| Cactus Bowl | |
| Defunct: | yes |
| Stadium: | Javelina Stadium (2001–2011) Fargodome (1994–2000) |
| Location: | Kingsville, Texas (2001–2011) Fargo, North Dakota (1994–2000) |
| Years: | 1994–2011 |
| Sponsors: | Valero (2008–2010) Whataburger (2002–2006) |
| Former Names: | Snow Bowl (1994–2000) |
The Cactus Bowl (formerly the Snow Bowl) was a postseason college football all-star game played each January in Kingsville, Texas, which showcased the best NFL draft prospects of those collegiate players who had completed their eligibility in NCAA Division II. First played in 1994 at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota, as the Snow Bowl, the game moved to Javelina Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University–Kingsville in 2001 as the Cactus Bowl.[1] Proceeds went to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.[1]
The game typically consisted of 88 total players; in all but the final year, teams were designated East and West, composed of players from those regions of the United States. The game gave NFL scouts a chance to view the relatively low profile Division II talent, prompting its slogan of "the best players you've never seen."[1] The bowl's website (now defunct) said that more than 100 players of the game later signed with the NFL.[1] The bowl lasted through 2011, after which it was merged with the USA College Football Bowl of NCAA Division III.[2]
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Venue | Att. | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 6, 1994 | West | 23 | East | 14 | 5,962 | [3] | |
| January 7, 1995 | West | 16 | East | 10 | [4] | ||
| January 13, 1996 | East | 10 | West | 7 | |||
| January 11, 1997 | West | 43 | East | 3 | [5] | ||
| January 10, 1998 | West | 15 | East | 12 (OT) | [6] | ||
| January 9, 1999 | West | 30 | East | 28 | [7] | ||
| January 15, 2000 | West | 24 | East | 22 | 6,248 | [8] | |
| January 12, 2001 | West | 33 | East | 33 | [9] | ||
| January 11, 2002 | East | 42 | West | 12 | [10] | ||
| January 10, 2003 | East | 19 | West | 7 | [11] | ||
| January 9, 2004 | West | 30 | East | 27 (OT) | [12] | ||
| January 7, 2005 | East | 18 | West | 15 | [13] | ||
| January 6, 2006 | West | 49 | East | 28 | [14] | ||
| Game not played | |||||||
| January 11, 2008 | East | 42 | West | 13 | [15] | ||
| January 9, 2009 | West | 28 | East | 27 | [16] | ||
| January 8, 2010 | West | 16 | East | 0 | [17] | ||
| January 7, 2011 | Red Storm | 28 | Blue Devils | 6 | 4,200 | [18] [19] | |
| Year | Offensive MVP | Defensive MVP | Jim Langer Offensive Lineman | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | School | Player | School | Player | School | ||
| 1994 | Elvin Ashley | Southwest Minnesota | Anthony Abrams | Clark | Kevin Robson | North Dakota | |
| 1995 | Keith Rylance | Augustana | Cedric Florence | Missouri Southern | South Dakota State | ||
| 1996 | Chris Ryan | Clark | North Alabama | Indiana (Pa.) | |||
| 1997 | Jason Davis | Western State | Richard Jordan | Missouri Southern | Andy Mazurek | Minnesota State | |
| 1998 | Billy Holmes | Northern Colorado | Saginaw Valley | Sean McNamara | Pittsburg State | ||
| 1999 | Nebraska-Omaha | Franco Glaze | West Texas A&M | Greg Lotyse | North Dakota | ||
| 2000 | Corte McGuffey | Northern Colorado | Josh Gentry | Indianapolis | Nick O'Brien | Texas A&M–Kingsville | |
| 2001 | Gerald Payne | Harding | J.R. Turner | Texas A&M–Kingsville | Brian Crawford | Western Oregon | |
| 2002 | Ferris State | Albany State | Peter Campion | North Dakota State | |||
| 2003 | Michael Oliva | Cal-Davis | Carson–Newman | New Haven | |||
| 2004 | Tyler Paul | Emporia State | Eric McDowell | Missouri Western | Alan Dunn | Tusculum | |
| 2005 | Justin Samples | Catawba | Grand Valley State | Michigan Tech | |||
| 2006 | Wes Beschorner | South Dakota | Clayton Ferrell | Abilene Christian | Nick Hageman | South Dakota | |
| 2008 | Mark Nicolet | Hillsdale | Michael Eubanks | Delta State | Brandon Barnes | Grand Valley State | |
| 2009 | West Texas A&M | Jeff Souder | Nebraska-Omaha | Jeremy Ashcraft | Arkansas Tech | ||
| 2010 | Billy Garza | Texas A&M–Kingsville | Sam Scott | West Chester | West Texas A&M | ||
| 2011 | Central Missouri | Colorado School of Mines | Abilene Christian University | ||||
Cactus Bowl players (2001–2010) who later appeared in the NFL.