Despite its "bowl" designation, it was not a postseason game, but a regular season neutral-site contest featuring major college football programs from the state of Virginia.
The Harvest Bowl was unique in its time as a men's intercollegiate athletic event run by a women's civic organization, the Junior League of Roanoke Valley.
The inaugural contest drew 24,836 fans to the 25,000-seat stadium,[1] and attendance remained strong as long as the game featured local favorite Virginia Tech.
After the construction of Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, which opened in 1965 with a capacity of 35,000, Virginia Tech became less interested in playing neutral-site games in Roanoke, and the Harvest Bowl lost its biggest drawing card.
[3] In announcing the demise of the bowl in February 1970, Junior League leaders cited "insufficient ticket sales" and "increased public apathy.