Football is one of the most influential sports and media drivers for The Palm Beaches in December. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission will host and organize three major football events that generate significant tourism impacts and deliver nationally televised exposure to Palm Beach County. Over a two-week span, the Sports Commission will host a post-season college football bowl game, the nation’s largest youth tackle football event, and a prestigious college football award ceremony broadcast to a national audience.
These football events include:
- Battle Youth National Championships, December 8-14, 2024, at the Village Park Athletic Complex in Wellington
- Lou Groza Award Celebration, December 8, at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach
- Boca Raton Bowl, December 23rd at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton
Battle Youth National Championship
The Battle Youth National Championship, which represents one of the premier youth tackle football events in the nation, returns to The Palm Beaches from December 8-14, 2025. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is partnering with the Village of Wellington to host this event at the Village Park Athletic Complex for the fourth consecutive year. The Battle Youth National Championships games (finals) will take place at Wellington Community High School’s football stadium.
The Battle Youth National Championship delivers a week of youth tackle football to The Palm Beaches, attracting visitors from more than 30 states. The Battle Youth National Championship is an elite playoff series that was created to provide a platform for non-all-star youth football teams to compete at a national level in a well-organized and professional manner. The Youth National Championship crowns a true “National Champion” at every age level from 6U to 14U. This invitation-only event offers two (2) separate divisions of competition. The first division represents the most talented teams throughout the nation, and the second division represents the second tier of competitiveness. Teams are guaranteed four (4) games, with the top two (2) teams in each division playing for a championship. Each team in every age group plays the “round-robin” format to determine the teams that qualify for the championships.
Last year, the Battle Youth National Championship featured nearly 100 youth football teams, bringing together more than 3,500 athletes and over 6,000 spectators. With rosters ranging from 35 to 65 players and a seven-day schedule, the tourism impact was extraordinary. The event generated 13,547 room nights and delivered an impressive $16,034,029 in total economic impact.
Lou Groza Award
Created by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award stands today as the most prestigious award for collegiate kickers. The Lou Groza Award, presented by the Orange Bowl, is given annually to the nation’s top collegiate place-kicker in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The recipient is determined by a voting panel that includes NCAA Division I football head coaches, sportswriters, sportscasters, conference representatives, professional kickers, and previous award winners. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is one of only three sports commissions in the nation, alongside the Augusta Sports Council and the Louisville Sports Commission, that belong to the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) and own and present a major college football award broadcast nationally on ESPN.
The Lou Groza Award creates tremendous national exposure for Palm Beach County. The award is featured in major publications and media outlets across the United States, mentioned during nationally televised college football games throughout the season, and highlighted during NFL broadcasts featuring former Groza winners—creating a level of visibility for Palm Beach County and its Sports Commission that cannot be replicated.
In 2024, ½ million households watched The Home Depot College Football Award Show on ESPN, which spotlights The Palm Beaches during the Lou Groza Award presentation. The national finalists in 2025 include Aiden Birr (Georgia Tech), Kansei Matsuzawa (Hawai’i), and Tate Sandell (Oklahoma).
A local celebration occurred at the West Palm Beach Marriott on December 8th. In addition to celebrating the three national collegiate award finalists, we honored local achievements in football from Palm Beach County High Schools and awarded the Team of the Year, Player of the Year, Place-Kicker of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
Boca Raton Bowl
The 12th edition of the Boca Raton Bowl will feature a new name and title sponsor: the “Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans.” This post-season college football bowl game will take place December 23 at 2:00 PM at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton. This game will be televised nationally on ESPN. Participating teams will be announced during the first week of December. Last year’s matchup showcased James Madison from the Sun Belt Conference and Western Kentucky from Conference USA. The Boca Raton Bowl is one of only eight NCAA-sanctioned football games held in Florida.
Over the past decade, Palm Beach County’s bowl game has built an impressive resume. Six conference champions and three division champions have competed in the event. Notable alumni who have advanced to the NFL include New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (BYU, 2020), Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary (FAU, 2017), and Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott (Memphis, 2016).
Owned and operated by ESPN Events, the Boca Raton Bowl is one of 17 bowl games under its umbrella. Since its debut in 2014, the game has delivered significant tourism and marketing benefits to The Palm Beaches. College football ranks among the most media-rich sports in America, second only to the NFL. Over its 11-year history, cumulative viewership for the Boca Raton Bowl has exceeded 30 million.
