Mercy Bowl
The Mercy Bowl was the name to two one-off charity bowl games played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Anaheim Stadium.
The first was played between Fresno State University and Bowling Green State University on November 23, 1961, as a special fundraiser in memory of sixteen Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo football players killed in a plane crash following a game against Bowling Green a year earlier.[1][2] The game, attended by 33,145 spectators, raised $200,000 for the surviving widows and children and for a memorial in their honor.[3] Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and Cal Poly alumnus John Madden commented in 2008 that "it wouldn't be a bad idea to play a game like that again. Hold a bowl game for a cause. There are a lot of good ones. I'd like to see that."[4]
A second Mercy Bowl was staged in 1971 between Cal State Fullerton and Fresno State, intended to benefit the fourteen surviving children of three CSUF assistant coaches and a pilot who died in an airplane crash a month earlier.[5] The NCAA initially rejected the game due to a lack of available postseason dates, but pressure from California Governor Ronald Reagan and President Richard Nixon's advisor Robert Finch convinced them to approve it.[6][7] CSUF head coach Dick Coury described the game, which his team won, as "the biggest victory I've been a part of."[8] With 16,854 in attendance, the second Mercy Bowl raised over $50,000.[9]
Game results
[edit]| Date | Winner | Loser | Venue | Location | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 23, 1961 | Fresno State | 36 | Bowling Green | 6 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Los Angeles, California | 33,145 |
| December 11, 1971 | Cal State Fullerton | 17 | Fresno State | 14 | Anaheim Stadium | Anaheim, California | 16,854 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Walker, Ben (December 25, 2008). "Mercy Bowl helped a school heal". Seattle Times. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ^ Foldesy, Jody. "Bowls burgeon as big business", The Washington Times. December 21, 1997. Page A1.
- ^ "Fresno State Upset Mercy Bowl Winner". The Springfield Union. UPI. November 24, 1961. Retrieved April 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Lost in a rush of games, the Mercy Bowl remembered". ESPN. Associated Press. December 23, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
- ^ "'Mercy Bowl' Grid Contest Due Saturday". Anaheim Bulletin. December 8, 1971. Retrieved April 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "NCAA Denies Bid For 'Mercy Bowl' At Fullerton St". Vallejo Times Herald. AP. November 24, 1971. Retrieved April 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mercy Bowl game tonight, proceeds go to 14 children". Kentucky New Era. AP. December 11, 1971. Retrieved April 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mercy Bowl Was One of Best We Played: Coury". Anaheim Bulletin. December 14, 1971. Retrieved April 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jones, Steve (December 13, 1971). "Mercy Bowl Big Success". Anaheim Bulletin. Retrieved April 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
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