The Independence Bowl traces its roots back to 1975 when the board of directors of the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Foundation conceived the idea of bringing a postseason football game to Northwest Louisiana. Today, the game between schools from the Southeastern Conference and Big 12 annually attracts upward of 30,000 visitors to the area, generating an economic impact of some $20 million for the community. Shreveport has completed a $32 million renovation of Independence Stadium, and the...