Grand Rapids, MI—The Raiders did just about everything right this season. They’ve posted an average of over 500 offensive yards per game, they’ve posted an average of 50 points per game while allowing only 17.4, they’ve defeated powerhouse Iowa Western on two occasions, their quarterback has the highest completion percentage in the nation, and they’ve got one of the top running backs in the nation. All this, but still no invite to a major bowl game.
Despite being tied for 3rd in the NJCAA with Butler the team did not receive an invite to the El Toro Bowl, the Citizen’s Bank Bowl, or the Mississippi Bowl. They did receive an invite to the Zion’s Bank Top of the Mountain Bowl to face off against the #16 ranked Snow, but Coach Annese couldn’t justify the expenses to travel to play against such a low ranked team.
Until Tuesday when the news broke, the team had hoped that they would receive an invite to play in the Citizen’s Bank Bowl against Butler, but the call never came. The institutions who host the bowl games claim that GRCC’s following isn’t large enough, and there wasn’t enough opportunity for profit.
The Raiders concluded their season ranked at #3 in the NJCAA with a record of 11-0. The team should be awarded with numerous individual NJCAA awards in the near future.
