| Game Name: | 68 Ventures Bowl |
| Subheader: | 25th 68 Ventures Bowl |
| Date Game Played: | December 23 |
| Year Game Played: | 2023 |
| Football Season: | 2023 |
| Stadium: | Hancock Whitney Stadium |
| City: | Mobile, Alabama |
| Visitor School: | University of South Alabama |
| Visitor Name Short: | South Alabama |
| Visitor Nickname: | Jaguars |
| Visitor Record: | 6–6 |
| Visitor Conference: | Sun Belt |
| Visitor Coach: | Kane Wommack |
| Visitor 1Q: | 17 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 21 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 21 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home School: | Eastern Michigan University |
| Home Name Short: | Eastern Michigan |
| Home Nickname: | Eagles |
| Home Record: | 6–6 |
| Home Conference: | MAC |
| Home Coach: | Chris Creighton |
| Home 1Q: | 0 |
| Home 2Q: | 3 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 7 |
| Mvp: | Gio Lopez (QB, South Alabama)[1] |
| Odds: | South Alabama by 15.5[2] |
| Referee: | Cal McNeill (Mountain West)[3] |
| Attendance: | 20,926 |
| Us Network: | ESPN |
| Us Announcers: | Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), and Alyssa Lang (sideline) |
| Different Previous: | 2022 |
The 2023 68 Ventures Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 23, 2023, at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The 25th annual 68 Ventures Bowl (although the first edition played under that name) featured the Eastern Michigan Eagles from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and the South Alabama Jaguars from the Sun Belt Conference. The game began at approximately 7:00 p.m. CST and was aired on ESPN.[4] [5] The 68 Ventures Bowl was one of the 2023–24 bowl games concluding the 2023 FBS football season. 68 Ventures—an Alabama-based company involved in Gulf Coast development, investment, and construction—was the title sponsor of the game.[6]
Consistent with conference tie-ins, the bowl featured the Eastern Michigan Eagles of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and the South Alabama Jaguars of the Sun Belt Conference.
This was the first time that Eastern Michigan and South Alabama played each other.[7] While Hancock Whitney Stadium is the regular-season home stadium of South Alabama, Eastern Michigan was designated the home team for the bowl.
See main article: 2023 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team. The Eagles entered the game with a 6–6 record (4–4 in the MAC), finishing in third place in their conference's West Division.
This was Eastern Michigan's second 68 Ventures Bowl; they previously appeared in the 2021 LendingTree Bowl (when the bowl operated under a different name), which they lost.
See main article: 2023 South Alabama Jaguars football team. The Jaguars entered the game with a 6–6 record (4–4 in the Sun Belt), tied for second place in their conference's West Division.
This was South Alabama's first 68 Ventures Bowl.
Following the game, an altercation took place on-field between the teams prior to the trophy presentation, initiated by Eastern Michigan cornerback Korey Hernandez sucker punching South Alabama defensive back Jamarrien Burt while the South Alabama marching band and team were singing the school's alma mater.[8] [9] Eastern Michigan's athletic director apologized the next day, stating (in part) "We strongly condemn the actions of some of the student-athletes".[10]