MARCH 2026
UPCOMING EVENTS
JUNIOR TENNIS CLASSIC HITS THE COURTS THIS WEEKEND!
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 this 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.
Around 150 players from across North America, including 13 different states and Canada, are registered for the two-day tournament.
FROM THE FOUNDATION
2026 CHAIRMAN KEITH BURTON TAKES THE REINS AT ANNUAL MEETING
As the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, 2026 Chairman Keith Burton will lead the Independence Bowl Foundation. Burton, officially sworn in at the 2026 Annual Membership Meeting on March 12 takes the reins from 2025 Chairwoman, Sarah Giglio.
“It is a tremendous honor to serve as Chairman of the Independence Bowl Foundation during such a special year. The 50th anniversary is an opportunity not only to celebrate the incredible legacy built over five decades, but also to position the Independence Bowl for an even stronger future,” said Burton. “I look forward to working alongside our outstanding staff, volunteers, and Foundation members to deliver another great bowl experience for our community and college football fans.”
The entire 2026 Executive Committee and Board of Directors slate was voted in at the meeting. Burton's full bio and the entire slate can be read by clicking the button below:
ANNUAL MEMBER CRAWFISH BOIL ON APRIL 11
The Member Crawfish Boil is a 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:
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 and start as low as $200. Welcome to our new Independence Bowl Foundation members!
Jeff Harrington
NEWS & NOTES
INDEPENDENCE BOWL RELEASES SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY LOGO
As part of the celebration of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl’s 50th edition, the bowl released a special-edition 50th anniversary logo.
The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, college football’s 11th most historic bowl game, was established in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration. The commemorative logo will be utilized in a multitude of ways as part of the year-round celebration of 50 years of Shreveport’s annual bowl game.
Ticket renewals are being sent out to past ticket buyers in March, and ticket buyers who renew their tickets and add over $140 in additional tickets to their renewal will receive a commemorative Independence Bowl 50th anniversary coin. For more information about ticket renewals, fans can contact Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Director of Ticket Sales & Operations, Brooks Anderson, at brooks@independencebowl.org or by calling the office at (318) 221-0712.
Additional details and plans for the Independence Bowl’s 50th anniversary celebration will be announced at a later date.
INDEPENDENCE BOWL ALUMNI IMPRESS AT NFL COMBINE
The event that officially kicks off NFL Draft season, the NFL Combine, was this past weekend, February 26 through March 1, and four Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl alums were among the hundreds of draft prospects in Indianapolis, Ind. to take the next step in their football journey.
All four former Independence Bowl players who were invited to the Combine played in the 2023 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl between Texas Tech and California.
The group is headlined by former Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy as quarterback of the National Champion Indiana Hoosiers and is the overwhelming favorite to be drafted with the first-overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. Mendoza did not participate in any drills at the Combine, but he impressed with his size, measuring at 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds. He also interviewed with prospective teams.
