appearances).
- Teams with multiple appearances
| Rank | Team | Appearances | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas State | 4 | 2–2 |
| 2 | Southern Miss | 3 | 3–0 |
| Miami (OH) | 3 | 2–1 | |
| Toledo | 3 | 2–1 | |
| Troy | 3 | 2–1 | |
| Bowling Green | 3 | 1–2 | |
| 7 | Marshall | 2 | 2–0 |
| Tulsa | 2 | 2–0 | |
| TCU | 2 | 1–1 | |
| Ball State | 2 | 0–2 | |
| East Carolina | 2 | 0–2 | |
| Eastern Michigan | 2 | 0–2 | |
| Louisville | 2 | 0–2 | |
| Ohio | 2 | 0–2 |
- Teams with a single appearance
Won (8): Appalachian State, Central Michigan, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Liberty, Louisiana, Northern Illinois, South Alabama
Lost (7): Buffalo, Kent State, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, Rice, UTEP, Western Kentucky
Appearances by conference
editUpdated through the December 2023 edition (25 games, 50 total appearances).
| Conference | Record | Appearances by season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | Win pct. | Won | Lost | |
| MAC | 21 | 9 | 12 | .429 | 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009*, 2010*, 2011*, 2014* | 2006*, 2007*, 2008*, 2012*, 2013*, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019*, 2021, 2023 |
| Sun Belt | 14 | 10 | 4 | .714 | 2012*, 2013*, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019*, 2020, 2022, 2023 | 2009*, 2010*, 2011*, 2014* |
| C-USA | 12 | 4 | 8 | .333 | 2000, 2006*, 2007*, 2008* | 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2020, 2022 |
| WAC | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 1999 | 2000 |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2021 | |
- Games marked with an asterisk (*) were played in January of the following calendar year.
- The WAC no longer sponsors FBS football.
- Independent appearances: Liberty (2021)
Game records
edit| Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 64, Marshall vs. East Carolina | 2001 |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 61, East Carolina vs. Marshall | 2001 |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 125, Marshall vs. East Carolina | 2001 |
| Fewest points allowed | 0, Appalachian State vs. Toledo | 2017 |
| Largest margin of victory | 56, Tulsa vs. Bowling Green | 2008 |
| Total yards | 649, Marshall vs. East Carolina | 2001 |
| Rushing yards | 482, Tulsa vs. Ball State | 2009 |
| Passing yards | 576, Marshall vs. East Carolina | 2001 |
| First downs | 36, Marshall vs. East Carolina | 2001 |
| Fewest yards allowed | 146, Appalachian State vs. Toledo | 2017 |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | –16, TCU vs. East Carolina | 1999 |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | 73, South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan | 2023 |
| Individual | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| All-purpose yards | ||
| Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 5, Kareem Hunt (Toledo) | Jan. 2015 |
| Rushing yards | 329, Frank Gore Jr. (Southern Miss) | 2022 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 5, Kareem Hunt (Toledo) | Jan. 2015 |
| Passing yards | 576, Byron Leftwich (Marshall) | 2001 |
| Passing touchdowns | 5, most recent: Fredi Knighten (Arkansas State) |
Jan. 2015 |
| Receiving yards | 234, Denero Marriott (Marshall) | 2001 |
| Receiving touchdowns | 3, most recent: Booker Mays (Arkansas State) |
Jan. 2015 |
| Tackles | ||
| Sacks | ||
| Interceptions | ||
| Long plays | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Touchdown run | 88 yds., Lionel Gates (Louisville) | 2003 |
| Touchdown pass | 70 yds., Austin Boucher to Armand Robinson (Miami (OH))† 66, Fredi Knighten to Tres Houston, Arkansas State vs. Toledo[42] |
2011 Jan. 2015 |
| Kickoff return | 95 yds., Antonio Brown (Central Michigan) | 2010 |
| Punt return | 44 yds., DeMarco Paine (Miami (OH)) | 2011 |
| Interception return | 94 yds., Money Hunter (Arkansas State) | Jan. 2015 |
| Fumble return | 93 yds., Tyrone Hill[43] (Buffalo) | 2018 |
| Punt | 65 yds., Britt Barefoot (Southern Miss) ‡ 73, Joseph Davidson, (Bowling Green)[44] |
2007 Dec. 2015 |
| Field goal | 49 yds., Jesus Gomez (Eastern Michigan) | 2023 |
Source:[45]
Media coverage
editThe bowl has been televised on ESPN or ESPN2 since its inception.
References
edit- ^ "2019 Bowl Schedule". collegefootballpoll.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- ^ "GODADDY.COM JOINS COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL LINEUP". 2010-10-18. Archived from the original on 2010-10-23. Retrieved 2010-10-18 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ Inabinett, Mark (May 15, 2013). "GoDaddy Bowl tweaks name, sets date for 2014 game". AL.com/mobile. Mobile Press-Register. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ Stephenson, Creg (August 17, 2016). "Dollar General takes over as title sponsor of Mobile bowl game". AL.com. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Mobile's college bowl game no longer called 'Dollar General Bowl'". WKRG-TV. May 29, 2019. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ "Mobile's college bowl game renamed LendingTree Bowl". WPMI-TV. November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "68 Ventures is New Title Sponsor for Mobile Alabama Bowl". 68venturesbowl.com. May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "ACC adds GMAC Bowl to its postseason lineup : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis". Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
- ^ "Leftwich throws for 576 yards in 64–61 GMAC Bowl win". sportsillustrated.cnn.com. December 19, 2001. Archived from the original on December 29, 2001.
- ^ Salerno, Cameron (December 24, 2023). "Eastern Michigan-South Alabama brawl: Postgame chaos erupts after sucker punch at 68 Ventures Bowl". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ Bumbaca, Chris (December 24, 2023). "EMU player sucker punches South Alabama player, ignites wild fight after 68 Ventures Bowl". USA Today. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ "1999 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2000 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2001 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2002 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2003 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2004 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2005 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2007 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2008 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2009 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2010 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2011 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2012 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2013 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2014 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2015 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "Dec. 2015 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2016 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2017 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "2018 Game Recap – LendingTree Bowl".
- ^ "Louisiana vs. Miami (OH) - Game Summary". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ "Western Kentucky vs. Georgia State - Game Summary". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- ^ Stephenson, Creg (December 18, 2021). "Malik Willis, Liberty rout Eastern Michigan in LendingTree Bowl, 56-20". al.com. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ Busby, Garrett (December 17, 2022). "Gore Jr.'s record night highlights Southern Miss' first bowl victory since 2016". WLBT.com. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "Gio Lopez leads South Alabama to 59-10 rout of Eastern Michigan in 68 Ventures Bowl". apnews.com. AP. December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ "Lending Tree Bowl" (PDF). Bowl/All Star Game Records. NCAA. 2020. p. 13. Retrieved January 3, 2021 – via NCAA.org.
- ^ @JMacDonaldSport (December 26, 2020). "Cornelious Brown is the LendingTree Bowl MVP, Destin Coates is the Offensive MVP, Jontrey Hunter was the Defensive MVP and Noel Ruiz was the Special Teams MVP" (Tweet). Retrieved December 26, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ @CregStephenson (December 18, 2021). "Malik Willis is your game MVP after accounting for 289 yards & 5 TDs" (Tweet). Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Busby, Garrett (December 17, 2022). "Gore Jr.'s record night highlights Southern Miss' first bowl victory since 2016". WLBT.com. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "Gio Lopez leads South Alabama to rout of Eastern Michigan in 68 Ventures Bowl". triblive.com. AP. December 24, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ "Toledo vs. Arkansas State - Play-By-Play". ESPN.com. January 4, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
Fredi Knighten pass complete to Tres Houston for 66 yds for a TD.
- ^ "2018 Dollar General Bowl Highlights". Troy Trojans. 22 December 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 4, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Georgia Southern vs. Bowling Green - Play-By-Play". ESPN.com. December 23, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
4th & 11 at BGSU 19 (6:42 - 2nd) Joseph Davidson punt for 73 yds, downed at the GeoSo 8.
- ^ "LendingTree Bowl Records". LendingTree Game Day Program. LendingTree Bowl Media Relations Department. December 2020. pp. 18–19. Retrieved December 26, 2020 – via lendingtreebowl.com.
- ^ "Middle Tennessee vs. Miani (OH) - Play-By-Play". ESPN.com. January 6, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
Austin Boucher pass complete to Armand Robinson for 70 yards to the MTnSt 3 for a 1ST down.
- ^ "Georgia Southern vs. Bowling Green - Play-By-Play". ESPN.com. December 23, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
4th & 11 at BGSU 19 (6:42 - 2nd) Joseph Davidson punt for 73 yds, downed at the GeoSo 8.