The Don Shula Bowl (colloquially known as the Shula Bowl), the rivalry game between Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University, has been a significant game in South Florida football culture for 24 years. 

Despite the hiatus of the Shula Bowl last football season, the hype for the rivalry game hasn’t died down. Students, coaches and players alike are excited to welcome back the Don Shula Bowl on Sept.14 at FAU Stadium

Lucky for Owls and Panthers fans, both schools signed a deal in September of 2022 that would continue the Shula Bowl for the next four seasons after the 2023-2024 college football season.

“[This] rivalry goes a lot deeper than athletics,” FAU head coach Tom Herman said. “Our entire university battles them for admissions. We want to get a better chemistry student than FIU… we want to get a better trombonist in our marching band than FIU.” 

Due to the battle between athletics and academics in the history of the schools, Herman believed a strong rivalry was destined to be brewed. 

“From a travel standpoint, it makes sense for both programs and it makes sense for the fans in the Tri-County area… Proximity breeds contempt,” Herman said.“Them being so close, it’s natural for us to dislike each other because we’re fighting for the same things.” 

History

In 2002, the head coach of the Florida Atlantic Owls, Howard Schnellenberger collaborated with FIU’s head coach, Don Strock, to create a rivalry game between the two neighboring schools.

With both coaches having ties to Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula – Schnellenberger being the Offensive Coordinator for the Miami Dolphins and Strock being a quarterback for the Miami Dolphins – they decided to name both the game and the trophy in his honor. 

Ever since the first game in 2002 the rivalry, although one-sided with an all-time record of 16-4 in FAU’s favor, has remained an intense and integral rivalry to the culture of both schools, leading to interesting and entertaining games between the two schools. 

Notable games

Don Shula Bowl I | November 23, 2002 | FAU 31, FIU 21

The first-ever Don Shula Bowl was hosted between the two rivals at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. With FAU’s football program being developed one year prior to FIU’s, the Owls were expected to have an edge in this matchup. At first, the matchup seemed to be close, but with FIU’s starting quarterback Jamie Burke suffering a shoulder injury in the first quarter, the Owls earned a 14 point swing in their favor in the second quarter that the Panthers never recovered from.

Don Shula Bowl II | November 22, 2003 | FAU 32, FIU 23

The second Don Shula Bowl was hosted by FIU at their home stadium in Miami. With both programs at full health, fans were expecting a tight game between the two schools. And a tight game they received. 

FIU came out strong, gaining a 17-0 lead over FAU, making the Owls’ defense look almost non-existent going into the middle of the second quarter. However, FAU crawled back after a crucial defensive stop in the second quarter, forcing FIU to take a three-point field goal. On the next play FAU quarterback Daveon Barron made an 18-yard connection to receiver Matt Prudenti for a touchdown. 

The game flipped for good after FAU defensive lineman Quentin Swain forced and recovered a FIU fumble and scored a touchdown for the Owls. From then on FIU’s defense collapsed, leading FAU to steamroll over the Panthers in scoring and leading to their nine-point victory from the brink of defeat. After this game, the Owls were invited to the NCAA Division 1-AA Playoffs, making it all the way to the semifinals before being eliminated by Colgate University.

Don Shula Bowl IV | November 26, 2005 | FAU 6, FIU 52

With FAU having graduated their first group of seniors in program history and FIU having retained most of their team, the consensus from fans believed FIU would take this game and take the game the Panthers did. FIU accomplished a lot during this game; they achieved their first win in this series against the Owls, tied the (at the time) NCAA D-1A record for touchdowns off of interceptions in a single game with four pick-sixes and took home the first Don Shula Bowl trophy in program history. However, due to NCAA rule violations committed by FIU football training staff for supervising and conducting off-season practice during the summer, the NCAA elected to vacate all wins from their 2005 season, eliminating their dominant win over FAU and sending FIU back to square one.

Don Shula Bowl X | November 12, 2011 | FAU 7, FIU 41

The 10th anniversary of the Shula Bowl panned out well for the Panthers. Having the motivation to make a bowl game this year, FIU was fired up and ready to dominate the Owls. 

FIU came in hot in the first half, the Panthers’ stifling defense didn’t allow FAU to score the whole first half and the offense dismantled the Owls’ defense racking up a 31-0 lead. The Owls’ offense did no favors trying to keep FAU in the game, only scoring once the entire game and throwing three interceptions, one of which led to a pick-six for FIU. 

Eugene Marquis “T.Y.” Hilton, the wide receiver for the Panthers, recorded a 97-yard punt return for a touchdown, making it the second-longest punt return in Sun Belt history at the time (now fourth longest). This dominant win over FAU led the Panthers to their sixth win of the season, qualifying them for a bowl game for the second year in a row. 

Despite the loss the Owls left with a consolation prize; Alfred Morris, running back for the Owls at the time, became FAU’s all-time leading rusher (now second leading rusher), recording 110 yards on twenty-one carries to achieve 3,158 career rushing yards.

Don Shula Bowl XXI | November 12, 2022 | FAU, 52 FIU 7 

The most recent Shula Bowl took place at FIU’s Ricardo Silva Stadium in Miami. After a disappointing loss the previous season, the Panthers were primed and ready to bring the game to their home stadium and give their fans a win. However, FAU had an entirely different plan; that being to stomp the Panthers into the ground. The Owls succeeded, handing FIU the most dominant beatdown in series history, aside from the one that was vacated. 

On the first play, FAU linebacker Jaylen Wester intercepted FIU quarterback Grayson James. Wester took the ball all the way to FIU’s four-yard line. On the next play, FAU quarterback N’Kosi Perry decided to punch in a touchdown himself through the pile at the end zone, giving FAU a lead they wouldn’t relent the entire game. 

The Panthers fell apart this game, only scoring once the entire match. After the game, FAU’s head coach at the time, Willie Taggart, said the game was “by far the best game [they’ve] played this year as an entire unit…”

The future of the rivalry

With the massive conference realignment fiasco that occurred after the 2022 college football season, FAU got caught up, moving to the American Athletic Conference (AAC) for the 2023-2024 season. With FAU and FIU now in separate conferences, it was uncertain whether or not the rivalry would be able to continue. 

Fourth-year FAU health science major and avid football fan Derek Moore says he felt disappointed that the rivalry game didn’t happen last season.

“It felt like you’re taking away, almost like a tradition, a must-have for FAU football,” Moore says. “The season isn’t complete without that game.”

It’s not only fans who are grateful for the continuation of the rivalry. FAU offensive lineman Alex Atcavage and wide receiver EJ Horton expressed their thoughts on playing a Shula Bowl this season. 

“It definitely means a lot when you play against them and being in a rivalry with them…,” Atcavage said. “I’ve played them three times and we’ve beaten them three times and that’s the expectation every time.” 

Atcavage further hyped up the game, giving it the title of the “Battle of South Florida.”

Horton, despite being new to the FAU Football program, is still excited for his first rivalry game against the Panthers. “Going into those you know that it’s going to be amped up a bit so you just gotta bring it… you want those types of games. I’m excited.”

“I hope we continue to have [the game] on and on and on,” Moore says, “It’s such a crucial part of FAU Football and it’s a staple rivalry in South Florida football… at this point it’s a part of the culture.”

The Shula Bowl game returns to Howard Shnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium on Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. The game can be watched on ESPN+ and over the radio on Fox Sports 640 South Florida. Student tickets are now available, with information on how to get tickets on their FAU emails. 

Stephen Uter is a contributing writer for the University Press. For more information regarding this or other stories, email him at stephenuter04@gmail.com or DM him on Instagram @steph_uter.