Troy Trojans to face Jacksonville State in IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at Cramton Bowl
PRESS RELEASE:
Two long-time, in-state rivals will square off in the 2025 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl.
Troy and Jacksonville State will meet in the 12th annual IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. (CT) at the historic Cramton Bowl in downtown Montgomery, Ala. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Tickets are available through www.salutetoveteransbowl.com.
“We are thrilled to revive the Battle for the Ol’ School Bell rivalry here in Montgomery for this year’s IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl,” Clay Norrell, executive director said. “We are expecting a great matchup between two long-time rivals.”
Jax State and Troy are both former members of the Gulf South Conference and are meeting in the gridiron for the first time since 2001.
The Gamecocks lead the all-time series 33-28-2. The Trojans have won the last seven meetings in the series. JSU has not won since Nov. 3, 1990, the last meeting as GSC members.
Troy (8-5, 6-2 Sun Belt) lost at No. 25 James Madison 31-14 in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game. The Trojans were the Sun Belt Conference Western Division champions.
The Trojans had 12 players named to the 2025 All-Sun Belt Conference Team, including punter Evan Crenshaw, who named the Special Teams Player of the Year. A finalist for the Ray Guy Award, Crenshaw is the FBS leader with 20 punts over 50 yards.
Jax State (8-5, 7-1 USA) lost at home to Kennesaw State 19-15 in the 2025 Conference USA Championship Game. The Gamecocks and Owls were regular-season co-champions.
The Gamecocks had 17 players named to the 2025 All-CUSA Team, including running back Cam Cook, who named the Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. He is the FBS leader with 131.8 rushing yards per game and 153.67 all-purpose yards per game.
Troy owns a 6-4 (.600) all time bowl record, dating back to the 2004 Silicon Valley Bowl in San Jose, Calif.
The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl will mark the Troy’s 11th all-time bowl appearance, and gives the Trojans a berth in all three bowl games played in the state of Alabama.
Jax State is making its third straight bowl appearance after playing in the 2024 New Orleans Bowl and 2025 Cure Bowl.
The Gamecocks defeated Louisiana 34-31 in overtime in the school’s first-ever bowl game. JSU lost to Ohio 30-27 last year.
The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl has had a knack for close games and thrilling finishes.
In fact, 10 of the previous 11 have been one score games with the average margin of victory at 4.3 points in those 10 games.
In eight of the 11 games, the winning score came in the fourth quarter, including walk-off field goals by Appalachian State (2015) and Georgia Southern (2018).
Bowling Green defeated South Alabama 33-28 in the inaugural IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (previously known as Camellia Bowl) on Dec. 20, 2014.
Last year, South Alabama set the bowl’s total offense record with 537 yards in the 30-23 win over Western Michigan.
The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl matches team from the Mid-American Conference, Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA.
IS4S SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL RESULTS
Here are the game-by-scores of the IS4S Saluto Veterans Bowl
Date Result TV
Dec. 20, 2014 Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28 ESPN
Dec. 19, 2015 Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29 ESPN
Dec. 17, 2016 Appalachian State 31, Toledo 28 ESPN
Dec. 16, 2017 Middle Tennessee 35, Arkansas St. 30 ESPN
Dec. 15, 2018 Georgia Southern 23, E. Michigan 21 ESPN
Dec. 21, 2019 Arkansas St. 34, FIU 26 ESPN
Dec. 25, 2020 Buffalo 17, Marshall 10 ESPN
Dec. 25, 2021 Georgia State 51, Ball State 20 ESPN
Dec. 27, 2022 Buffalo 23, Georgia Southern 21 ESPN
Dec. 23, 2023 Northern Illinois 21, Arkansas State 19 ESPN
Dec. 14, 2024 South Alabama 30, Western Michigan 23 ESPN
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