The Pythian Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played from 1949 through 1951. In 1952, the game was played under the name of Lions Bowl. The game was played each year in December in Salisbury, North Carolina, at Shuford Stadium on the grounds of Catawba College. The bowl's original name came from the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization, with proceeds from the game going to a local orphanage. The 1952 game was named after Lions Clubs International, with game proceeds again being used for charitable works. Like some other postseason match-ups of the era, such as the Grape Bowl, Glass Bowl, and Optimist Bowl, results are listed in NCAA records, but the games were not considered NCAA-sanctioned bowls.
Game results
Season | Bowl Name | Date | Winner | Loser | Attendance | References | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1949 | Pythian Bowl | December 10, 1949 | Appalachian State | 21 | Catawba | 7 | 2,000 | |
1950 | Pythian Bowl | December 9, 1950 | West Liberty | 28 | Appalachian State | 26 | 4,500 | |
1951 | Pythian Bowl | December 8, 1951 | Lenoir Rhyne | 13 | California (PA) | 7 | 4,500 | |
1952 | Lions Bowl | December 13, 1952 | Clarion | 13 | East Carolina | 6 | 2,700 |
Notes
- NCAA records list the date of the first Pythian Bowl as "11-26-1949", which is inconsistent with contemporary newspaper reports.
- The 1949 game was listed as the "Olympian Bowl" in some newspapers.
- For the 1952 game, West Chester had been invited and accepted, however the school later withdrew its acceptance due to the bowl not being sanctioned by the NCAA; Clarion was then invited and replaced West Chester.
See also
References
- ^ "BOWL/ALL STAR GAME RECORDS" (PDF). NCAA. 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- "West Chester In Lions Bowl". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. AP. November 18, 1952. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pythian Bowl Slated Today At Salisbury". Asheville Citizen-Times. Asheville, North Carolina. AP. December 10, 1949. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Appalachian State Tops Catawba, 21-7". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. AP. December 11, 1949. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- "Appalachian bowls over Indians, 21–7". The Charlotte Observer. December 11, 1949. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- "West Liberty rally in 4th beats Appalachian, 28–26". The News and Observer. December 10, 1950. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- "West Liberty – Postseason History". West Liberty Hilltoppers. May 18, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
- "State Set For Pythian Content Here Tomorrow". Salisbury Post. Salisbury, North Carolina. December 7, 1951. p. 8. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- Turner, C. G. (December 10, 1951). "Bears Win Pythian Clash". Hickory Daily Record. Hickory, North Carolina. p. 6. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- "Clarion wins in Lions Bowl, stays unbeaten". Sunday News. December 15, 1952. Retrieved March 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Bowl Results". Idaho State Journal. Pocatello, Idaho. December 11, 1949. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- "Clarion State In Lions Bowl". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. AP. November 23, 1952. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via newspapers.com.