C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl | |
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Stadium | Memorial Stadium |
Location | Commerce, Texas |
Previous stadiums | Bulldawg Stadium and Waco ISD Stadium |
Previous locations | Copperas Cove, Texas and Waco, Texas |
Operated | 2001–present |
Conference tie-ins | LSC (2012–2018) NCAA D-II (2012–2018) NJCAA (2001–present) |
The C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl (known as the HOT Bowl for short) is the name of an American football bowl game played at three different locations in Central Texas since 2001, featuring teams from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Between 2012 and 2018, it was played as a doubleheader with an NCAA Division II postseason game, which was also known as the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl.
Founded by Copperas Cove High School football coach Jack Welch, the bowl games were originally played in Copperas Cove until 2017. Following Welch's retirement from the district, the games moved to Waco ISD Stadium in Waco for 2018.[1] The Division II game was then discontinued, but after a two-year hiatus, the junior college game resumed in 2021 in a new location, at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas.
The acronym "C.H.A.M.P.S." stands for "Communities Helping Americans Mature, Progress and Succeed," which is a nonprofit group focusing on improving drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, mental health, and preventing teen suicide. After the addition of another title sponsor, TIPS (The Interlocal Purchasing System), the games were billed as the TIPS-CHAMPS Heart of Texas Bowl in 2018.[1]