Four Downs with Executive Director Missy Setters

1st Down: As the bowl enters its 45th year with the 2020 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, what are you most proud of over the last few years?

I am very excited about our new title partner, Radiance Technologies, and the five-year agreement that will bring our partnership through at least the 2024 bowl season. We are excited to work with Radiance Technologies and their entire team.

I’m happy with the changes we’ve made and continue to make in our bowl-week events for both the teams and fans. We have a young, innovative staff who are constantly striving to make improvements. 

I’m also happy with the lineup of events we have throughout the year, in a typical year. From our crawfish boil, kickoff dinner and youth football clinic, to our half marathon and USTA junior tennis tournament, we’ve added a number of events that span the entire year, and bring excitement, visibility and economic impact. Add those events to our usual bowl-week lineup and we are now hosting more than 20 events, both large and small during the entire calendar year.

2nd Down: Speaking of Radiance, what are you most excited about with the new partnership with Radiance Technologies?

I’m most excited about partnering with an employee-owned, technology company that has close ties to this area and the state, working with them to bring strong brand awareness. From the beginning it felt like a true partnership and we’re looking forward to building on that.

3rd Down: What are your thoughts on the I-Bowl’s new agreements involving the Pac-12, AAC, C-USA, Army and BYU? 

I’m excited about the new agreements. It gives this bowl a new look in its 45th year and brings new teams and conferences to the mix as well as some conference partners we’ve worked with in recent years. The feedback from ticket holders has been very positive as everyone looks forward to the new six-year cycle.

4th Down: As executive director, what are a few goals you have as the 11th oldest bowl game enters its sixth decade? 

As far as goals for this year, that’s a loaded question. This will be a year of flexibility. As conferences and institutions plan and prepare in the wake of a pandemic, we are also planning and preparing for a traditional schedule of annual events and bowl-week events, but will have to remain flexible throughout the planning process. Some events may take place at different times and in different formats than in a typical year. 

This bowl game was started with the vision and dreams of a number of community-minded individuals, with the first game taking place in 1976. Year after year our goal is to improve and enhance the bowl and related events, while never losing sight of our history and mission. The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl has a history of honoring the ideals and values our nation was founded on and that is always at the forefront of everything we do.