2023 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to be played December 26
DALLAS, Texas – The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl will be played Tuesday, Dec. 26, at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Kickoff time is set for 4:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.
“We are excited to have another tremendous opportunity to express our appreciation for our everyday heroes,” said Brant Ringler, executive director of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. “These men and women truly deserve our thanks, and for our community to be able to honor them in front of a national television audience on ESPN is truly special.”
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 has served as the site of the last four contests, three of which have been decided by a touchdown or less. The game, previously known as the Heart of Dallas Bowl and TicketCity Bowl, was originally contested at Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Previous teams selected for the bowl include Air Force, Army West Point, Boise State, Boston College, Houston, Illinois, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Memphis, Penn State, Purdue, Southern Miss, Texas Tech, UNLV, Utah, Utah State, UTSA, Washington, West Virginia, Western Michigan and Western Kentucky.
Seventy-nine bowl alumni have been drafted into the National Football League, led by two-time first-team All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas (Southern Miss). Of the draftees, five were first-round picks and 10 were selected in the second round.
The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is one of 17 college football bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. For additional information, please visit FirstResponderBowl.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2023, the 32-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, nine college basketball events, and a college softball event, in addition to a new a college gymnastics event coming in 2024. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, while reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, 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, Instagram or YouTube pages.