2025 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl to Kick off on December 30 at 1 p.m. CST on ESPN

SHREVEPORT, La. (June 5, 2025) – A date is set for the 49th edition of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, as Shreveport’s annual college football bowl game will kick off on Tuesday, December 30 at 1 p.m. CST on ESPN.

“The December 30th afternoon game should provide us with a great opportunity to promote the Independence Bowl, Radiance Technologies and the Shreveport-Bossier community on the national stage,” said 2025 Independence Bowl Foundation Chair Sarah Giglio. “We look forward to hosting an exciting Bowl Week for fans after the Christmas holiday and creating an electric atmosphere around Independence Stadium on game day.”

The December 30th game date is the latest game date for the Independence Bowl since 2013, which was played on December 31. This will be the third time in the game’s history that it will be played on December 30 (2007 and 2005). 

The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl continues to have a major impact on the Shreveport-Bossier community each year, driving revenue to the area and providing exposure about the area to a national audience. The Independence Bowl brings around $9 million in direct and indirect spending to the area and provides a total benefit of around $30 million each year. 

The average paid attendance over the last seven Independence Bowls has been 30,180 fans, topping out at 34,283 last year. The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl has also averaged 2.17 million viewers over the past seven games.

Ticket renewals for fans who have bought Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl tickets in the past are being mailed out over the next two weeks. The renewal deadline for fans who would like to secure the same seats they have had in the past is Thursday, July 31. Tickets will go on sale to the public in closer to football season and will be available at RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/tickets. Individual tickets will start at $20, and there will also be group tickets, Small Business Fan Packs, Family Four-Packs and other ticket packages available. For ticketing questions, fans can call the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl office at (318) 221-0712 or toll-free at (888) 414-BOWL.

For information on Independence Stadium rules and the clear bag policy, please visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/stadium-rules. Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl fans can visit OpportunityLouisiana.com to explore why Louisiana businesses are positioned to win. 

UPCOMING EVENT – 14th Annual Youth Football Clinic

The 14th annual Independence Bowl Youth Football Clinic is at Independence Stadium this Saturday, June 7 from 8-11 a.m. The annual clinic is free for boys and girls from ages five through incoming 8th graders. 

Campers will get to learn from players from Louisiana Tech who played in the 2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and regional college coaches and staffers from Louisiana Tech, ULM, Sam Houston State, Northwestern State, Centenary and SUSLA.

Check-in will begin at 7 a.m. at the stadium’s southwest entrance. Online registration is closed, but parents can register their child at Independence Stadium beginning at 7 a.m. on the day of the clinic. Participants will receive a free t-shirt from Sports World and lunch from Whataburger following the clinic.

UPCOMING EVENT – Kickoff Dinner featuring Mack Brown

Mack Brown is a college football legend – a College Football Hall of Famer, two-time Coach of the Year and BCS National Champion –  and will be the featured speaker at the 15th Annual Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Kickoff Dinner on Monday, August 18 at the Shreveport Convention Center.

Brown has been a staple of the college football coaching world over the past 47 years with five stops in 36 years as head coach at four different universities – Appalachian State (1983), Tulane (1985-1987), North Carolina (1988-1997 and 2019-2024) and Texas (1998-2013). During his 36-year head coaching career, Brown compiled a 288-155-1 record. His 288 wins rank him seventh on the FBS all-time wins list. He is a two-time National Coach of the Year – winning the 2005 Paul W. “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year Award and the 2008 Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year Award. He won the 2005 BCS National Championship with the Longhorns in one of the most memorable games in college football history.

Individual tickets to the event are on sale for $50 apiece, and a table of eight is $400. Tickets can be purchased at RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/shop or by calling the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl office at (318) 221-0712 or toll-free at (888) 414-BOWL. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for a cocktail hour and dinner buffets will open at 6:15 p.m. The program will begin at 7 p.m. with a Q&A to conclude.

ABOUT THE RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL™

Established in 1976, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl™ is college football’s 11th most historic bowl game. The 49th edition will kick off on Tuesday, December 30 at 1 p.m. CST on ESPN. Radiance Technologies is the bowl’s title sponsor through the 2025-26 Bowl Season, and the bowl’s conference and television agreements also run through the 2025-26 season. 

The Independence Bowl Foundation is prevalent in the Shreveport-Bossier City area throughout the year, hosting events to help enhance the economic impact and growth of our community. The Mission of the Independence Bowl is to attract and provide quality, nationally recognized football competition oriented to the Ark-La-Tex region. For more information, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or follow the bowl on Facebook, X and Instagram at @IndyBowl.