South Alabama and Western Michigan Meet in IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Posted December 3, 2024 MONTGOMERY – South Alabama and Western Michigan will meet in the 11th annual IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at the historic Cramton Bowl in downtown Montgomery. The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl will kick off Bowl Season on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. (CT) and will be televised by ESPN. For ticket information go to www.salutetoveteransbowl.com “As we usher in a new era of Bowl Season in Montgomery, we are thrilled to have South Alabama and Western Michigan in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl,” Johnny Williams, executive director of the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl, said. “South Alabama played in our inaugural game in 2014 and helped us set the foundation for what our bowl has become. Western Michigan will be coming to Montgomery for the first time with Mobile native Lance Taylor as their head coach.” South Alabama (6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Sun Belt Western Division standings. The Jaguars are 4-2 in their last six games. “We are grateful and excited to be heading to Montgomery for the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl,” Dr. Joel Erdmann, South Alabama Director of Athletics, said. “The proximity of Montgomery, combined with the Saturday game day, provides a tremendous opportunity for South Alabama students and fans to travel and support the Jags. We look forward to the national spotlight being on the University of South Alabama as we compete in the first game of the 2024 FBS bowl season.” Western Michigan (6-6, 5-3 MAC) closed the season with a 26-18 win over Eastern Michigan to become bowl eligible. The Broncos had a four-game winning streak in October. “We are thrilled to accept an invitation to the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl,” Dan Bartholomae, Western Michigan Vice President/Director of Athletics, said. “The opportunity to visit such an historic place as Montgomery, Alabama and compete against a great program in South Alabama is exciting, and we look forward to opening the bowl season in great style!” Both teams have young head coaches with Alabama connections. South Alabama head coach Major Applewhite spent three years in the Alabama coaching staff under Nick Saban. He was Saban’s first offensive coordinator in 2007. “Our team is excited to be selected to play in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl,” Applewhite said. “It is great to see their hard work rewarded with a postseason opportunity. I’m happy our seniors will get one more chance to put on a South Alabama uniform, and that our younger players will have more time to practice and develop this season. Playing in the first FBS bowl game of the postseason in our home state is the ideal situation for our program. We are proud to represent the state of Alabama and look forward to sharing this bowl game experience with our fans.” Western Michigan’s head coach is Mobile native and former Alabama wide receiver Lance Taylor. A graduate of Citronelle High School, Taylor played for the Crimson Tide from 1998-2002. “We are excited for the opportunity to compete in Montgomery, Alabama, in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl,” Taylor said. “This is a great opportunity for our football program and our university. South Alabama is a well-coached, physical team that will be a great test for our team. This is the 12th bowl game in school history and we are thrilled to represent Bronco Nation and WMU in this awesome bowl!” South Alabama faced Bowling Green in the inaugural IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (previously known as Camellia Bowl) on Dec. 20, 2014. That game was decided in the final minute and served as the precursor for the thrilling finishes the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl has produced. Nine of the first 10 games have been one score games, including eight games decided in the fourth quarter with a pair of walk-off field goals. IS4S SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL RESULTS: Here are the game-by-scores of the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Date Result Attendance TV Dec. 20, 2014 Bowling Green 33, South Alabama 28 20,256 ESPN Dec. 19, 2015 Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29 21,395 ESPN Dec. 17, 2016 Appalachian State 31, Toledo 28 20,300 ESPN Dec. 16, 2017 Middle Tennessee 35, Arkansas St. 30 20,612 ESPN Dec. 15, 2018 Georgia Southern 23, E. Michigan 21 17,710 ESPN Dec. 21, 2019 Arkansas St. 34, FIU 26 16,209 ESPN Dec. 25, 2020 Buffalo 17, Marshall 10 2,512 (Covid) ESPN Dec. 25, 2021 Georgia State 51, Ball State 20 7,345 ESPN Dec. 27, 2022 Buffalo 23, Georgia Southern 21 15,232 ESPN Dec. 23, 2023 Northern Illinois 21, Arkansas State 19 11,310 ESPN ESPN Events ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2024, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube.