C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl
| C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | (on hiatus) |
| Previous stadiums | Bulldawg Stadium (2001–2017), Waco ISD Stadium (2018), Memorial Stadium (2021–2024) |
| Previous locations | Copperas Cove, Texas (2001–2017), Waco, Texas (2018), Commerce, Texas (2021–2024) |
| Operated | 2001–present |
| Conference tie-ins | LSC (2012–2018) NCAA D-II (2012–2018) NJCAA (2001–present) |
The C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl (known as the HOT Bowl for short) is the name of an American football bowl game played at three locations in Central Texas since 2001, featuring teams from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Between 2012 and 2018, it was played as a doubleheader with an NCAA Division II postseason game, which was also known as the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl.
The acronym "C.H.A.M.P.S." stands for "Communities Helping Americans Mature, Progress and Succeed," which is a nonprofit group focusing on treating drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, mental health, and preventing teen suicide. After the addition of another title sponsor, TIPS (The Interlocal Purchasing System), the games were billed as the TIPS–CHAMPS Heart of Texas Bowl in 2018.[1]
The bowl games were founded by Copperas Cove High School football coach and athletic director Jack Welch and played in Copperas Cove until 2017. Following Welch's retirement from the district, the games moved to Waco ISD Stadium in Waco for 2018.[1] The Division II game was then discontinued, but after a two-year hiatus, the junior college game resumed in 2021 in a new location, at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas, where Welch had become a member of the football staff of East Texas A&M. Welch left that position after the 2024 season, putting the fate of the bowl in doubt once again.
Following his appointment as president of Fort Scott Community College in Kansas prior to the 2025–26 academic year, Welch persuaded the Fort Scott city commission to help fund the C.H.A.M.P.S. bowl there.[2] In September 2025, shortly after the deal was made public, city manager Brad Matkin announced that the game would not be played in 2025, but that he and Welch would work together to "to get proper sponsorship for the game so it can possibly be played in Fort Scott in December 2026."[3]
The JUCO bowl
The first and older of the two C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowls, which has been played since 2001, features two NJCAA teams, one from Texas and one from out-of-state. The Southwest Junior College Football Conference provides the game's Texas team. Opponents have come from Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, and New Mexico. Of the twenty-two junior college games contested through 2024, Texas teams have won fifteen.
Navarro College has had the most appearances among the Texas teams, with six. Trinity Valley Community College of Texas has been the most successful participant by far, going 5–0 in its games. Among the out-of-state teams, Coffeyville Community College of Kansas has the most appearances, with four. No out-of-state team has won the bowl more than once.
The Division II bowl (defunct)
During its brief existence, the Division II version of the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl was one of four Division II sanctioned bowl games (the other three being the Mineral Water Bowl, the Heritage Bowl, and the Live United Texarkana Bowl). The bowl had a tie-in with the Lone Star Conference (LSC), which provided a representative from among the LSC teams not qualifying for the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs. The other participant was chosen at-large, with teams from the Great American Conference (GAC) providing the opposition three times, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) three times.
In 2013 harsh winter weather prompted the cancellation of the Division II bowl (though not the junior college bowl), resulting in the Division II game being contested six times over its seven-year lifespan. Six different teams won the game; the only repeat participants, Angelo State and Eastern New Mexico, each lost both of the games they appeared in.
The LSC representative in the 2012 game, McMurry, was an independent at the time, in its first year of transitioning from NCAA Division III to Division II and LSC membership, and received the bowl bid based on its 7–3 regular-season record (1–1 vs. LSC teams).[4] The cancelled 2013 game would have featured Tarleton State from the LSC and Ouachita Baptist from the GAC.[5] The final Division II game, in 2018, featured the renewal of an old LSC rivalry between Angelo State and Central Oklahoma (which had moved to the MIAA in 2012). Central Oklahoma made a dramatic 21-point comeback in the second half to win the game, 41–34.[6]
All-time results
NJCAA bowl contests
| Year | Winning team | Losing team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Coffeyville | 49 | Navarro | 14 |
| 2002 | Trinity Valley | 33 | Jones County | 22 |
| 2003 | Tyler | 55 | Rochester C&T | 3 |
| 2004 | Hutchinson | 15 | Tyler | 10 |
| 2005 | Cisco | 47 | Dodge City | 28 |
| 2006 | Kilgore | 19 | Fort Scott | 7 |
| 2007 | Mississippi Gulf Coast | 62 | Kilgore | 28 |
| 2008 | Fort Scott | 30 | Blinn | 14 |
| 2009 | Navarro | 37 | Mississippi Gulf Coast | 26 |
| 2010 | Blinn | 31 | Arizona Western | 27 |
| 2011 | Navarro | 40 | New Mexico Military | 24 |
| 2012 | Navarro | 30 | Georgia Military | 23 |
| 2013 | Trinity Valley | 72 | Mesa (AZ) | 23 |
| 2014 | Trinity Valley | 27 | Coffeyville | 24 |
| 2015 | East Central (MS) | 35 | Kilgore | 21 |
| 2016 | Trinity Valley | 34 | Northwest Mississippi | 24 |
| 2017 | Trinity Valley | 48 | Garden City | 41 |
| 2018 | Kilgore | 28 | Pima (AZ) | 0 |
| 2021 | Tyler | 28 | Coffeyville | 7 |
| 2022 | Butler (KS) | 28 | Kilgore | 24 |
| 2023 | Copiah–Lincoln | 28 | Navarro | 20 |
| 2024 | Navarro | 31 | Coffeyville | 0 |
| 2025 | Canceled | |||
NCAA Division II contests
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 13, 2012 | McMurry (Ind) | 36 | Southern Arkansas (GAC) | 35 | [4] |
| December 7, 2013 | Canceled | [5] | |||
| December 6, 2014 | Texas A&M–Commerce (LSC) | 72 | East Central (GAC) | 21 | [7] |
| December 5, 2015 | Arkansas Tech (GAC) | 51 | Eastern New Mexico (LSC) | 35 | [8] |
| December 3, 2016 | Fort Hays State (MIAA) | 45 | Eastern New Mexico (LSC) | 12 | [9] |
| December 1, 2017 | Washburn (MIAA) | 41 | Angelo State (LSC) | 25 | [10] |
| December 1, 2018 | Central Oklahoma (MIAA) | 41 | Angelo State (LSC) | 34 | [6] |
References
- 1 2 Cherry, Brice (November 30, 2018). "Heart of Texas Bowl brings college football to Waco ISD Stadium". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ↑ Silvers, Jason E. (September 2, 2025). "City commission votes 3-2 to host, help fund college bowl game". Fort Scott Tribune. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
- ↑ Matkin, Brad (September 16, 2025). "FortScott.biz". City of Fort Scott Facebook page. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
- 1 2 Harper, James (December 2, 2012). "McMurry beats Southern Arkansas for CHAMPS victory". Abilene Reporter-News. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- 1 2 Chamness, Dan (December 12, 2013). "The College Report". Longview News-Journal. Longview, Texas. p. B2. Retrieved December 26, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Orts, Jason (December 2, 2018). "Central Oklahoma wins C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl over Angelo State". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ↑ https://lionathletics.com/news/2014/12/7/FB_1207141408.aspx. A&M Commerce wins Heart of Texas Bowl with 72-21 Rout of ECU. December 6, 2014. Accessed November 26, 2023.
- ↑ https://www.arkansastechnews.com/wonder-boys-win-heart-of-texas-bowl/. Wonder Boys Win Heart of Texas Bowl. December 6, 2015. Accessed November 26, 2023.
- ↑ "Fort Hays State 45, Eastern NM 12". Albuquerque Journal. December 4, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ↑ Bryce, Charles (December 4, 2017). "Error-prone Rams struggle in bowl". San Angelo Standard-Times. Retrieved November 26, 2023.