Stadium Javelina Stadium Previous stadiums Fargodome
(1994–2000) Operated 1994–2011 | Location Kingsville, Texas Previous locations Fargo, North Dakota | |
The Cactus Bowl (formerly the Snow Bowl) was a postseason college football exhibition game played each January in Kingsville, Texas, which showcased the best NFL draft prospects of those collegiate players who had completed their eligibility in NCAA Division II. First played in 1994 at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota as the Snow Bowl, the game moved to Javelina Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University–Kingsville in 2001 as the Cactus Bowl. Profits went to the Shriners Hospital.
Teams for the game typically consisted of 88 players each – an East team and a West team, composed of players from those regions of the United States – giving NFL scouts a chance to view the relatively low profile Division II talent, prompting its slogan of "the best players you've never seen." The bowl's website (now defunct) said that more than 100 players of the game later signed with the NFL. The bowl lasted through 2011, after which it was merged with the USA Football Bowl of NCAA Division III.
Players in the NFL
Following is a list of players who played with the NFL after appearing in the Cactus Bowl. This list does not include players who signed during the Snow Bowl days prior to 2001.