The Florida Beach Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game contested between NCAA Division II teams from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), two athletic conferences traditionally consisting of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The first edition of the bowl was played on December 13, 2023, at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
| Florida Beach Bowl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | DRV PNK Stadium |
| Location | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Operated | 2023–present |
| Conference tie-ins | CIAA, SIAC |
| Sponsors | |
Amerant Bank (2023–present) | |
The Florida Beach Bowl is one of four Division II sanctioned bowl games. The others are the America's Crossroads Bowl, Heritage Bowl, and Live United Texarkana Bowl.
History edit
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The bowl was announced in September 2023 by organizers and officials with Inter Miami CF, who operate the host stadium.[1][2] Urban Edge Network (UEN) was subsequently announced as the broadcaster for the bowl,[3] and Amerant Bank as the official sponsor.[4][5]
The Florida Beach Bowl revives the CIAA–SIAC postseason matchup of the defunct Pioneer Bowl, contested from 1997 to 2012. To be eligible for the bowl, a team must have at least six wins,[3] and not be participating in the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs. According to Victor Robenson, bowl CEO, the ultimate goal is to have the game match the champions of the two conferences in a Black college championship for Division II, similar to the way the Celebration Bowl functions as the Black college title game for the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).[6]
Game results edit
| Date played | Winning team | Losing team | notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 13, 2023 | Fort Valley State (SIAC) | 23 | Johnson C. Smith (CIAA) | 10 | [7] |
References edit
- ^ Scouten, Ted (September 14, 2023). "New Florida Beach Bowl game will feature 2 HBCUs during post-season play in Fort Lauderdale". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ "DRV PNK Stadium to Host Inaugural Florida Beach Bowl on Dec. 13". intermiamicf.com. Inter Miami CF Communications Department. October 9, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Mosley, Kyle T. (September 11, 2023). "Florida Beach Bowl, UEN Empowers HBCU Conferences With Postseason Football". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ "Florida Beach Bowl". Miami Herald. November 2, 2023. p. A19. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ "Amerant Bank Inks Partnership as Official Sponsor of Inaugural Florida Beach Bowl". amerantbank.com (Press release). October 30, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ Smalls II, C. Isaiah (November 17, 2023). "HBCUs to clash in Fort Lauderdale". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ^ Mosley, Kyle T. (December 13, 2023). "Fort Valley State Defeats Johnson C. Smith In the Inaugural Florida Beach Bowl". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 14, 2023.