College of DuPage Hosts Inaugural Red Grange Bowl Dec. 3

After a 20-year hiatus, the College of DuPage Chaparrals are hosting a National Junior College Athletic Association bowl game.

The Dec. 3 inaugural Red Grange Bowl is the culminating event of a weekend-long celebration of the legacy of Harold Edward "Red" Grange. Gates open at 10:30 a.m. and kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Bjarne Ullsvik Stadium on the Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd.

"We're working with the Red Grange Foundation to not only teach our guys about what a treasure Red Grange is to the community and the legacy of football, but also to remind the community of his local ties," said COD Football Head Coach Matt Foster.

Grange spent most of his childhood in Wheaton, attending Wheaton High School, where he played football, baseball, basketball and ran track. He earned 16 varsity letters during his tenure and as a high school junior scored 36 touchdowns and led the school to an undefeated season. The two time NFL champion football halfback played for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears and, for a short-time, the New York Yankees.

For College of DuPage Athletic Director Paul Zakowski, the Red Grange Bowl represents a historic first for COD and the NJCAA.

"We're the first non-scholarship school to host a bowl game, which is very exciting for this institution in that it not only highlights our program, but the number of non-scholarship schools that support athletics," he said. "These players come to us to have an opportunity to play and, in many cases, improve their performance in the classroom with the hopes of securing a scholarship to continue their studies at a four-year institution."

While the Chaparrals opponent won't be announced until their final season game on Nov. 12, Foster and Zakowski said they're eyeing another non-scholarship school, possibly from the Minnesota Conference.

"For us, this is also a great opportunity to get players from both teams out in the community for services projects," Foster said. "COD players will be out in the community while visiting players will spend time working at Feed My Starving Children in Aurora."

Tickets are on sale now for the game as well as a bowl banquet featuring guest speaker Pat McCaskey. The banquet will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, in Student Resource Center, Room 2000 at the Glen Ellyn campus.

Tickets to the football game are $10 each. A limited number of banquet tickets also are available for $25 each. Click here for all Red Grange Bowl details or to purchase tickets online. Tickets also will be available for sale (cash only, please) at the point of entry at each event. Proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House charities.

The Red Grange Bowl is made possible in part with support from the Illinois National Guard, Evviva Restaurant, Hilton Hotel Lisle, Packey Webb Ford, Ellyn's Tap & Grill, Glen Ellyn Walmart Supercenter, Riddell, Sportsdecals, Field Turf and BSN Sports.

College of DuPage is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association, National Junior College Athletic Association Region IV and North Central Community College Conference (N4C). The College's Athletics program offers eight men's and seven women's sports teams each year, including track and field, cross country, football, volleyball, golf, basketball, tennis, baseball, softball and soccer. All home games are played on the Glen Ellyn campus, 425 Fawell Blvd., and are free and open to the public.