| Game Name: | Grantland Rice Bowl |
| Date Game Played: | December 8 |
| Year Game Played: | 1973 |
| Football Season: | 1973 |
| Football Division: | NCAA Division II |
| Stadium: | BREC Memorial Stadium |
| City: | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Attendance: | 15,000[1] |
| Visitor School: | Grambling College |
| Visitor Name Short: | Grambling |
| Visitor Nickname: | Tigers |
| Visitor Conference: | Southwestern Athletic Conference |
| Visitor Coach: | Eddie Robinson |
| Visitor Record: | 10–2 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 6 |
| Home School: | Western Kentucky University |
| Home Name Short: | Western Kentucky |
| Home Nickname: | Hilltoppers |
| Home Conference: | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Home Coach: | Jimmy Feix |
| Home Record: | 10–1 |
| Home 1Q: | 7 |
| Home 2Q: | 14 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 7 |
The 1973 Grantland Rice Bowl was an NCAA Division II game following the 1973 season, between the Grambling Tigers (now the Grambling State Tigers) and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. This was the first year that the game served as a national semifinal for Division II – in prior years it had been the Mideast regional championship for the College Division. This was the last time that the game was played at BREC Memorial Stadium.
Western Kentucky defensive back Mike McCoy and running back Clarence Jackson were selected in the 1974 NFL draft. Defensive back Virgil Livers and defensive end John Bushong were selected in the 1975 NFL draft. McCoy, Jackson, Livers, linebacker Rick Green, wide receiver Porter Williams, and head coach Jimmy Feix are inductees of the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame.[2]
Grambling defensive end Charles Battle, defensive back Bill Bryant, defensive end Ezil Bibbs, and tight end Oliver Alexander were selected in the 1974 NFL Draft. Defensive tackle Gary Johnson, defensive end Bob Barber, and defensive end Jesse O'Neal were selected in the 1975 NFL Draft. Grambling players selected in the 1976 NFL draft include cornerback James Hunter, wide receiver Sammy White, tight end Ron Singleton, and linebacker Robert Pennywell. Johnson, Hunter, White, and head coach Eddie Robinson are inductees of the Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame.[3] Johnson and Robinson are inductees of the College Football Hall of Fame.