ESPN, I-Bowl Agree to Six-Year Extension

The nation’s 11th-oldest bowl game has a tradition of being televised on ESPN networks, and that tradition will last at least another six years, as the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and ESPN have reached an agreement covering the 2020-2025 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowls.

“We are thrilled to announce the extension of this long-standing partnership that solidifies that the 11th-oldest of all college football bowls will continue to be on the worldwide leader in sports,” said 2020 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Chairman Frank Auer. “The agreement we have signed with ESPN will ensure our partnership will continue to bring exciting, outstanding college football to the Ark-La-Tex and to the nation.”

2020 marks the 29th-consecutive year that the Independence Bowl will be on an ESPN network, with the final year of the agreement being the 34th-consecutive year. That 2025 Independence Bowl will also be the 50th anniversary of Shreveport-Bossier City’s annual bowl game, as the first game was played in 1976 between McNeese State and Tulsa, and the game was named the Independence Bowl to honor the nation’s bicentennial.

The 2019 Independence Bowl between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Miami Hurricanes was the 28th-consecutive game carried on ESPN networks, and the game featured a total live audience of 2,772,258 – up from 2,037,565 in 2018. 

While the partnership with ESPN won’t change, the product on the field will have a different look over the length of the new agreement. The Independence Bowl Foundation announced a five-year agreement with Huntsville, Ala.-based Radiance Technologies to be the game’s title sponsor on April 21, 2020 – a partnership that will run through the 2024 edition of the bowl – and announced new primary agreements in January 2020 that will bring a rotation of Army West Point and BYU to Shreveport to face off against a rotation of the Pac-12 Conference, American Athletic Conference and Conference USA from 2020-2025.

ABOUT THE RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL:

The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl – college football’s 11th-oldest bowl game – played its 44th-edition on December 26, 2019.  Louisiana Tech recorded the first shutout in the game’s history with a 14-0 victory over Miami. The Independence Bowl Foundation announced a five-year agreement with Huntsville, Ala.-based Radiance Technologies to be the game’s title sponsor on April 21, 2020 and announced new primary agreements in January 2020 that will bring a rotation of Army West Point and BYU to Shreveport to face off against a rotation of the Pac-12 Conference, American Athletic Conference and Conference USA. 

The Independence Bowl Foundation is prevalent in the Shreveport-Bossier City area throughout the year, hosting events to help enhance the economic impact and growth of our community. The Mission of the Independence Bowl is to attract and provide quality, nationally recognized football competition oriented to the Ark-La-Tex region. For more information, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or follow the bowl on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @IndyBowl.