The game served as the championship for the Midwest Region from 1964 to 1970, at a time when there were no playoffs at any level of NCAA football.
For the smaller colleges and universities, as for the major programs, the national champion was determined by polls conducted by the leading news wire services.
Louisiana was moved to the Mideast Region in 1967, prior to the Grantland Rice Bowl relocating from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to Baton Rouge.
[5] The last Pecan Bowl was held at Arlington's Turnpike Stadium, a minor-league baseball facility subsequently expanded to serve as the initial home of the Texas Rangers in 1972.
[8] In March 1971 the Midwest regional final was moved from Arlington to Wichita Falls, Texas, where it was rebranded as the Pioneer Bowl.