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ST. GEORGE -- The current poor economic conditions has claimed the 23-year-old Dixie Rotary Bowl, known as the "Biggest Junior College Bowl Game in the Nation."
The announcement, made Monday at the Rotary Club of St. George, came after organizers couldn't corral enough sponsorship dollars.
The Dixie Rotary Bowl was sanctioned in 1986 as the first post-season college bowl game in Utah. It was created through the efforts of members of the Rotary Club of St. George. They hoped the bowl would bring exposure to the community, fund community service projects and provide a platform to share the Rotary message.
Teams from across the county vied for a spot in the bowl game. Up to 2005, Dixie State was a perennial top-contender in the NJCAA and played in all but one of the 20 JUCO bowl contests as the host school.
In 2006, Dixie State moved to NCAA Division II. The bowl followed suit and after hosting a transition game in 2006, featuring Dixie State and Fort Lewis from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the bowl finalized an agreement to feature top teams from the RMAC and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
However, the increased costs of hosting a NCAA Division II bowl were too much to overcome, which led to the decision to suspend the game.
The Board of Trustees will continue to look at future options.
