C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl
The C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl (known as the HOT Bowl for short) is the name for two annual American football bowl games played in Central Texas.
| C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | Waco ISD Stadium |
| Location | Waco, Texas |
| Previous stadiums | Bulldawg Stadium |
| Previous locations | Copperas Cove, Texas |
| Operated | 2001–present |
| Conference tie-ins | LSC (2012–present) NCAA D-II (2012–present) NJCAA (2001–present) |
The first and older of the two HOT Bowls, which has been played since 2001, features two community college teams from the NJCAA, one based in Texas against an at-large opponent.
Since 2012, a second HOT Bowl has been played between teams at the NCAA Division II level. The Division II bowl has a conference tie-in with the Lone Star Conference; the LSC's opponent is chosen at-large.[1] This contest is one of only four bowl games in NCAA Division II, the other three being the Mineral Water Bowl, the Heritage Bowl, and the Live United Bowl.
Founded by Copperas Cove High School football coach Jack Welch, the bowl games were originally played in Copperas Cove until 2017. After his retirement from the district, Waco ISD Stadium in Waco became the host.[2]
The acronym "C.H.A.M.P.S." stands for "Communities Helping Americans Mature, Progress and Succeed," which is a nonprofit group focusing on improving drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, mental health, and preventing teen suicide. An additional title sponsor, TIPS (The Interlocal Purchasing System), made the game known as the TIPS-CHAMPS Heart of Texas Bowl in 2018.[2]
All-time results
NJCAA Bowl contests
| Year | Winning team | Losing team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Coffeyville (KS) | 49 | Navarro (TX) | 14 |
| 2002 | Trinity Valley (TX) | 33 | Jones County (MS) | 22 |
| 2003 | Tyler (TX) | 55 | Rochester Comm & Tech (MN) | 3 |
| 2004 | Hutchinson (KS) | 15 | Tyler (TX) | 10 |
| 2005 | Cisco (TX) | 47 | Dodge City (KS) | 28 |
| 2006 | Kilgore (TX) | 19 | Fort Scott (KS) | 7 |
| 2007 | Mississippi Gulf Coast | 62 | Kilgore (TX) | 28 |
| 2008 | Fort Scott (KS) | 30 | Blinn (TX) | 14 |
| 2009 | Navarro (TX) | 37 | Mississippi Gulf Coast | 26 |
| 2010 | Blinn (TX) | 31 | Arizona Western | 27 |
| 2011 | Navarro (TX) | 40 | New Mexico Military | 24 |
| 2012 | Navarro (TX) | 30 | Georgia Military | 23 |
| 2013 | Trinity Valley (TX) | 72 | Mesa (AZ) | 23 |
| 2014 | Trinity Valley (TX) | 27 | Coffeyville (KS) | 24 |
| 2015 | East Central (MS) | 35 | Kilgore (TX) | 21 |
| 2016 | Trinity Valley (TX) | 34 | Northwest Mississippi | 24 |
| 2017 | Trinity Valley (TX) | 48 | Garden City (KS) | 41 |
| 2018 | Kilgore (TX) | 28 | Pima (AZ) | 0 |
NCAA Division II contests
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 13, 2012 | McMurry (TX) | 36 | Southern Arkansas | 35 |
| December 7, 2013 | Canceled | |||
| December 6, 2014 | Texas A&M–Commerce | 72 | East Central (OK) | 21 |
| December 5, 2015 | Arkansas Tech | 51 | Eastern New Mexico | 35 |
| December 3, 2016 | Fort Hays State | 45 | Eastern New Mexico | 12 |
| December 1, 2017 | Washburn | 41 | Angelo State | 25 |
| December 1, 2018 | Central Oklahoma | 41 | Angelo State | 34 |
- The 2013 game between Ouachita Baptist (AR) and Tarleton State (TX) was canceled due to severe winter weather.[3][4]
- The 2018 game between Central Oklahoma and Angelo State featured a renewed former Lone Star Conference rivalry between two of NCAA Division II’s most storied football programs. Central Oklahoma made a historic 21-point comeback in the second half to win the 2018 title.
References
- History of the Heart of Texas Bowl
- Brice Cherry (November 30, 2018). "Heart of Texas Bowl brings college football to Waco ISD Stadium". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- Chamness, Dan (December 12, 2013). "The College Report". Longview News-Journal. Longview, Texas. p. B2. Retrieved December 26, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
- http://www.tarletonsports.com/news/2013/12/5/FB_1205134708.aspx?path=football 2013 HOT Bowl Cancelled