The second annual 68 Ventures Bowl will be at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile on December 26.
Nathan Cox, chairman of the development company, said the Daphne-based company strives to advance tourism throughout the region and to give back. In return, his focus is not on building homes and businesses but on building stronger generations of families in Baldwin and Mobile counties.
"We love to give back, and everything we do as a family and as an organization is about recruiting our kids back here one day," Cox said. "It's all about how special we can make this place, and we're very fortunate in South Alabama to have an extremely patriotic community. We also have a very giving group of people that generally believe if you can help, then you're supposed to, and if you're blessed to be in a position to do something for somebody else, then you honor that gift, and you do whatever you can."
In 2023, the 68 Ventures Bowl between the University of South Alabama and Eastern Michigan ended in a 59-10 victory for the USA Eagles and a viral clip of a brawl following the game.
While it gained 68 Ventures a lot of publicity, Cox said that isn't what his company is all about.
"This is really just more of something we do to support the community and something that's just fun for our collective team," Cox told 1819 News. "It's not a huge marketing dynamic on our end it's just a lot of fun to get to be a part of it.
"We do a bunch of philanthropic things in partnership with the bowl," he continued.
Arkansas State and Bowling Green will kick off at 8 p.m. on Thursday. This is the second time the two schools have played. The first time was in 1974 when Bowling Green beat Arkansas State 17-0.
“We look forward to continuing our season with a bowl game for the second consecutive year,” said Arkansas State head football coach Butch Jones. “The 68 Ventures Bowl offers an excellent experience for our players and provides a great bowl destination for our team and fans. We’re excited about the opportunity to play for an eighth win and to finish the season strong against a very good opponent.”
“Our players and staff could not be more excited to play in the 68 Ventures Bowl,” said Bowling Green head coach Scot Loeffler. “Our team has earned the opportunity to compete for an eighth win, and we will get the chance to do so against a strong Arkansas State team that experienced a journey similar to ours this season. It will be a competitive clash between two great conferences in prime time the day after Christmas. We look forward to our great BGSU fans cheering us on one more time in 2024. Go, Falcons!”
The bowl game will be an exciting time for Cox, who said it will likely bring back memories from his college days.
"My only bowl experience during my four years in Alabama was the Independence Bowl in Shreveport and we beat Iowa State's 14 to 13 that game," Cox remembered. "So, I definitely enjoyed that experience as a player and getting to have that to reflect back on that. As a terrible college football player who had all of his best friends who were All-SEC and All-American and stars, at least I'm the only one of our group that's got a bowl game."
The bowl game in Mobile is expected to have an economic impact on the area, with people staying, eating and shopping.
Ticket prices start at $15 with a total of six different pricing locations throughout the stadium available for purchase. Tickets and parking are available at 68VenturesBowl.com.
68 Ventures is the parent company for multiple development and investment businesses along the Gulf Coast. Team members believe that God has a plan for their lives, but they must do their part.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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