LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (December 6, 2023) - The matchup has been set for the December 13, 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Football Championship. The game will be played at 7 p.m. in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium between second ranked Iowa Western and fourth ranked East Mississippi. 

Both teams emerged victorious from their playoff games this weekend, with East Mississippi upsetting number one ranked Hutchinson 27-23 on Saturday. Number two ranked Iowa Western routed number three Kilgore 47-7 on Sunday. 

“The playoff games this weekend showed that we are in for an exciting matchup in Little Rock next week,” said Gina Gemberling, President and CEO of the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Hosting the championship gives us the opportunity to showcase Little Rock and War Memorial Stadium as a prime destination.” 

East Mississippi Community College is located in Scooba, Mississippi. Iowa Western Community College is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Both teams will travel to Little Rock next week for activities culminating in the championship game. 

This will be the fourth consecutive NJCAA Division I Football Championship game in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium.  

The first NJCAA game scheduled for Little Rock was to be played in December 2020. Due to COVID, the game was postponed to June of 2021, and the games took place on schedule for the following years. Acquisition of the conference games was a cumulative effort between the LRCVB and the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism (ADPHT). War Memorial Stadium is operated by the Department. 

”We are proud to host the Junior College National Championship game,” says ADPHT Secretary Shea Lewis. “This event will close out our fantastic 2023 football season at War Memorial stadium with the crowning of a national champion. The visiting supporters, combined with our local fans and a national television audience will see a great game, at a historic venue as we continue to celebrate our 75th year anniversary at the stadium.” 

General admission tickets are $15 and club-level tickets are $45. Tickets are available at www.njcaa.org/tickets or can be purchased onsite the day of the event. 

The NJCAA selected Little Rock to host its football championship games 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 hosts many other events. These include football games for the Arkansas Razorbacks, the annual Salt Bowl between Benton and Bryant, as well as concerts and festivals.