2019 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to be played December 30

May 23

DALLAS, Texas (May 23, 2019) – The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is set for Monday, Dec. 30. For the first time, the game will be played at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CT (12:30 p.m. ET) and the matchup will be on ESPN. The game is slated to be a matchup of schools from the Big 12 Conference and Conference USA.

“We are looking forward to the new venue and date as part of the celebration of the 10th year of this bowl game’s history,” said Brant Ringler, executive director of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. “In addition to those changes, we hope to grow the number of first responders who attend the game and find new ways to say thank you to them for their service in our communities.”

In December of 2014, the bowl began honoring first responders including police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, correctional officers, search and rescue, dispatchers, security guards, federal agents, border patrol agents and military personnel who have specialized training and are the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency. In 2018, the game was renamed to reflect the efforts to show appreciation to first responders.

It is the first time that the game, previously known as the Heart of Dallas Bowl and TicketCity Bowl, will be contested at a site other than Cotton Bowl Stadium. Gerald J. Ford Stadium previously hosted the Armed Forces Bowl in 2010 and 2011.

Schools who have competed in the First Responder Bowl include: Army West Point, Boise State, Boston College, Houston, Illinois, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Purdue, Southern Miss, Texas Tech, UNLV, Utah, Washington and West Virginia.

The game has previously been played on Dec. 26 (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018), Dec. 27 (2016), Jan. 1 (2011, 2013, 2014) and Jan. 2 (2012).

For additional information about the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, please visit FirstResponderBowl.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is one of 15 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games, the FCS opening-weekend game, 15 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event, an esports event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 375-plus hours of live programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and Tampa, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.