2025 WEEK 1 EDITION
UNDER REVIEW WEEK 1 BIG 12 & CONFERENCE USA SCHEDULE Jacksonville State at UCF — Thurs. at 6 PM on ESPN UT Martin at Oklahoma St. — Thurs. at 6:30 PM on ESPN+ Stephen F. Austin at Houston — Thurs. at 7 PM on ESPN+ Nebraska vs. Cincinnati — Thurs. at 8 PM on ESPN Wagner at Kansas — Fri. at 6:30 PM on ESPN+ Auburn at Baylor — Fri. at 7 PM on FOX Georgia Tech at Colorado — Fri. at 7 PM on ESPN Robert Morris at West Virginia — Sat. at 1 PM on ESPN+ South Dakota at Iowa State — Sat. at 2:30 PM on FOX North Dakota at Kansas State — Sat. at 6 PM on ESPN+ Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Texas Tech — Sat. at 6:30 PM on ESPN+ Portland State at BYU — Sat. at 7 PM on ESPN+ Northern Arizona at Arizona St. — Sat. at 9 PM on ESPN+ Hawai'i at Arizona — Sat. at 9:30 PM on TNT
Utah at UCLA — Sat. at 10 PM on FOX TCU at North Carolina — Sat. at 7 PM on ESPN Delaware State at Delaware — Thurs. at 6 PM on ESPN+ Kennesaw State at Wake Forest — Fri. at 6 PM on ACCN Bethune-Cookman at FIU — Fri. at 6 PM on ESPN+ UNLV at Sam Houston — Fri. at 8:30 PM on CBSSN Maine at Liberty — Sat. at 3 PM on ESPN+ Austin Peay at Middle Tennessee — Sat. at 6 PM on ESPN+ North Alabama at Western Kentucky — Sat. at 6 PM on ESPN+ Missouri State at USC — Sat. at 6:30 PM on B1G Network SE Louisiana at Louisiana Tech — Sat. at 6:30 PM on ESPN+ UTEP at Utah State — Sat. at 6:30 PM on CBSSN Bryant at New Mexico State — Sat. at 8 PM on ESPN+
BOWL PROJECTIONS PRESENTED BY ESPN (MARK SCHLABACH)
ESPN (KYLE BONAGURA)
VS.
VS.
THE ATHLETIC (MANDEL & DOCHTERMAN)
USA TODAY (ERICK SMITH)
VS.
VS.
PRE-SEASON AP TOP 25 1. Texas (25) 2. Penn State (23) 3. Ohio State (11) 4. Clemson (4) 5. Georgia (1) 6. Notre Dame 7. Oregon (1) 8. Alabama 9. LSU 10. Miami 11. Arizona State 12. Illinois 13. South Carolina
14. Michigan 15. Florida 16. SMU 17. Kansas State* 18. Oklahoma 19. Texas A&M 20. Indiana 21. Ole Miss 22. Iowa State* 23. Texas Tech* 24. Tennessee 25. Boise State
*Big 12 Team
+Conference USA Team
1
ON3 (BRETT MCMURPHY) VS.
CONFERENCE STANDINGS BIG 12 Team Iowa State Arizona Arizona State Baylor BYU UCF Cincinnati Colorado Houston Kansas Oklahoma State TCU Texas Tech Utah West Virginia Kansas State
Big 12 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1
Overall 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1
CONFERENCE USA Team CUSA Delaware 0-0 FIU 0-0 Jax State 0-0 Kennesaw State 0-0 Liberty 0-0 Louisiana Tech 0-0 Missouri State 0-0 Middle Tennessee 0-0 New Mexico State 0-0 Sam Houston 0-0 UTEP 0-0 Western Kentucky 0-0
InsidE ThE I-BOwL NEWsLETTEr // 2025 Week 1
Overall 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
WHAT TO WATCH FOR GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK JACKSONVILLE STATE
@
UCF
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 6 PM CT // ESPN+
NEBRASKA
VS
CINCINNATI
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 8 PM CT // ESPN
KENNESAW STATE
@
WAKE FOREST
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29 6 PM CT // ACC NETWORK
AUBURN
@
BAYLOR
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29 8 PM CT // FOX
UNLV
@
SAM HOUSTON
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29 8:30 PM CT // CBSSN
UTEP
@
UTAH STATE
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 6:30 PM CT // CBSSN
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
@
LOUISIANA TECH
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 6:30 PM CT // ESPN+
@
NORTH CAROLINA
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 7 PM CT // ESPN
(0-0)
(0-0)
(0-0)
(0-0)
(1-0)
(0-0)
(0-0)
TCU (0-0)
(0-0)
(0-0)
(0-0)
(0-0)
(0-0)
(0-0)
(0-0)
(0-0)
WEEKLY PLAYER SPOTLIGHT ROCCO BECHT QUARTERBACK REDSHIRT JUNIOR Tuesday, December 30 at 1 pm //
LAST WEEK VS. Kansas State:
14/28 (50%), 183 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs 12 rushes for 18 yards, 1 TD
LAST SEASON:
271/456 (59.4%), 3505 yards, 25 TDs, 9 INTs 98 rushes for 318 yards, 8 TDs
vs
//
2
UPCOMING EVENTS
When: Saturday, August 30 at 5 PM // Where: Provenance Town Center Members and the public are invited to join us for our annual Fish N’ Football celebration! Live music by Hidden Tracks will kick things off before we stream the LSU vs. Clemson game on the big screen! Nearby restaurants will have food & drinks available, and we’ll have two cash bars for adult beverages. Free & open to the public, but members get the VIP treatment with: • Catered fish fry by Johnny’s Catfish • Complimentary drinks (water, soda & beer) • Access to an exclusive members-only section Bring the whole family — there will be games, inflatables, and fun for all ages!
3
InsidE ThE I-BOwL NEWsLETTEr // 2025 Week 1
IN THE NEWS RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES EXTENDS TITLE SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT The Independence Bowl Foundation and Radiance Technologies announced on August 26 the extension of the title sponsorship of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl through at least the 2027 Bowl Season – with three additional one-year options to extend the agreement through 2030. “Radiance is proud to extend this partnership with the Independence Bowl,” said Radiance Technologies Chief Executive Officer Bill Bailey. “It has been a win-win for both parties. Our return on investment in this venture has far exceeded our expectations.” Radiance Technologies has been the title sponsor of the Independence Bowl since 2020. The original agreement between the Independence Bowl and Radiance spanned through the 2024 Bowl Season, but after 2020, the agreement was extended through 2025. This agreement will add two guaranteed years and possibly another three years beyond that. “Radiance Technologies has been a tremendous title sponsor, and we are elated to announce the extension of our title partnership through at least the 2027 Independence Bowl,” said 2025 Independence Bowl Foundation Chairwoman Sarah Giglio. “Bill Bailey and Radiance care so deeply about the Independence Bowl, the Shreveport-Bossier City community and Northwest Louisiana. We are so thankful for their commitment to our game and area, and we are looking forward to working with them for the coming years.” The 2025 Independence Bowl will be the fifth with Radiance Technologies as the title sponsor, making them the 14th-longest tenured title sponsor amongst bowl games. After the 2027 bowl game, Radiance will be the second-longest title sponsor in Independence Bowl history – only behind Poulan/Weed Eater, who was the title sponsor of the bowl for nine games. The 2030 bowl game would be Radiance Technologies’ 10th game as title sponsor, which would make them the longest-running title sponsor of the Independence Bowl in the game’s history. 2026 will be the 50th anniversary of the Independence Bowl.
READ FULL STORY
5
InsidE ThE I-BOwL NEWsLETTEr // 2025 Week 1
CONTERRA NETWORKS 100% Fiber Service Built for Your Business
Fiber internet enables you to... Work faster with symmetrical service and speeds of up to 10 Gbps Connect directly to key internet exchanges for more efficient routing and consistent service Choose options like private line and custom networks Rely on 99.99% network reliability
And with Conterra, it’s an easy choice.
Conterra Networks designs, builds, and manages an all-fiber network that is supported by our team of local experts. We’re passionate about creating custom solutions built for your business and speak directly to our customers for a personal experience—just like our service provides. Unlock your business’s ability to move quicker, react faster, communicate seamlessly and connect securely with a team that allows you to own your lane.
Increase your speed. Not your cost Get a diverse connection for better security and resilience Local account support and technicians 24x7x365 live support Sign a one-page, simple contract Installs based on your schedule Trustworthy partner
Get a competitive quote or schedule a free network analysis today 430-200-4930 www.Conterra.com
INSIDE THE I-BOWL INSIDE THE I-BOWL RADIO SHOW EVERY WEDNESDAY ON 1130 THE TIGER! Tune into 1130 The Tiger every Wednesday during football season from 6-7 p.m. for Inside the I-Bowl, presented by Origin Bank – the official radio show of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl! Director of Communications Erik Evenson and Lou Groza Award-winning kicker and former I-Bowl Chairman Art Carmody IV get you set for each weekend of college football – breaking down all the best games of the weekend and everything you need to know about the 49th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl!
LISTEN LIVE EVERY WEDNESDAY!
CAN'T LISTEN LIVE? LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ON OUR PODCAST CHANNEL!
INSIDE THE I-BOWL GAME OF THE WEEK Friday, August 29 8 PM CT FOX
Stats & Leaders 5-7 2-6 (SEC) 27.8 (71st) 21.3 (28th) 429.5 (263.9/165.5) 330.8 (213.0/117.8)
7
2024 RECORD CONFERENCE RECORD POINTS PER GAME PTS ALLOWED/GAME TOTAL YDS (PASS/RUSH) YDS ALLOWED (P/R)
8-5 6-3 (Big 12) 34.4 (19th) 26.7 (81st) 440.1 (261.3/178.8) 386.2 (234.2/152.0)
InsidE ThE I-BOwL NEWsLETTEr // 2025 Week 1
GET INVOLVED PUBLIC TICKETS ON SALE NOW! The countdown to the 2025 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl is on, as the 2025 college football season kicks off later this month, and tickets to the 49th edition of Shreveport-Bossier City’s annual bowl game are now officially on sale to the public. The 2025 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will kick off on Tuesday, December 30 at 1 p.m. at Independence Stadium. Great seating options are available throughout the stadium – ranging from $20 to $70.
BUY TICKETS!
Tuesday, December 30 at 1 pm //
vs
//
8
Tuesday, December 30 at 1 pm //
vs
//
RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com
@IndyBowl
MEDIA CONTACT:
Erik Evenson – Director of Communications M: 404.368.7481 O: 318.221.0712 E: erik@independencebowl.org