Boardwalk Bowl

Boardwalk Bowl (defunct)
Stadium Atlantic City Convention Center
Location Atlantic City, New Jersey & various
Operated 1961–1973, 1981-current

The Boardwalk Bowl is a post-season college football game held at the former Atlantic City Convention Center (now Boardwalk Hall) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The game featured an annual matchup between Pennsylvania Military College (now Widener University) and the United States Merchant Marine Academy, known as the "Little Army–Navy Game" until 1967 [1]. The playing surface in the earlier years consisted of natural grass sod that was grown outside and then moved indoors for the game. This game was first held in 1961 and continued annually through 1973. From 1968 through 1972, it was the NCAA College Division East championship game. In 1973, under a new playoff system, it became the Division II national semifinal. It was discontinued after the 1973 game. The Boardwalk Bowl, along with the Liberty Bowl (played in the Convention Center in 1964), showed the feasibility of playing football indoors and led the promoters of football games to look seriously at developing indoor facilities primarily for this purpose. Since 1981, the NCAA Division I FCS Playoff East Regional Championship (National Quarterfinal) is commonly referred to as the Boardwalk Bowl in honor of its College Division heritage. The game is played at the highest remaining seed in the East Region with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division I FCS Playoff Final Four (National Semifinal).

College Division Game results

Date Winning Team Losing Team
December 2, 1961 Pennsylvania Military College 35 Merchant Marine Academy 14
December 1, 1962 Merchant Marine 9 Pennsylvania Military 0
November 30, 1963 Merchant Marine 27 Pennsylvania Military 13
November 28, 1964 Merchant Marine 20 Pennsylvania Military 16
November 27, 1965 Merchant Marine 22 Pennsylvania Military 12
November 26, 1966 Merchant Marine 46 Pennsylvania Military 7
November 25, 1967 Merchant Marine 39 Pennsylvania Military 6
December 14, 1968 Delaware 31 Indiana (Pa.) 24
December 13, 1969 Delaware 31 North Carolina Central 13
December 12, 1970 Delaware 38 Morgan State 23
December 11, 1971 Delaware 72 C.W. Post 22
December 9, 1972 Massachusetts 35 California-Davis 14
December 1, 1973 Grambling State 17 Delaware 8

FCS Results (East Region Championship - FCS Playoffs)

Date Winning Team Losing Team
December 5, 1981 Eastern Kentucky 35 Delaware 28
December 4, 1982 Delaware 20 Colgate 13
December 3, 1983 Furman 35 Boston 16
December 1, 1984 Rhode Island 23 Richmond 17
December 7, 1985 Furman 59 Rhode Island 15
December 6, 1986 Arkansas State 55 Delaware 14
December 5, 1987 Louisiana-Monroe 33 Eastern Kentucky 32
December 3, 1988 Furman 13 Marshall 9
December 2, 1989 Furman 42 Youngstown State 23
December 1, 1990 Nevada 42 Furman 35
December 7, 1991 Samford 24 James Madison 21
December 5, 1992 Marshall 35 Middle Tennessee State 21
December 4, 1993 Marshall 34 Delaware 31
December 3, 1994 Marshall 28 James Madison 21
December 2, 1995 McNeese State 52 Delaware 18
December 7, 1996 Northern Iowa 38 William & Mary 35
December 6, 1997 Youngstown State 37 Villanova 34
December 5, 1998 Massachusetts 27 Lehigh 21
December 4, 1999 Georgia Southern 38 Massachusetts 21
December 2, 2000 Delaware 47 Lehigh 22
December 8, 2001 Furman 34 Lehigh 17
December 7, 2002 Villanova 24 Fordham 10
December 6, 2003 Delaware 37 Northern Iowa 7
December 4, 2004 James Madison 14 Furman 13
December 3, 2005 Northern Iowa 24 New Hampshire 21
December 1, 2006 Massachusetts 24 New Hampshire 17
December 7, 2007 Richmond 21 Wofford 10
December 6, 2008 James Madison 31 Villanova 27
December 6, 2009 Villanova 46 New Hampshire 7
December 10, 2010 Delaware 16 New Hampshire 3
December 10, 2011 Georgia Southern 35 Maine 23

See also