How Lynchburg’s Historic Flag Football Tradition is Making a Comeback
The University of Lynchburg Campus Recreation Department will host the Turkey Bowl flag football tournament on Saturday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 26, on Shellenberger Field, marking its first appearance since 2019.
Competitors can register for $30 per team, and registration runs through Wednesday, Oct. 22. The event returns in October, almost a month before its traditional date around Thanksgiving. Still, Lynchburg staff members hope to see the same widespread participation as in previous years.
“We had, at its peak, about 30 teams between the three different divisions,” says Director of Campus Recreation Steve Bradney. “It was a big event that students looked forward to every year, and faculty and staff played.”
Lynchburg’s fall sports teams anticipate hosting postseason competition in November, and the earlier date ensures that everyone can participate in the Turkey Bowl.
While football is the event’s primary focus, the weekend festivities extend beyond the gridiron.
“We always had food for participants in the [gymnasium] lobby,” Bradney says. “We used to have groups set up tables in the D-zone of the track to be there and be visible. One year, we even had massages.”
The Turkey Bowl features a double-elimination bracket and includes separate tournaments for the men’s, women’s, and coed divisions.
“Winning teams get a championship T-shirt and a gold-painted football that says ‘Turkey Bowl Champs,’” Bradney notes. “You can play on two teams; you could compete on a men’s team and a coed team, or a women’s and coed team.”
Apart from the University’s Shamrock Bowl event in March of 2025, the Turkey Bowl is the school’s first effort to host a fall football event since the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020. For football fans, tradition plays a key role in creating a fun experience.
“The recognition was, if we are going to bring this back, we have to bring it back in its traditional sense,” says Assistant Director of Counseling Services, Tiffany Boydoh. “Football just falls better in the fall!”
While the weekend caters to football fans, Boydoh believes the Turkey Bowl can revitalize school spirit.
“How we bring back campus spirit and tradition is where this reprisal initiated from,” Boydoh says. “ It [The Turkey Bowl] was a weekend-long thing that everyone went to, everyone wanted to go to, and everyone wanted to celebrate.”
While Lynchburg does not sponsor a varsity football program, the Turkey Bowl aims to create a similar atmosphere among students who enjoy watching football on the weekends.
“It’s a way for the campus to show up together for an event,” Boydoh says. “We think about football being a regular fall-season sport, and we obviously don’t have a football team here. We’re offering that community and that environment.”
As the event aims to match its previous success, the participation of diverse teams and campus organizations will be key.
“How cool is it if you envision men’s lacrosse playing men’s soccer in something, or track having the opportunity to compete against volleyball?” Boydoh wonders. “It’s a way for the campus to show up together.”
Intramural Expansion
The Turkey Bowl begins just one week after the campus’s intramural flag football season commences on Sunday, Oct. 19. For Lynchburg students, whether they have played football at a high level or never heard of the sport, the Turkey Bowl is a great tryout.
“It brings the community together,” says sophomore track and field athlete Tristan Wright. “You can meet new people and make new bonds. Plus, it makes it possible to have fun playing a different sport that we don’t have on campus.”
For those who have not played football, hosting the event during the fall allows new fans to play intramurals if they enjoy the experience.
Lynchburg’s intramural leagues invite both athletes and nonathletes to compete, and for several students, flag football provides an opportunity to turn back the clock.
“Lynchburg bringing the football element back to campus is pretty fun,” Wright mentions.
“I came here for track and then I heard about flag football, so I’m excited to play DB [defensive back] again,” sophomore Isaiah Davis says.
To sign up for the 2025 Turkey Bowl, visit https://www.imleagues.com/spa/portal/home to create an account and register a team.
For further instructions, visit IMLeagues Instructions Turkey Bowl Fall 25
