Nationally televised games coming to town

On Dec. 18, our great state will have three nationally televised sporting events, two of which will be held right here in Shreveport- Bossier City!

The 45th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will be played at Independence Stadium in Shreveport with kick-off at 2:30 p.m. CST, and the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Tech Bulldogs’ men’s basketball programs will compete on the hardwood at Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City, tipping off at 6 p.m. CST.

For fans wanting to attend both games, a constant shuttle service will be running between the two venues starting at 10 a.m. and will continue an hour after the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl ends. Tickets are only $5 for this service and may be purchased online or at the Brookshire Grocery Arena pickup location the day of the game!

The 45th Radiance Technologies is slated for a matchup of BYU vs. C-USA. The Conference USA team will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.radiancetechnologiesindependencebowl.com/.

The LSU Tigers and Louisiana Tech Bulldogs’ men’s basketball programs will compete at Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City on Saturday, Dec. 18, in an intrastate clash. The event will tip-off at 6 p.m. local time.

“We look forward to coming to Bossier City on Dec. 18 for this game which will be a showcase of college basketball in the state of Louisiana,” said LSU Coach Will Wade. “We hope all of our LSU fans in Northwest Louisiana, and college basketball fans in general, will get their tickets now as we face a very good Louisiana Tech team at Brookshire Grocery Arena.”

This game was originally scheduled for Nov. 24, 2020, but was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tickets purchased for the original date will still be valid for the new date.

“After last year’s game was postponed, we are thankful to bring this game to our fans in Shreveport-Bossier this season.

LSU is a high-quality opponent, and we are excited to be a part of this event to showcase college basketball in our state,” said Louisiana Tech Coach Eric Konkol. “We look forward to competing in front of fans from across Louisiana and the region at Brookshire Grocery Arena.”

Tickets are available at https://brookshiregroceryarena.com and at the b1BANK box office located at Brookshire Grocery Arena.

The games may not start until Saturday, Dec. 18, but the party will be officially underway on Friday night in downtown Shreveport! Join the full night of free festivities – including the Mardi Gras Preview Parade (Louisiana Boardwalk), Pep Rally and Battle of the Bands (Red River District), and the free Block Party Concert (Red River District). You don’t want to miss out on the fun!

Fans can enjoy a free parade and get a small taste of what is to come during the Mardi Gras season – with floats from local Mardi Gras krewes, sponsored by the Louisiana Office of Tourism. The parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. and run through the Louisiana Boardwalk. Floats in the parade will also be parked along Commerce Street in downtown Shreveport during the Block Party so you can view them up close! The marching bands will participate in a pep rally in the Red River District at 7 p.m. Shreveport-native Dan Smalley will headline the Block Party Concert at 8 p.m. following the Battle of the Marching Bands. This free event will begin at 5 p.m. with Kyle Craft and local favorite “Tipsey” at 6 p.m. You won’t want to miss this night of family-friendly and fun entertainment!

The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission would like to thank Cintas, Gordon McKernan and Campus Federal Credit Union for locally sponsoring the LSU vs. LaTech men’s basketball game. We are proud to partner with Russ Potts Productions Inc., the Brookshire Grocery Arena, an ASM Global managed facility, along with the city of Bossier City to bring the LSU vs. LaTech men’s basketball game to the area. We are thrilled to once again sponsor the 45th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission is the official sports destination marketing organization attracting diverse sporting activities and events resulting in economic growth through visitor expenditure and enhancing the quality of life in Caddo and Bossier parishes.