FEBRUARY 2026
UPCOMING EVENTS
JUNIOR TENNIS CLASSIC HITS THE COURTS MARCH 28-29
For the third consecutive year, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will host youth tennis players from across the country for the annual Junior Tennis Classic. The USTA National Level 5 Tournament will be hosted on Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29, at Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club and various tennis venues across the Shreveport-Bossier City area.
The tournament features singles and doubles draws for Boys and Girls in the 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U age groups. The main host will be Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club, but matches for the two-day tournament will also be played at Querbes Tennis Center and Bossier Tennis Center.
Registration for the Junior Tennis Classic is open now, and applicants can register online by clicking the button below.
The Independence Bowl Junior Tennis Classic returned in 2024 for the first time since 2019 and was named the 2024 Junior Tournament of the Year by the Louisiana Tennis Association.
The 2025 iteration of the tournament brought nearly 200 youth tennis players and their families from 15 different states to the Shreveport-Bossier community for the weekend.
For more information, contact Tournament Director Hassan Abbas at hassan.potc@gmail.com
ANNUAL MEMBER CRAWFISH BOIL ON APRIL 11
The Member Crawfish Boil will be held on Saturday, April 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hurricane Alley in the East Bank District!
Each active Independence Bowl Foundation member receives two (2) tickets for all-you-can-eat crawfish, potatoes, corn and jambalaya from Shaver's Catering! We hope to see you all there!
RSVP by Friday, April 3 by clicking the button below:
RSVP HERE!
FROM THE FOUNDATION
COMPLETE THE VOLUNTEER SURVEY!
Thank you to all of our valuable members of the Independence Bowl Foundation and for taking the time to give back to our organization and the community by volunteering for the Independence Bowl Foundation during Bowl Week and at all of our events throughout the year.
We could not do the work we do and have the impact on the Shreveport-Bossier City community that we have without our tremendous volunteers and Foundation members.
We continue to work on making the volunteer experience better and attracting new volunteers for our events, and we would love to get your feedback.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by clicking on the button above or below, and let us know how we can improve our volunteer experience.
COMPLETE THE SURVEY
WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBERS TO THE INDEPENDENCE BOWL FOUNDATION!
Our bowl spans over six decades, and the Independence Bowl Foundation is the main catalyst for our success! The Independence Bowl Foundation is an organization consisting of numerous volunteer committees, which carry out all of its functions, drawing upon its more than 300 members.
Memberships are open for anyone who would like to become a part of the 11th most-historic bowl game in college football and start as low as $200.
Welcome to our new Independence Bowl Foundation members!
George Bakowski
Tim Purvis
Josh Purvis
INDY BOWL ALUMNI
INDEPENDENCE BOWL ALUMNI SHINE IN SUPER BOWL LX
The Seattle Seahawks dominated the New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8, in a game that featured five former Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl players on the active rosters. Two Independence Bowl alumni added their names to the list of Super Bowl champions –wide receiver Jake Bobo (Duke, 2018) and running back Cam Akers (Florida State, 2017).
Bobo played 16 offensive snaps and 19 special teams snaps in the game. He did not record any offensive statistics, but he finished the game with one tackle on special teams. Akers, who was making his second Super Bowl appearance, did not play on offense, but he played four snaps on special teams for the Seahawks. Akers was added to the active roster on Sunday after he was elevated from the practice squad.
Despite being on the losing side, the three Independence Bowl alumni on the Patriots had a major impact on the game. Center Garrett Bradbury (NC State, 2016) made his 21st start of the season for New England between the regular season and postseason.
The two Independence Bowl alumni on the Patriots’ defense did their best to keep New England in the game. Rookie safety Craig Woodson (California, 2023) finished second amongst all players in the game in combined tackles with 10. He also led the game with three tackles for loss (TFL), while also recording two pass deflections (PD). Defensive tackle Milton Williams (Louisiana Tech, 2019) made his third Super Bowl appearance and was looking for his second Super Bowl victory. He tallied two tackles, both TFL, and had one sack and one PD.
FOUR INDEPENDENCE BOWL ALUMNI INVITED TO NFL COMBINE
NFL Draft season is underway, and the next wave of Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl alumni are looking to join the nearly 100 former Independence Bowl players in the NFL.
The NFL Combine – the premier draft scouting event gets underway this week, and four former Independence Bowl players are amongst the elite group of NFL Draft prospects who were invited to the event.
• TE Jack Endries (California, 2023) – finished career at Texas
• QB Fernando Mendoza (California, 2023) – finished career at Indiana
• QB Behren Morton (Texas Tech, 2023)
• LB Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech, 2023)
Craig Woodson (Cal #2) in the 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Texas Tech. (Photo: Steve Mauldin Photography)
