C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl
The C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl (known as the HOT Bowl for short) is the name for two annual American football bowl games played in Central Texas. The first and older of the two HOT Bowls, which has been played since 2001, features two community college teams from the NJCAA, one based in Texas against an at-large opponent. After a two year hiatus, the game returned in 2021 and was staged at Texas A&M-Commerce's Memorial Stadium. From 2012 to 2018, a second HOT Bowl was played between teams at the NCAA Division  II level. The Division II bowl had a conference tie-in with the Lone Star Conference; the LSC's opponent was chosen at-large. This contest was one of only four bowl games in NCAA Division II, the other three being the Mineral Water Bowl, the Heritage Bowl, and the Live United Bowl before its discontinuance after 2018. Founded by Copperas Cove High School football coach Jack Welch, the bowl games were originally played in Copperas Cove until 2017. After his retirement from the district, Waco ISD Stadium in Waco became the host. The acronym "C.H.A.M.P.S." stands for "Communities Helping  Americans Mature, Progress and Succeed," which is a nonprofit group focusing on improving drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, mental health, and preventing teen suicide. An additional title sponsor, TIPS (The Interlocal Purchasing System), made the game known as the TIPS-CHAMPS Heart of Texas Bowl in 2018.