Students get ready to play intramural flag football championship.
The upcoming annual Fortuna Bowl, set to take place during Parent and Family Weekend Nov. 11 at California Baptist University is the highly anticipated flag football championship each year.
The event is a two-decade old tradition that continues to be passed down from previous to current students who play on the men’s and women’s flag football teams.
Located on CBU’s Front Lawn, the 26th Fortuna Bowl has a historic connection to the campus.
In 1955, CBU, formally known as California Baptist College until 1998, moved from El Monte to the current Riverside campus, which houses the original James Building and Fortuna fountain.
“It is named Fortuna Bowl because of the Fortuna fountain, which is the original history of CBU as it was there when we moved here. We’ve kept Fortuna looking the same as when we got here,” said Paige Cooper, senior civil engineering major and Community Life intramural sports intern.
While Fortuna Bowl has not been around since the move to CBU’s current campus, those who play on the teams feel a sense of history within the tradition itself.
Teams such as the Bus Drivers form long-standing connections through Fortuna. Cooper, who is a Bus Drivers team member, said the team has been around for at least 15 years and has won the championship 10 times.
For students playing intramural football, the connections made between those on teams are just as important as the history behind Fortuna Bowl.
Playing on the teams creates friendships that add to the legacy of lasting relationships made through the friendly competition.
“It connects us all because we wouldn’t meet otherwise if it wasn’t for football. The group of girls we have on the team are different ages, different grades, different majors, commuters and residents,” Cooper said. “There are so many differences among all of us, but we come together for this one thing.”
The sense of family is shown further through alumni who attend games and connect with current students playing intramural football.
The Fortuna Bowl represents a deeply rooted relationship between past and present players.
“Our last game we had one of our legacy players come out and watch us, so there is a sisterhood there,” said Hailey Mount, senior psychology major and Bus Drivers player.
With its history and legacy, Fortuna is also an event that fosters school spirit among the CBU community.
Family, friends and students all join together to show support for teams, such as Bombshell and S.W.A.T., and to enjoy the food trucks, fireworks, and for the first time, a concert after the Fortuna Bowl game.
“Flag football teams leave a legacy of competition, hard work, fun and a community of players who come together as one to compete,” said Nikki Barahona, junior nursing major and Bombshell player. “Since CBU doesn’t have a football team, flag football brings football to the students, making Fortuna Bowl a community event of fun competition and a time when students can get excited and cheer on their favorite teams.”
The Fortuna Bowl fosters community for all.
“It allows students to get involved in the sport, be excited for the teams and just watch some good flag football,” Barahona said.
Fortuna Bowl is a campus- wide event that reaches beyond the championship games, it is a time for students and their families to enjoy lively competition along with food and music.
