Duck Commander, the title sponsor for the '14 Independence Bowl, will not return and the bowl game will be “hunting for a new title sponsor again as monies continue to be very tight,” according to Shreveport-based KTBS-ABC's Paul Crane. There was so “much excitement when the Duck Commander was first announced as title sponsor for the game" in February '14, but it seems there was "not enough revenue associated with the relationship to have it continue.” Outgoing Independence Bowl Chair Paul Pratt said, “After reviewing everything, the model that was presented to them didn't work in the end and we're going back to the drawing board. We're still working with them with a postgame review to see if we can put in place a financial mechanism that works for them and works for the bowl. We officially, as of (Tuesday), started to look at a search firm to go out and find us either a local or national sponsor. But we’re currently in the market for a new title sponsor” (KTBS-ABC, 3/25). In Shreveport, Scott Ferrell in a front-page piece reports the '14 Independence Bowl was "played without a contract between the bowl and Duck Commander, but rather a letter of intent." Pratt in December said, "There are terms that must be met. We need to get a real contract." Ferrell notes unlike most title sponsors, Duck Commander "did not make a lump sum payment to become the title sponsor." Bowl officials "hoped to leverage the Duck Commander brand to bring some of its partners to the bowl for sponsorship and revenue opportunities" (SHREVEPORT TIMES, 3/26).
