Today's Tidbit... David vs. Goliath - The All-American Bowl

Football fans have always enjoyed a good David and Goliath story, and they had one in a different form in the late 1950s and early 1960s. One of the hallmarks of football's post-season was an all-star game between players from major colleges and smaller schools. It was hosted in Tucson and was known as the Optimist Bowl from 1959 to 1960 before becoming the All-American Bowl in 1961 and 1962.

The NCAA was a simpler organization then, having only the University and College divisions. The divisions were not based on enrollment, attendance, or the presence or number of scholarships, but on self-identification. Small schools with 1,500 students could identify as and compete in the University Division, while directional state schools ten times their size competed at the college level. The teams generally followed the University-College lines, though the small school team also had NAIA players.

All-Star games today are part of the pre-draft process. They help teams evaluate prospects before the draft by pitting them against other talented players, which is particularly important for those who play at lower levels. The early 1960s were a different era, however, since the draft occurred before many of the all-star games, so the game helped teams assess the qualities of the qualities of the players they had already drafted.

The 1959 game saw the major college team beat the small college players 14-12, while the 1960 game was a 53-0 blowout. Despite changing the bowl's name in 1961, the result was similar to that in 1960, when the major colleges stuffed the small schools 31-0. That left the 1962 All-American Bowl in a tough spot. Seeking to raise money for a local Boys Home, the Gator, Blue-Gray, and East-West game were also scheduled for December 29 and had TV contracts, while the All-American Bowl could only be seen by those in attendance. The All-American Bowl needed a sizable gate and a more competitive game to survive.