IUP’s 1968 Boardwalk Bowl Team Members Look to Impact Future Student-Athletes

The 1968 Boardwalk Bowl Team led by Chuck Klausing experienced many firsts. They were the first Indiana University of Pennsylvania football team to participate in a national playoff game played in the Atlantic City Convention Hall, which also happened to be the nation’s first NCAA Championship Game played indoors. They were the first team to be televised and the first in school history to finish the regular season undefeated at 9–0. They were the first to attain a national ranking on Oct. 2, 1968, at #19, and ended the regular season ranked #5 in the NCAA’s final College Division poll and #13 in the UPI Poll.

To mark these tremendous achievements and pave the way for future players, they are the first and only Indiana University of Pennsylvania sports team to establish a family of Boardwalk Bowl Team endowments—both individually and as a team—at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Representing the Atlantic Region Football Championship, the Boardwalk Bowl was played against the University of Delaware Blue Hens and had the highest attendance of the four Small College Regional Championship Bowl Games with over 11,000 people in the stands. Following these bowl games, the AP and UPI wire services chose a Small College National Champion. This set the stage for a level of excitement that is still revered as one of the proudest moments in Indiana University of Pennsylvania football history.

Team Member Gives Back

Jerry ’69 and Cheryl Dunlap Clark ’68 both grew up in Punxsutawney and graduated from Punxsutawney High School. They were immediately drawn to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and what it had to offer. Cheryl looked to Indiana University of Pennsylvania for its notoriety as a State Teacher’s College and obtained her Bachelor of Science in early childhood education.

Jerry was motivated by athletics and the opportunities provided in that environment. In 1966, Indiana University of Pennsylvania became a university, opening more programs, and he shifted his major to business management and accounting. Jerry said, “My years at Indiana University of Pennsylvania set the foundation for addressing difficult situations and served me well in my career throughout the years.”

The Boardwalk Bowl Team faced challenges with the Vietnam War and the loss of friends. “We grew up quickly,” Jerry said. “With the emergence of protests, the war was a defining moment for students. At Indiana University of Pennsylvania we learned to examine, question, and understand different perspectives.”

There is no doubt this was a very special time for Jerry and Cheryl, and for the Boardwalk Bowl Team—as shown by their support throughout the years. Thanks to the generosity and forward-thinking of Jerry and Cheryl Clark, and other Boardwalk Bowl teammates, additional endowments have been established through their estate plans.

“We set out with a goal of raising $300,000 and, to date, we have seven teammates in the process of finalizing their estate plans, totaling $175,000,” said Jerry. “Many of us received support when we were here. We hope to provide those same opportunities for student-athletes today, while also keeping the legacy of the Boardwalk Bowl Team alive.”

Learn more about endowments and how your future gift can deepen your connection, like it did for the Boardwalk Bowl Team, and change students’ lives. To learn more, contact Indiana University of Pennsylvania at 724-357-5661 or university-advancement@iup.edu.