Vulcan Bowl

The Vulcan Bowl was a New Year's Day college football bowl game held each year from 1942 to 1952 at Rickwood Field. The game, which was sponsored by the Atlanta-based Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was billed as determining the annual Negro College football championship.

The game was inspired by the success of the Steel Bowl, staged at Legion Field on January 1, 1941 with the SIAC's Morris Brown College against Wilberforce University of Xenia, Ohio. That game attracted between 9,000 and 11,000 fans, but was organized by an outside promoter without much involvement from local Black business or community leaders. The inaugural Vulcan Bowl was scheduled for the same day as the 1942 Steel Bowl, which resorted to fielding to "All Star" squads of current and former Black college athletes.

1941 season

• January 1, 1942: Langston College defeated Morris Brown College by a score of 13-0. Jesse Stewart opened the scoring with a 35 yard catch from Hershel King. Pete Mulligan followed up with a goal-line touchdown in the second quarter. Morris Brown star John "Big Train" Moody was bottled up by Langston's heavier line.

1942 season

• January 1, 1943: Texas College defeated Tuskegee University by a final score of 13-10.

1943 season

• January 1, 1944: Tuskegee University defeated Clark College by a final score of 12-7.

1944 season

• January 1, 1945: Tennessee State University defeated Tuskegee University by a final score of 13-0.

1945 season

• January 1, 1946: Tennessee State University defeated Texas College by a final score of 33-6.

1946 season

• January 1, 1947: Tennessee State defeated Louisville Municipal College by a final score of 32-0.

1947 season

• January 1, 1948: Central State (Ohio) defeated Grambling State by a final score of 27-21.

1948 season

• January 1, 1949: Kentucky State defeated North Carolina A&T by a final score of 23-13.

West Virginia State University declined a bid to compete in this game due to the length of time between training and the game and a conflict with their already approved basketball schedule.²

1951 season

• January 1, 1952: Bethune-Cookman defeated Texas College by a final score of 27-13.

Before the month was out, Bethune-Cookman sued the Steel Bowl Corporation for $1,300 citing breach of agreement. The school claimed the company's agreement was to provide $2,000 plus room and board for the 36 players.³

See also

• Dixie Bowl

References

1. House, Jack (January 1, 1942). "Wilberforce And Morris Brown Clash in Steel Bowl Contest." The Birmingham News. Page 10.
2. "State Rejects Grid Bowl Bid." (November 19, 1948). The Charleston Gazette. Page B7.
3. "Bethune-Cookman, Prairie View Bowl Game Victors." (January 17, 1952). Jet. Page 52.

• Segrest, Doug (August 25, 2002) "Legion Field: 75 years of memories". Birmingham News.
• College Football Data Warehouse. (February 19, 2007). Accessed, February 19, 2007.