Shreveport Time Capsule: The 1991 Independence Bowl Commercial

This year's Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl is scheduled for a noon kickoff (local time) on Tuesday, December 30th, at Independence Stadium. With the primary agreement set to bring in teams from the Big 12 and Conference USA.

The Indy Bowl has gone on annually since 1976, and has hosted some of the biggest brands in college football history. But its not just about big teams and TV ratings. This is Shreveport's bowl game...its about community, and our local economy.

A Blast From Shreveport's Football Past

Let's hop in the Shreveport time machine, and head back to the early 90s. Things were a little different back in 1991...the current bowl sponsor, Radiance Technologies, didn't even exist yet. The ULL Ragin' Cajuns were still the Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. Houston's coach Dana Holgorsen was playing college football...and social media? Pure science fiction.

So with all that in mind, what did an ad for the Indy Bowl even look like 34 years ago? Check this out...

A Future SEC Matchup Takes Center Stage In Shreveport

That 1991 game was a huge deal...it featured #24 Georgia vs Arkansas. Today, that’s an SEC rivalry...but back then, this game was the last one Arkansas would ever play as a member of the Southwest Conference. After that, they were joining Georgia in the SEC.

The 1991 Indy Bowl was literally an SEC preview. Here's how people were getting hyped for the game:

Georgia ended up winning 24-15, and their roster was loaded with future NFL Draft picks: Garrison Hearst, Eric Zeier, and Andre Hastings were all Bulldogs.

The Economic Impact Of The Independence Bowl

Shreveport's college bowl game remains a crown jewel of the community, and is always an exciting quality of life moment on the calendar. It not only provides fun and excitement for families, but the economic impact of the game reaches all across the region.

The 2025 game has a chance to maybe bring in a stronger economic impact than in previous years. With Conference USA in the mix for this year's game, that could mean a strong Louisiana Tech team could return to Shreveport. Add in the quality teams from the Big 12 that could be coming to town, this game could be a huge boost for Shreveport.