Burley Bowl
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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 records
| 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 | [9] |
| 1950 | November 23, 1950 | Emory and Henry | 26 | Appalachian State | 6 | 12,000 | [10][11] |
| 1951 | November 22, 1951 | Morris Harvey | 27 | Lebanon Valley | 20 | 9,000 | [12][13] |
| 1952 | November 27, 1952 | East Tennessee State | 34 | Emory and Henry | 16 | 10,000 | [14][15][16] |
| 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 | [17] |
| 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
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 |
