Birmingham Bowl teams, Georgia Southern and App State, coaches at a press conference — Georgia Southern and Appalachian State coaches at a press conference in Birmingham. (Bham Now)

On December 29, locals and visitors alike will pack into Protective Stadium for the 19th JLab Birmingham Bowl, and watch as rivals Georgia Southern University and Appalachian State University take the field.

A huge crowd is expected for this year’s bowl game—probably the biggest since Houston defeated Auburn during the sold-out 2021 Birmingham Bowl.

This year, the technology and audio brand, JLab, is doing something special for the players, fans and local kids!

Birmingham Bowl finally has its matchup

Georgia Southern was locked in to play in the JLab Birmingham Bowl by December 7, but it took a bit longer to nail down an opponent, given that some teams rejected the invitation:

Auburn
Florida State
Baylor
Rutgers
Kansas
Central Florida
Temple

Finally, App State football’s head coach Dowell Loggains answered the call, and with no surprise to his team and fans, he responded with “let’s put the ball down.”

Both in the Sun Belt Conference, App State and Georgia Southern are huge rivals (unknown to me, being an Alabama girl), and I’m eager to see how this “deeper than hate” football game plays out in Birmingham. I think we Alabamians know a thing or two about football rivalries, though.

Coaches from both teams were in The Magic City on December 11 to give their remarks about the matchup, and for JLab to announce a few fun things they have planned for the Birmingham Bowl.

What to expect at the JLab Birmingham Bowl

In an effort to bring back the fun of bowl games, presenting sponsor JLab, a San Diego-based tech and audio gear company, is pulling out all the stops, including:

“Celebration Hit” button: Players from both teams choose their personal celebration songs. When a player makes an “epic play” like a forced turnover or a touchdown, their sideline will press the “JLab Celebration Hit” button, triggering 150 speakers and lights that sync with the player’s song.
Cash + headphones for kids: For each “Celebration Hit,” JLab will donate $5,000 + up to 5,000 headphones to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals—including our own Children’s of Alabama here in Birmingham.
JLab XL Golds Sideline Trophy: Helmet-sized, fully-functional speaker headphones created exclusively for the JLab Birmingham Bowl. After the “Celebration Hit” button is pressed, the playmaker will receive these sideline trophy headphones.

“Bowl games are about celebration. We want every celebration in this game to mean something bigger—for the players, for the fans and for kids and families who need a boost.”
Win Cramer, CEO, JLab

Plus, a Birmingham-based startup, Wunderfan, partnered with the Greater Birmingham CVB to bring a new way to explore Birmingham. When you’re in town for the game, you can earn points and prizes while visiting The Magic City’s local businesses.

Even during an interesting (to say the least) time in college football and in the midst of a struggling bowl season, Birmingham remains committed to giving local and visiting fans alike a great experience. See it all for yourself:

When: Monday, December 29 | 1PM CST
Where: Protective Stadium, 1020 24th St N, Birmingham, AL 35203

“Last year, we had over four million viewers on ESPN. So, this game is a three and a half hour commercial for the city of Birmingham—it highlights our community. When players go to different local events, the network shows some of those, and we’re excited about what this bowl does for the city.

According to the Greater Birmingham CVB, our game (since 2006) has generated over $190 million in economic impact for the community.”

Will we see you at the JLab Birmingham Bowl on December 29? Tag us @bhamnow and let us know!