Little Rock Blog

Little Rock will host the 2021 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Football National Championship on Friday, December 17 at War Memorial Stadium. The game is presented by Bob McCloskey Insurance and is the second of four NJCAA football championship games to be held in Little Rock. The 2020 championship game, postponed due to the pandemic, was played in June 2021, and the city will continue its role as host through 2023.

This game will feature the best in junior college football with a game full of players recruited to play at the NCAA level next year, including programs in the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12. Former NJCAA football stars include the likes of Alvin Kamara, Tyreek Hill, Cam Newton, and former Arkansas running back, Rakeem Boyd.

This year’s matchup will be between No. 1 Iowa Western Community College and No. 2 New Mexico Military Institute. The Reivers of Iowa Western enter the national title game as the lone undefeated team in the nation with a 10-0 record. With a record of 11-1, the New Mexico Military Broncos are led by running back Anthony Grant who ranks second in the nation in yards per game and has received an offer from Arkansas State University.

General admission tickets are $15 and club-level tickets are $45.  Tickets are available online here or can be purchased onsite the day of the event.

The game kicks off at 7 pm, but the fun starts at 4 pm with tailgating hosted by 103.7 The Buzz’s Roger Scott and DJ Kramer. The Southwest High School Marching Band will open the game with the national anthem. Veterans, medical personnel, and front-line hospitality workers in attendance will be honored during the game in a segment hosted by KTHV’s Hayden Balgavy, the game’s official on-field emcee.

The NJCAA selected Little Rock to host its football championship game through 2023 in partnership with the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. Opened in 1948, War Memorial Stadium currently seats 54,120 and serves as the football home-away-from-home for the Arkansas Razorbacks. In addition to many historic games involving the Razorbacks, War Memorial hosts major concerts and speaking events (past events have included Billy Graham, the Eagles and the Rolling Stones). In addition, it serves as the home for the Little Rock Rangers professional soccer team and hosts other college and high school games including the annual state high-school football championships.