The Koshien Bowl (甲子園ボウル) is the annual Japanese American college football national championship game, usually played in December at Koshien Stadium.
From the 1949 season until 2008 season, the game was held as the final game of Japan University American Football Championship. From the 2008 season until 2023, the game was held between 2 universities from East Japan (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto) and West Japan (Tokai, Hokuriku, Kansai, Chushikoku, Kyushu).
On December 4th, 2023, the Japan American Football Association announced it will move the Japan University American Football Championship to a 12 team format, eliminating regional matchups in favor of a mixed-conference bracket which began in 2024.
Kwansei Gakuin University Fighters is the most successful team with 34 titles (4 shared). Nihon University Phoenix is second with 21 titles (2 shared).
Game results SeasonDate PlayedKantoScoreKansaiNote19461947 April 13Keio45-0Doshisha 19471948 January 1Meiji0-6Kansai 19481949 January 9Keio14-7Kansai 19491949 December 18Keio7-25Kwansei Gakuin 19501950 December 10Keio6-20Kwansei Gakuin 19511951 December 9Rikkyo19-14Kwansei Gakuin 19521952 December 7Rikkyo20-0Kwansei Gakuin 19531953 December 6Rikkyo7-19Kwansei Gakuin 19541954 December 5Rikkyo7-15Kwansei Gakuin 19551955 November 23Nihon26-26Kwansei GakuinDraw19561956 November 23Nihon0-33Kwansei Gakuin 19571957 November 24Nihon14-6Kwansei Gakuin 19581958 December 7Nihon13-12Kwansei Gakuin 19591959 December 6Nihon42-0Kwansei Gakuin 19601960 December 4Rikkyo36-16Kwansei Gakuinheld at Nishinomiya Stadium19611961 December 10Nihon14-6Kwansei Gakuin 19621962 December 2Nihon28-24Kwansei Gakuin 19631963 December 8Nihon30-18Kwansei Gakuin 19641965 January 15Nihon48-14Kwansei Gakuin 19651965 December 5Rikkyo22-22Kwansei GakuinDraw19661966 December 4Nihon40-12Kwansei Gakuin 19671967 December 10Nihon12-31Kwansei Gakuin 19681968 December 15Meiji36-38Kwansei Gakuin 19691969 December 14Nihon30-14Kwansei Gakuin 19701970 December 13Nihon6-34Kwansei Gakuin 19711971 December 12Nihon28-22Kwansei Gakuin 19721972 December 10Hosei34-20Kwansei Gakuin 19731973 December 9Nihon7-24Kwansei Gakuin 19741974 December 8Nihon20-28Kwansei Gakuin 19751975 December 14Meiji7-56Kwansei Gakuin 19761976 December 12Meiji22-29Kwansei Gakuin 19771977 December 11Nihon20-51Kwansei Gakuin 19781978 December 10Nihon63-7Kwansei Gakuin 19791979 December 9Nihon48-0Kwansei Gakuin 19801980 December 13Nihon42-7Kwansei Gakuin 19811981 December 13Nihon42-31Kwansei Gakuin 19821982 December 12Nihon65-28Kyoto 19831983 December 11Nihon14-30KyotoStarting in 1983, the winner would play an X-League team in the Rice Bowl.19841984 December 9Nihon42-42Kwansei GakuinDraw; Nihon participated in the Rice Bowl19851985 December 8Meiji46-48Kwansei Gakuin19861986 December 14Nihon28-49Kyoto 19871987 December 13Nihon17-41Kyoto 19881988 December 11Nihon35-28Kwansei Gakuin 19891989 December 17Nihon45-14Kwansei Gakuin 19901990 December 16Nihon34-7Kyoto 19911991 December 15Senshu20-25Kwansei Gakuin 19921992 December 13Hosei7-17Kyoto 19931993 December 19Nippon Sports Science10-35Kwansei Gakuin 19941994 December 18Hosei22-24Ritsumeikan 19951995 December 17Hosei17-24Kyoto 19961996 December 15Hosei21-28Kyoto 19971997 December 20Hosei21-21Kwansei GakuinDraw; Hosei participated in the Rice Bowl19981998 December 19Hosei17-25Ritsumeikan 19991999 December 19Hosei13-52Kwansei Gakuin 200017 December 2000Hosei28-21Kwansei Gakuin 200116 December 2001Hosei6-24Kwansei Gakuin 200215 December 2002Waseda14-51Ritsumeikan 200321 December 2003Hosei6-61Ritsumeikan 200419 December 2004Hosei17-38Ritsumeikan 200518 December 2005Hosei17-14Ritsumeikan 200617 December 2006Hosei45-43Kwansei Gakuin 200716 December 2007Nihon38-41Kwansei Gakuinheld at Nagai Stadium200821 December 2008Hosei8-19Ritsumeikanheld at Nagai StadiumSeasonDate PlayedEast JapanScoreWest JapanAttendanceNote200913 December 2009Hosei38-50Kansai 201019 December 2010Waseda21-48Ritsumeikan29,000 201118 December 2011Nihon3-24Kwansei Gakuin35,000 201216 December 2012Hosei17-20Kwansei Gakuin29,000 201315 December 2013Nihon9-23Kwansei Gakuin32,000 201414 December 2014Nihon10-55Kwansei Gakuin32,000 201513 December 2015Waseda27-28Ritsumeikan33,000 201612 December 2016Waseda14-31Kwansei Gakuin35,000 201713 December 2017Nihon23-17Kwansei Gakuin36,000 201816 December 2018Waseda20-37Kwansei Gakuin- 201915 December 2019Waseda28-38Kwansei Gakuin- 202013 December 2020Nihon24-42Kwansei Gakuin- 202119 December 2021Hosei7-47Kwansei Gakuin- SeasonDate PlayedChampionScoreRunner-upAttendanceNote202218 December 2022Kwansei Gakuin34-17Waseda16,000Removing the "East Japan" and "West Japan" frameworks202317 December 2023Kwansei Gakuin61-21Hosei18,000202415 December 2024Ritsumeikan45-35Hosei19,000202514 December 2025Ritsumeikan38-14Kwansei Gakuin24,000The first-ever all-Kansai final: Kwansei Gakuin (Kansai #1) vs. Ritsumeikan (Kansai #2).
Winners In Italics title shared.
RankUniversityRegionWinsYears won1Kwansei Gakuin Fighters341949, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1984, 1985, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 20232Nihon Phoenix211955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 20173Ritsumeikan Panthers101994, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2024, 20254Kyoto University61983, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 19965Hosei University51972, 1997, 2000, 2005, 20066Rikkyo University41951, 1952, 1960, 19657Keio Unicorns21946, 19487Kansai University21947, 2009
See also College Football Playoff National Championship
References
External links Official website