© 2024 88.9 KETR
Public Radio for Northeast Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Lions to play East Central Univ. in Heart of Texas Bowl

A&M-Commerce will play East Central (Okla.) in the Heart of Texas Bowl on Dec. 6 in Copperas Cove.
lionathletics.com
A&M-Commerce will play East Central (Okla.) in the Heart of Texas Bowl on Dec. 6 in Copperas Cove.

After an 8-3 season regular season, the Lions earned the program’s 11th postseason bid in program history after accepting an invitation to the C.H.A.M.P.S Heart of Texas Bowl on December 6 in Copperas Cove against East Central University at 6 p.m.

After playing in the Live United Texarkana Bowl in 2013, the Lions are making consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since 1990 and 1991.  It is the first time since the 1957 and 1958 Tangerine Bowl that the Lions have played in consecutive bowl games.

A&M-Commerce has hit the eight-win mark for the first time since 2001 and with a win over ECU could hit the nine-win mark for the first time since the 1990 team collected 10 wins.  In two seasons under head coach Colby Carthel, A&M-Commerce has won 15 games, the highest two-season win total since the Lions won a total of 16 games in 1991 and 1992.

East Central finished the season at 6-4 overall playing out of the Great American Conference.  The two schools, once members of the Lone Star Conference from 1995 to 2011, have played 21 times with the Lions hold a 14-6-1 advantage in the all-time series.

Kickoff for the game will be at 6 p.m.  Tickets for fans five and up are $15 for reserved and $10 for general admissions.  At the gate the day of the game, tickets will be $20 for reserved and $10 for general admission.  Lion fans can call the A&M-Commerce ticket off or come by the Lion Field House to purchase tickets. A&M-Commerce will have a reserve tailgating section outside the stadium.

The bowl is sponsored by C.H.A.M.P.S., Communities Helping Americans Mature Progress and Succeed, a school-based program aimed at educating students about the dangers of the abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol, and was founded by Copperas Cove Head Coach and Athletic Director Jack Welch.