The Corn Bowl was a college football bowl game played from 1947 until 1955 in central Illinois. The first game was played November 27, 1947, in Normal, Illinois, between Southern Illinois and North Central of Illinois.[1] Its final game was played November 24, 1955, between Western Illinois and Luther. There was no game played in 1952 and 1954.[2]
| Corn Bowl (defunct) | |
|---|---|
| Previous locations | Normal, Illinois, Bloomington, Illinois, Macomb, Illinois |
| Operated | 1947–1955 |
| Sponsors | |
Hybrid Seed Corn Breeders of Illinois Bloomington American Legion | |
The game was primarily organized by A. B. Perry, who called for the construction of a stadium that would seat 150,000. The plans never came to fruition and the largest crowd attracted to a game was 8,000 spectators for the 1948 matchup.[1] The 1949 matchup was witnessed by 4,567 fans.[3]
The bowl was sponsored by the Hybrid Seed Corn Breeders of Illinois and the Bloomington American Legion.[4]
Game results
edit| Year | Winner | Loser | Stadium | Location | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Southern Illinois | 21 | North Central (IL) | 0 | Fred Carlton Field | Normal, Illinois | 5,500 | [5] |
| 1948 | Illinois Wesleyan | 6 | Eastern Illinois | 0 | Wesleyan Field | Bloomington, Illinois | 8,500 | [6] |
| 1949 | Western Illinois | 13 | Wheaton (IL) | 0 | Wesleyan Field | Bloomington, Illinois | 4,567 | [7][8] |
| 1950 | Missouri Mines | 7 | Illinois State Normal | 6 | Wesleyan Field | Bloomington, Illinois | 2,500 | [9] |
| 1951 | Lewis | 21 | William Jewell | 12 | Wesleyan Field | Bloomington, Illinois | 2,000 | [10] |
| 1953 | Western Illinois | 32 | Iowa Wesleyan | 0 | Wesleyan Field | Bloomington, Illinois | 2,500 | [11] |
| 1955 | Luther | 24 | Western Illinois | 20 | Hanson Field | Macomb, Illinois | 5,000 | [12] |
References
edit- ^ a b Kemp, Bill (November 18, 2007). "Corn Bowl was short-lived Thanksgiving gridiron tradition". Pantagraph.com. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- ^ DeLassus, David. "Corn Bowl Games". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- ^ "Wins Corn Bowl Game". Reading Eagle. November 25, 1949. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
- ^ Jauss, Bill (October 16, 1997). "Full Crop Of Corn Bowl Memories". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
- ^ Alsene, Edgar (November 28, 1947). "Southern Clips North Central in Corn Bowl". The Pantagraph. p. 14. Retrieved November 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Young, Fred (November 26, 1948). "IWU Trips Eastern, 6-0, On Last Minute Counter". The Pantagraph. p. 13. Retrieved November 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Twin Tornadoes Collide In Corn Bowl Here Today". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. November 24, 1949. p. 32. Retrieved March 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Young, Fred (November 25, 1949). "Angie Marini Steals Show as Western Cops Third Annual Corn Bowl Game". The Pantagraph. p. 11. Retrieved November 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Alsene, Ed (November 24, 1950). "Missouri Mines Edges ISNU 7-6". The Pantagraph. p. 14. Retrieved October 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Alsene, Ed (November 23, 1951). "Lewis Triumphs, 21-12". The Pantagraph. p. 13. Retrieved November 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Alsene, Ed (November 27, 1953). "Western Wins 1953 Corn Bowl Game, 32-0". The Pantagraph. p. 30. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Luther Nips Western in 'Corn' Bowl'". The Rock Island Argus. Rock Island, Illinois. November 25, 1955. p. 20. Retrieved September 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
