Zia Bowl (defunct)
NCAA Division II Football Championship
StadiumUniversity Stadium
LocationAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Sponsors
Albuquerque Jaycees
New Mexico state flag, with Zia at center

The Zia Bowl was an American college football bowl game game played at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It decided the NCAA Division II National Football Championship in 1979 and 1980.

The bowl was sponsored by the Albuquerque Jaycees, who began working late in 1977 to bring the event to the city. The NCAA awarded the game to Albuquerque in April 1979.[1]

The game was named after the Zia, the symbol in the center of the New Mexico state flag.[2] A Zia Bowl parade was held in downtown Albuquerque on the morning of the game. Other related activities included a 5K race. [3]

The Zia Bowl failed to draw much interest locally, and only 4,000 attended the 1979 game.[4] Shortly after the 1980 game drew an announced crowd of just 2,056, the Zia Bowl folded.[5] In May 1981, the NCAA awarded the Division II championship to the Palm Bowl in McAllen, Texas for the next five years.[6]

Game results

Date playedWinning teamLosing teamRef.
December   8, 1979Delaware38Youngstown State21[7]
December 13, 1980Cal Poly21Eastern Illinois13[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Division II grid championship set for Albuquerque Dec. 8". The Santa Fe New Mexican. April 22, 1979. Retrieved December 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Division II grid championship set for Albuquerque Dec. 8". The Santa Fe New Mexican. April 22, 1979. Retrieved December 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Christmas Trees on Parade". Albuquerque Journal. December 9, 1979. Retrieved December 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Griffin, Jim (December 16, 1979). "Zia Bowl, who cares?". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved December 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Latta, Dennis (December 15, 1980). "Few Mourn Death of Zia Bowl". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved December 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "NCAA Division II Title Game Here In Palm Bowl III Dec. 12". The Monitor. May 14, 1981. Retrieved December 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "All-Time Results" (PDF). University of Delaware Athletics. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
  8. ↑ "Mustangs Win Title". Herald-Journal. December 14, 1980. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
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