Salt Bowl 2024- “The Gold Standard”
Celebrating the 50 th Anniversary of Benton vs. Bryant and the 25 th Anniversary of the Salt Bowl
The Salt Bowl Committee is pleased to announce that this year’s game will celebrate the 50 th Anniversary
of Benton vs. Bryant and the 25 th Anniversary of the Salt Bowl. “The Gold Standard” is back again for the
2024 Saline County Salt Bowl at Simmons Bank Field at War Memorial Stadium!
The largest high school football game in the State of Arkansas, Salt Bowl 2024 will be played on Friday
night, August 30, at 7:30pm. The Benton Panthers will be the visiting team this year and their fans will sit
on the east side of War Memorial Stadium. The Bryant Hornets will be the home team and sit on the
west side.
It is important to remember there are security procedures at War Memorial Stadium including a clear
bag policy and each fan will go through a metal detector. A list of permitted and prohibited items can
be found on the stadium’s website www.wmstadium.com Gates to the stadium will open at 5:30pm and
fans are encouraged to arrive early as there will be more security again this year. A safety plan has been
developed over the summer in concert with law enforcement input and involvement and there will be
more information on that in the next few days.
A reminder, tickets and T-shirts will NOT be sold at Circle K, formerly Big Red Stores this year and they
will NOT be sold at the gate at the stadium. To purchase your game tickets for $10 plus a processing fee.
Go to this link for Benton tickets: https://bryant-athletics.ticketleap.com/sbbenton2024/
Go to this link for Bryant tickets: https://bryant-athletics.ticketleap.com/sbbryant24/
You can also find the ticket links and game information at www.bentonschools.org and
When you purchase your ticket, you will also receive a digital coupon from our friends at Chuy’s for a
free queso with the purchase of an entrée!
Tickets will be sold on-line and your ticket will tell you which gates at War Memorial Stadium you can
enter. There will not be paper tickets at the gate at War Memorial. You can purchase paper ticket with
cash from now until kickoff at Stated Apparel in Benton or Bryant Family Pharmacy. Only AAA passes
will be accepted at the gate.
To purchase your Salt Bowl T-shirt, you will have more options than ever before including a Collector’s
Edition 50 th Anniversary shirt and we are excited to have again as our t-shirt sponsor, Stated Apparel!
You can purchase at State Apparel in person or on-line and also at Pre-season scrimmages and at War
Memorial Stadium on game day inside and outside the stadium.
Back this year there are also Indoor Club Level tickets available, tickets are $25 and can be purchased at
either the Benton Chamber of Commerce or Bryant Chamber of Commerce. They will also have parking
passes available for purchase for $25.
The game will be carried on 1037 The Buzz. There will not be a Pay Per View option for this year’s game.
It will however be broadcast on tape delay. For updates regarding this year’s game, fans can visit each
school’s athletic website, our Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram @SaltBowlAR. Comment using the
hashtag #GoldStandard
Game week will kick-off with both teams having community pep rallies for football and volleyball at
6:00pm on Tuesday night August 27 th Benton will be at Everett Infiniti and Bryant will be at Everett
Buick GMC.
On Wednesday the 28 th we will have the Recycle Saline Coaches’ and Players’ press conference and
Benton and Bryant Chamber luncheon sponsored by First Security Bank held from 11:30am to 1pm at
the Saline County Career and Technical Campus-ASU Three Rivers and via Zoom. Coach Brad Harris,
Coach Quad Sanders and two players from each team will be available for interviews about this year’s
game. A Zoom link will be sent to the members of the media prior to the press conference. We are also
excited and honored to have say a few words to kick us off, the Coach who is responsible for getting
Benton and Bryant on the schedule 50 years ago. Coach Dwight Fite.
Once again, this year we will have the Battle of the BTowns on Thursday night with the Bryant Lady
Hornets Volleyball team taking on the defending State Champion Benton Lady Panthers at Hornet Arena
at 5pm.
This year’s event will include the annual Arkansas’ Largest High School Tailgate Party that will include
nearly 100 vendors and organizations from across Saline County and the Midtowne Church Kids Zone. It
will kick-off at 4pm on the East Side of War Memorial Stadium. Anyone interested in renting a booth
space should contact the Benton Chamber of Commerce at 501-860-7002.
Pre-game festivities will begin at 7:00p.m. and will include a flyover after the National Anthem by
Bulldog Flight-Mid South RVators, thanks to the Bryant Chamber of Commerce. We will also recognize
this year’s recipients of our Community Service Awards, the Rob Patrick Award and the Donnie Burks
Awards, all sponsored by McDonald’s.
The Future Panthers and Future Hornets players and cheerleaders sponsored by ACDI, will be back on
the field this year to be recognized and form the line for the teams to enter the field.
The Honorary Co- Captains will be the Coach who got the first Benton v Bryant game on the schedule,
former Bryant assistant and Benton Head Coach, Dwight Fite. For Bryant, it will be Coach Bill Revis, who
was the head coach of the Bryant Hornets in 1974. The head coach of the Benton Panthers in 1974 was
the late Coach Max Graham.
At halftime, the Cheer and dance squads will perform from both schools. And both bands will perform
on the field together.
Back for its second year is the McDonald’s French Fry 40 Yard Dash where the winner will receive a free
Big Mac meal for the entire year!!! Contestants can sign up at the McDonald’s booth at the tailgate
party outside the stadium. McDonald’s will also have another exciting announcement on game day that
you will be able to enjoy all season long!!
Also back this year is the Simmons Bank "Kick It to Win It" field goal challenge during halftime! From
August 5th-23 rd , potential participants may stop by one of the Saline County Simmons Bank branches to
enter for a chance to kick a 25-yard field goal during halftime of the 2024 Salt Bowl. The Benton location
is located at 1323 Military Road, Benton, AR, 72015 and the Bryant location is 3109 North Reynolds
Road, Bryant, AR, 72022. Two lucky participants will have three tries to complete the field goal for a
chance to win four tickets to the Simmons Bank Championship at the Pleasant Valley Country Club in
October.
Salt Bowl 2024 “The Gold Standard” would not be possible without the support of our community and
our great sponsors. The sponsors this year include Everett Buick GMC, ACDI, Stated Apparel, Halsey
Thrasher Harpole Real Estate Group, Chuy’s Restaurant, McDonald’s of Saline County, Jones Heating
and Air, 7 Brew Coffee, Skippy Foods, Simmons Bank, Tommy’s Car Wash, Arkansas Copier, Athletico,
Recycle Saline, Summerwood Sports, Wood Grill Buffet of Benton, Bin There Dump That, Ortho
Arkansas, Arkansas Bone and Joint, Republic Services, Saline Memorial Hospital, Pafford Medical
Services, Mascot Media, The Kinzler Family, Goodwill, Bryant Chamber of Commerce, and the Benton
Chamber of Commerce.
The Salt Bowl Committee is pleased to once again work with great organizations to give back to our
community: the Arkansas Blood Institute and Goodwill Industries of Arkansas and we will also have
the annual Salt Bowl Peanut Butter Drive that we will begin at the Salt Bowl and go throughout the
month of September.
Our Blood Institute will be holding Special Salt Bowl Community Blood Drives. The Benton
Community Blood Drive is 10am-5pm on Thursday August 22 nd at the River Center, the Bryant
Community Drive is from 10am-5pm the same day at Bishop Park, Court 1. Whichever community gives
the most blood will get a very large trophy to display at their community center. Details on the special
promotions and links to schedule appointments can be made by visiting https://obi.org/events/blood-
drive-blitz/.
High School Blood Drives: The Benton High School Blood Drive is from 9:00am-2:00pm Friday Sept. 6 th in
the Cheer Room and the Bryant High School Blood Drive is from 9am-2pm on Wednesday Sept. 18 th in
the Multi-Purpose Room. The districts will be competing for a trophy to the school that donates the
most pints of blood.
Goodwill Industries of Arkansas is another strong partner of Salt Bowl. Beginning August 14 th through
August 29 th , Goodwill stores in Benton and Bryant will collect Salt Bowl donations. Students, families and
the community are encouraged to donate gently used clothing and household items at their respective
Goodwill locations. In addition to helping fund numerous programs that provide education, training and
employment assistance, donations collected will mean money for the school districts and gift cards for
families in need. Fans can also make a monetary donation at GoodwillAR.org designating the school to
support.
The donations will be totaled, and the winning district named at the game. The district with the most
donations will receive a check for $1,500, along with $500 in gift cards to give to families in need. The
second-place district will also receive $500 in gift cards, plus a check for $1,000.
Also hitting the newsstands is the annual Salt Bowl Edition of the Saline County Lifestyles Magazine, be
sure to look for one around town!!!
The tradition of the Saline County Salt Bowl continues to be togetherness and helping those in our
community, we are excited to celebrate 50 years of the “Gold Standard” in high school football!