Boardwalk Bowl

Boardwalk Bowl (defunct)
Stadium Atlantic City Convention Center
Location Atlantic City, New Jersey
Operated 1961–1973

The Boardwalk Bowl was 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. 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.

Game results

NCAA College Division

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

See also