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116:(NAIA) and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce held a joint press conference announcing a "multi-year contract" for the bowl to host the NAIA football national championship. The game was initially called the City of Palms Bowl (after McAllen's nickname, the City of Palms) but the name was soon shortened to the less cumbersome Palm Bowl. McAllen officials were keen to use the game to attract tourism and actively sought to have it televised nationally. The 1979 game appeared on
147:, with a local blackout. The local press referred to the 1981 game as "Palm Bowl III," confirming that it was a resumption of the original bowl rather than an entirely new initiative. It drew the largest-ever Palm Bowl crowd (9,415) to see Southwest Texas State win the title. After another good turnout witnessed the Bobcats repeat in 1982, the next three games did not feature a Lone Star Conference team and attendance suffered as a result.
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162:) outbid McAllen for the next contract. Palm Bowl, Inc., cited uncertainty over whether the game would continue to be televised nationally as the reason for not submitting a more competitive bid. The organization was still in the black financially when it dissolved, after failing to attract another game to be held under the Palm Bowl name.
139:), the two football-playing colleges closest to McAllen, had begun to transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. Their departure from the NAIA led bowl organizers to conclude that "it wouldn't be feasible financially" for them to continue to host the NAIA championship in McAllen.
142:
In May 1981, the bowl's organizers (by then incorporated as Palm Bowl, Inc.) secured the NCAA Division II championship game for McAllen. The five-year contract called for the bowl to be televised nationally on
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ended up playing in four of the five Palm Bowls that decided the D-II title, winning two and losing two.
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In
September 1980 the third edition of the bowl was cancelled because members of the
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The NCAA's arrangement with the Palm Bowl expired after the 1985 game, and
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between 1978 and 1985. The first two contests (1978 and 1979) decided the
101:. The bowl folded after the NCAA moved the Division II championship to
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621:"A&I Axes CSU for NAIA Championship In Palm Bowl, 20-14"
531:"NCAA Division II Title Game Here In Palm Bowl III Dec. 12"
838:
804:
NCAA Division II National
Football Championship history
471:"Help Said Needed to Make City of Palms Bowl Success"
97:, and the last five (1981 through 1995) decided the
114:National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics
952:Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
591:"Angelo Rams Elon for National NAIA Title, 34-14"
1080:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1985
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942:Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
711:"N.D. State stampedes Ohioans to win Palm Bowl"
1075:Recurring sporting events established in 1981
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120:(then in its first year of operation) with a
921:Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
896:Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
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85:was a football game played seven times at
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973:Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
1060:NCAA Division II Football Championship
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871:Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
681:"Two in a row: SWT national champions"
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99:NCAA Division II Football Championship
41:NCAA Division II Football Championship
841:NCAA Division II football conferences
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500:Holman, Terry (September 18, 1980).
135:) and Southwest Texas State (today
95:NAIA Football National Championship
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978:Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
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856:Great Midwest Athletic Conference
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131:, including Texas A&I (today
87:McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium
56:McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium
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77:McAllen, Texas - City of Palms
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947:Great Lakes Valley Conference
561:"McAllen trying to host bowl"
411:"McAllen trying to host bowl"
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771:"Destiny complete for Bison"
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655:Fort Worth Star-Telegram
651:"Southwest Texas reigns"
441:"McAllen Gets Bowl Game"
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298:Division II championship
269:Division II championship
158:(home of 1985 runner-up
133:Texas A&M Kingsville
16:Not to be confused with
866:Northeast-10 Conference
103:Braly Municipal Stadium
78:
18:Festival of Palms Bowl
911:Gulf South Conference
283:Southwest Texas State
254:Southwest Texas State
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968:Lone Star Conference
901:Conference Carolinas
502:"Touching All Bases"
129:Lone Star Conference
777:. December 15, 1985
717:. December 11, 1983
687:. December 12, 1982
657:. December 13, 1981
627:. December 16, 1979
597:. December 17, 1978
567:. December 12, 1986
477:. November 29, 1979
417:. December 12, 1986
747:. December 9, 1984
447:. October 26, 1978
370:North Dakota State
349:North Dakota State
320:Central State (OH)
312:North Dakota State
262:North Dakota State
234:Central State (OK)
149:North Dakota State
79:
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366:December 14, 1985
308:December 10, 1983
279:December 11, 1982
250:December 12, 1981
241:NAIA championship
222:December 15, 1979
212:NAIA championship
193:December 16, 1978
156:Florence, Alabama
107:Florence, Alabama
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537:. May 14, 1981
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1024:Championship
1015:Institutions
994:Independents
904:
785:– via
781:December 18,
779:. Retrieved
774:
765:
755:– via
751:December 18,
749:. Retrieved
744:
735:
725:– via
721:December 18,
719:. Retrieved
714:
705:
695:– via
691:December 18,
689:. Retrieved
684:
675:
665:– via
659:. Retrieved
654:
645:
635:– via
631:December 17,
629:. Retrieved
624:
615:
605:– via
601:December 17,
599:. Retrieved
594:
585:
575:– via
571:December 17,
569:. Retrieved
564:
555:
545:– via
541:December 17,
539:. Retrieved
534:
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515:– via
511:December 17,
509:. Retrieved
505:
495:
485:– via
481:December 17,
479:. Retrieved
474:
465:
455:– via
451:December 17,
449:. Retrieved
444:
435:
425:– via
421:December 17,
419:. Retrieved
414:
405:
197:Angelo State
166:Game results
153:
141:
126:
111:
82:
80:
1010:Conferences
987:Division II
625:The Monitor
595:The Monitor
565:The Monitor
535:The Monitor
506:The Monitor
475:The Monitor
445:The Monitor
415:The Monitor
137:Texas State
1044:Categories
1028:Bowl Games
661:October 2,
397:References
341:Troy State
185:Attendance
124:overhead.
29:Palm Bowl
109:in 1986.
83:Palm Bowl
43:(1981-85)
39:(1978-79)
31:(defunct)
1020:Football
291:UC Davis
62:Location
52:Stadium
188:Notes
176:Winner
388:6,000
359:4,500
330:5,275
301:8,000
272:9,415
215:8,443
182:Title
179:Loser
1003:NCAA
783:2023
753:2023
723:2023
693:2023
663:2021
633:2023
603:2023
573:2023
543:2023
513:2023
483:2023
453:2023
423:2023
205:Elon
173:Date
118:ESPN
81:The
145:ABC
105:in
89:in
1046::
1026:,
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