Burley Bowl
The Burley Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played from 1945 through 1956.[1] It was held each year on Thanksgiving Day in Johnson City, Tennessee, at the city's Memorial Stadium, which was demolished in July 2010.[2] The game was part of an annual two-day tobacco festival,[3] with the name of the bowl coming from Burley tobacco. 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.[1]
The inaugural game was held on November 29, 1945.[4] That day was the last (and fifth) Thursday of November, which was observed as Thanksgiving in Tennessee that year, despite President Truman proclaiming the holiday to be the fourth Thursday of the month.[5]
Game results[edit]
| Season | Date | Winner | Loser | Attendance | References | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | November 29, 1945 | High Point 7, Milligan 7 | 3,500 | ||||
| 1946 | November 28, 1946 | Southeastern Louisiana | 21 | Milligan | 13 | 7,500 | |
| 1947 | November 27, 1947 | West Chester | 20 | Carson–Newman | 6 | 10,000 | [6][7] |
| 1948 | November 25, 1948 | West Chester | 7 | Appalachian State | 2 | 12,000 | [8] |
| 1949 | November 24, 1949 | Emory and Henry | 32 | Hanover | 0 | 12,000 | |
| 1950 | November 23, 1950 | Emory and Henry | 26 | Appalachian State | 6 | 12,000 | [9][10] |
| 1951 | November 22, 1951 | Morris Harvey | 27 | Lebanon Valley | 20 | 9,000 | [11][12] |
| 1952 | November 27, 1952 | East Tennessee State | 34 | Emory and Henry | 16 | 10,000 | [13][14][15] |
| 1953 | November 26, 1953 | East Tennessee State | 48 | Emory and Henry | 12 | ||
| 1954 | November 25, 1954 | Appalachian State | 28 | East Tennessee State | 13 | ||
| 1955 | November 24, 1955 | East Tennessee State | 7 | Appalachian State | 0 | ||
| 1956 | November 22, 1956 | Memphis State | 32 | East Tennessee State | 12 | 1,200 | [16] |
Game records[edit]
| Team scoring records | Performance | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 48, East Tennessee State | 1953 |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 60, East Tennessee State vs. Emory and Henry | 1953 |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 20, Lebanon Valley | 1951 |
| Fewest points scored (winning team) | 7, West Chester 7, East Tennessee State |
1948 1955 |
| Fewest points scored (both teams) | 7, East Tennessee State vs. Appalachian State | 1955 |
| Fewest points allowed | 0, Emory and Henry 0, East Tennessee State |
1949 1955 |
| Largest margin of victory | 36, East Tennessee State | 1953 |
Most appearances[edit]
Only teams with more than one appearance are listed.
| Rank | Team | Appearances | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Tennessee State | 5 | 3–2 |
| T2 | Emory & Henry | 4 | 2–2 |
| T2 | Appalachian State | 4 | 1–3 |
| T4 | West Chester | 2 | 2–0 |
| T4 | Milligan | 2 | 0–1–1 |
Notes[edit]
- NCAA records list the date of the first Burley Bowl as "1-1-1946",[1] which is inconsistent with contemporary newspaper reports.[3][4]
See also[edit]
- List of college bowl games
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Tennessee (Memorial Stadium)
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "BOWL/ALL STAR GAME RECORDS" (PDF). NCAA. 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ "Lost Landmark-Memorial Stadium, Johnson City (TN)". Historic Highway Guides. December 31, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ a b "Johnson City Plans Burley Bowl Game". Kingsport Times. Kingsport, Tennessee. November 4, 1945. Retrieved March 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Buffaloes, High Point Struggle To 7-7 Tie In Burley Bowl Tilt". Kingsport Times. Kingsport, Tennessee. November 30, 1945. Retrieved March 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Truman Sets Nov. 22 As Thanksgiving". Kingsport Times. Kingsport, Tennessee. AP. November 13, 1945. Retrieved March 27, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Smith, Wray (November 27, 1947). "Carson-Newman, West Chester State Vie in Burley Bowl Tilt". The Knoxville New-Sentinel. Knoxville, Tennessee. p. 25. Retrieved May 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ Smyth, Jimmy (November 28, 1947). "West Chester Turns Back Plucky Carson-Newman Eleven 20-6". Johnson City Press-Chronicle. Johnson City, Tennessee. p. 11. Retrieved May 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "West Chester STC gridders whip Appalachian State, 7–2, in Burley Bowl". Intelligencer Journal. November 26, 1948. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Thompson, Gene (November 23, 1950). "Emory And Appalachian Collide In Burley Bowl". Bristol Herald Courier. Bristol, Virginia. p. 12. Retrieved February 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Emory and Henry stops Appalachian State 26 to 6 in defense of Burley Bowl crown". Johnson City Press-Chronicle. November 24, 1950. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Burley Bowl Kickoff Set For 2:15 P.M. Today At Stadium". Johnson City Press–Chronicle. Johnson City, Tennessee. November 22, 1951. p. 9A. Retrieved March 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Smyth, Jimmy (November 23, 1951). "Morris Harvey Top Lebanon Valley 27-20 In Burley Bowl". Johnson City Press–Chronicle. Johnson City, Tennessee. p. 6. Retrieved March 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Wasps Favored In Eighth Burley Bowl". Kingsport. Kingsport, Tennessee. Associated Press. November 27, 1952. p. 7. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Thompson, Gene (November 28, 1952). "State Trounces Emory 34 To 16 In Burley Bowl". Bristol Herald Courier. Bristol, Virginia. p. 1A. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Thompson, Gene (November 28, 1952). "State Trounces Emory (continued)". Bristol Herald Courier. Bristol, Virginia. p. 1C. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Memphis State wins Burley Bowl game, 32 to 12". Johnson City Press. November 23, 1956. Retrieved September 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
Further reading[edit]
- "From 1945 to 1956, Thanksgiving Meant It Was Burley Bowl Time in Tennessee". Bob Cox's Yesteryear. November 21, 2005. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- Ferguson, Doug (September 26, 1996). "SPURRIER'S SPREAD GOES BACK TO '49 BURLEY BOWL". AP News Archive. AP. Retrieved March 27, 2017.