Pythian Bowl Explained

The Pythian Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played from 1949 through 1951.^[1] In 1952, the game was played under the name of Lions Bowl.^[2] The game was played each year in December in Salisbury, North Carolina, at Shuford Stadium on the grounds of Catawba College. The bowl's original name came from the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization, with proceeds from the game going to a local orphanage. The 1952 game was named after Lions Clubs International, with game proceeds again being used for charitable works. Like some other postseason match-ups of the era, such as the Grape Bowl, Glass Bowl, and Optimist Bowl, results are listed in NCAA records, but the games were not considered NCAA-sanctioned bowls.

Game results

Season	Bowl Name	Date !	Winner		Loser		Attendance	References
	Pythian Bowl	December 10, 1949	Appalachian State	21		7	2,000	^[3]
	Pythian Bowl	December 9, 1950		28		26	4,500	^[4] ^[5]
	Pythian Bowl	December 8, 1951	Lenoir Rhyne	13		7	4,500	^[6] ^[7]
	Lions Bowl	December 13, 1952		13		6	2,700	^[8]

Notes

• NCAA records list the date of the first Pythian Bowl as "11-26-1949", which is inconsistent with contemporary newspaper reports.^{[9] [10]}
• The 1949 game was listed as the "Olympian Bowl" in some newspapers.^[11]
• For the 1952 game, West Chester had been invited and accepted, however the school later withdrew its acceptance due to the bowl not being sanctioned by the NCAA; Clarion was then invited and replaced West Chester.^[12]

See also

• List of college bowl games

Notes and References

1. Web site: BOWL/ALL STAR GAME RECORDS . 2016 . NCAA . January 7, 2017.
2. News: West Chester In Lions Bowl . . limited . . . newspapers.com . November 18, 1952 . March 29, 2017.
3. News: Appalachian bowls over Indians, 21–7. The Charlotte Observer. December 11, 1949. December 9, 2021. Newspapers.com.
4. News: West Liberty rally in 4th beats Appalachian, 28–26. The News and Observer. December 10, 1950. December 9, 2021. Newspapers.com.
5. Web site: West Liberty – Postseason History . West Liberty Hilltoppers . May 18, 2016 . March 29, 2017.
6. News: . State Set For Pythian Content Here Tomorrow . . . December 7, 1951 . 8 . March 2, 2024 . .
7. News: Turner . C. G. . Bears Win Pythian Clash . . . December 10, 1951 . 6 . March 2, 2024 . .
8. News: Clarion wins in Lions Bowl, stays unbeaten. Sunday News. December 15, 1952. March 6, 2021. Newspapers.com.
9. News: Pythian Bowl Slated Today At Salisbury . . limited . . . newspapers.com . December 10, 1949 . March 29, 2017.
10. News: Appalachian State Tops Catawba, 21-7 . . limited . . . newspapers.com . December 11, 1949 . March 29, 2017.
11. News: Bowl Results . limited . . . newspapers.com . December 11, 1949 . March 29, 2017.
12. News: Clarion State In Lions Bowl . . limited . . . newspapers.com . November 23, 1952 . March 29, 2017.