May 27, 2021
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The eighth annual Camellia Bowl is set for Saturday, Dec. 25 at the historic Cramton
Bowl in downtown Montgomery. The kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m., CT and the game will be televised on ESPN.
Buffalo defeated Marshall 17-10 in last year’s game on Christmas Day. ESPN delivered a total live audience of 2,120,000 viewers for last year’s matchup.
“It’s hard to believe this will be our eighth Camellia Bowl game,” Johnny Williams, Camellia Bowl executive director, said. “We are excited to be back on Christmas Day and continue the tradition this city and stadium have by playing this game. We have had some thrilling games. We are grateful to ESPN for their collaboration and a great bowl lineup.”
The city of Montgomery is synonymous with Christmas Day bowl games. The annual Blue-Gray Football Classic was played at the historic Cramton Bowl from 1939-2003. The inaugural game was played on January 1, 1939. The Blue-Gray Football Classic was first played on Christmas Day in 1954. The event became an annual Christmas Day tradition beginning in 1979.
Playing on Christmas Day adds to the excitement of Camellia Bowl, which has had some thrilling games with the first seven games decided by 32 total points. All seven games were decided in the fourth quarter, with three games decided on the final play.
CAMELLIA BOWL ALL-TIME RESULTS:
Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28 (Dec. 20, 2014) Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29 (Dec. 19, 2015) Appalachian State 31, Toledo 28 (Dec. 17, 2016)
Middle Tennessee 35, Arkansas State 30 (Dec. 16, 2017) Georgia Southern 23, Eastern Michigan 21 (Dec. 15, 2018) Arkansas State 34, FIU 26 (Dec. 21, 2019)
Buffalo 17, Marshall 10 (Dec. 25, 2020)
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
