2020 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to be played Saturday, December 26
DALLAS, Texas – The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl will be played Saturday, Dec. 26, at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. (CT) on ABC.
”Playing on the Saturday after Christmas is a perfect fit for our game,” said Brant Ringler, executive director of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. “We are very much looking forward to being able to thank our first responders on a national scale in front of an ABC audience.”
In December 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.
Ford Stadium was the site of the contest last December, marking the first time that the game, previously known as the Heart of Dallas Bowl and TicketCity Bowl, was contested at a site other than Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Schools who have competed in the first decade of 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, West Virginia, Western Michigan and Western Kentucky.
Sixty-five First Responder Bowl alumni have gone on to be drafted by the National Football League, led by two-time first-team All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas (Southern Miss). Of the draftees, five became first-round picks and eight were selected in the second round.
The 2019 game was decided on a 52-yard field goal with no time remaining as WKU defeated Western Michigan, 23-20. It was the second time in the bowl’s last three editions that the game was determined on the final play.
This is the fifth time in the last seven years that the game has been played on Dec. 26 (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020). The game has also been played on Dec. 27 (2016), Dec. 30 (2019), 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 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes four early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
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