The Kanza Bowl was an American NCAA Division II college football bowl game between teams from the Lone Star Conference (LSC) and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). The game was played on the first Saturday of December from 2009 through 2012 in Topeka, Kansas. In 2010, it was rebranded as the Lower Inc. Kanza Bowl after being sponsored by local plumbing company Lower Inc.
| Kanza Bowl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stadium | Hummer Sports Complex |
| Location | Topeka, Kansas United States |
| Operated | 2009–2012 |
| Conference tie-ins | LSC, MIAA |
History
editThe game featured the top-placing teams in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) not qualifying for the NCAA Division II National Football Championship playoffs. In the case of the MIAA, which at the time also sent a team to the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, to play against a team from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), the top non-playoff team had the option of choosing the Mineral Water Bowl over the Kanza Bowl; in that case, the MIAA bid to the Kanza Bowl would be offered to the league's next-highest ranking team.
During its brief existence, the Kanza Bowl joined the Mineral Water Bowl and Pioneer Bowl as the only three active Division II bowl games. (The Utah-based Dixie Rotary Bowl had ceased operations after the 2008 season.) The game was played at the recently-developed Hummer Sports Complex, in a 6,000-seat football stadium built for Topeka public high schools. The $17.5 million facility opened in 2003 on the grounds of the former Topeka State Hospital.[1]
When the game was established in 2009, the two conferences made a commitment to continue it for at least four seasons.[2] The arrangement was allowed to lapse after that time. Due to financial difficulties and lack of a core sponsor, the 2013 Kanza Bowl was canceled in August 2013,[3] and the game was never resumed.
The MIAA and LSC subsequently joined the new Great American Conference (GAC) in providing teams for the Live United Texarkana Bowl in Texarkana, Arkansas, and the Heritage Bowl in Corsicana, Texas.
Game results
edit| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 5, 2009 | West Texas A&M (LSC) | 31 | Nebraska–Omaha (MIAA) | 25 | [4] |
| December 4, 2010 | Washburn (MIAA) | 45 | Midwestern State (LSC) | 14 | [5] |
| November 26, 2011 | West Texas A&M (LSC) | 26 | Central Missouri (MIAA) | 7 | [6] |
| November 25, 2012 | Emporia State (MIAA) | 45 | Texas A&M–Kingsville (LSC) | 38 | [7] |
References
edit- ^ Hummer Sports Park History: The dream is now the reality - hummersportspark.com - Retrieved September 22, 2009
- ^ "Lone Star to play in Kanza Bowl". The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK). 21 July 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Peterson Jr., Rick (August 14, 2013). "2013 Kanza Bowl canceled". cjonline.com.
- ^ "Mav rally falls short". Omaha World-Herald. December 6, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ "Washburn picks up big victory in Kanza Bowl". St. Joseph News-Press. December 5, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ Slavik, Coy (November 28, 2011). "Calallen grad ends season on high note: West Texas A&M QB leads Buffs to Lower Kanza Bowl win". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ "Same old problems hurt Javs in finale". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. November 26, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2023.