For the fourth straight year, the Mississippi Gulf Coast will be home to one of the premier bowl games in the NJCAA.
The 4th annual Mississippi Bowl is set for Sunday, December 4 at Biloxi Indian Stadium as Mississippi’s Community College/Junior College state champion and another highly ranked team in the nation does battle.
Three fun-filled days of local entertainment, food and football will welcome the teams and their families, friends and special guests.
“We are truly excited to be hosting the Mississippi Bowl again in 2011,” said Ladd Taylor, dean of athletics at Gulf Coast. “The overwhelming success of the first three games is a testament to the excellent teams we’ve had play and the outstanding work by our Mississippi Bowl Committee and our game day staff.”
On December 7, 2008, No. 7 ranked Gulf Coast defeated No. 3 Georgia Military College 41-7 in front of 5,000 fans at Biloxi Indian Stadium. The 2009 contest featured No. 6 East Mississippi defeating No. 5 Arizona Western 27-24, while No. 7 Gulf Coast outgunned No. 3 Grand Rapids 62-53 in the 2010 event.
All revenues of this association are for the benefit of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Foundation. The Mississippi Bowl payout for each team will be $10,000, compared to the $7,500 per-team payout from other bowl organizations. Dub Herring and Barry Harper of Paw Paw’s Campers and Cars are once again serving as co-title sponsors for the event. Harper, a Grenada native, played football at Delta State University from 1977-81. He also serves on the Pearl River Community College Board. Herring played football at Holmes Community College in Goodman. The three-day event will also feature other off-the-field activities. Leading up to the 2008 and 2009 games, the participating teams spent time with local children at two Boys and Girls club locations on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The kids took part with team members in activities like kickball, touch football, and basketball. “We learned plenty from the first three games,” Taylor added. “It’s been a huge success, and I expect this year to be even better. The quality of the teams plus the hospitality of the Mississippi Gulf Coast has made this a marquee event in the NJCAA bowl season.”
The Mississippi Bowl is one of only nine NJCAA bowl games in 2011.
