Felix Marx celebrates after a WU touchdown. © Lukas Zottl

American football festival with a South Tyrolean touch

Loud, colorful, and energetic: these are the first thoughts that come to mind upon arriving at the Summer Bowl. Several times a year, the university league, modeled on the American model, draws thousands of students to the sports arenas to witness the sporting spectacle. At the 2025 Summer Bowl, a record 8.000 spectators were in attendance.

July 02, 2025

From: pm

The Austrian College Sports League was founded in 2015 by Lawrence Gimeno. The league is committed to promoting a sense of belonging and university spirit and invites everyone to participate in the games, regardless of their sports knowledge. Being loud and cheering on your university is the main thing. ACSL events bring together people from all over the world. Diverse people from a wide range of cultures want to make these sporting events unforgettable. The ACSL gives everyone the chance to meet new people or launch their professional careers. To ensure this in the future, the league plans to expand to cover all of Austria, and perhaps even Europe at some point.

The biggest event of the year is the Summer Bowl, presented by EFS Consulting. The losers of the playoff semifinals compete for the bronze medal. The winners of the playoff semifinals then compete in the final to crown the ACSL champion. The event is designed to end the academic year and simultaneously kick off the summer. No expense is spared: numerous food vendors, nonstop entertainment from DJs and cheerleaders, and live music as a halftime show.

Just under ten thousand students are getting tickets so they don't miss the most important game of the year. Those who can't attend in person can easily watch the Summer Bowl on simpli.tv. After UniWien won the last three editions of the Summer Bowl, this year's final will feature TU Wien playing for the first time since 2022. They will be playing against Vienna University of Technology, which suffered two bitter final defeats in a row.

Quarter by quarter to the Summer Bowl crown

Even before the game starts, it's clear that the fans are really into it – especially the TU fans. At 110 decibels, they're the loudest fans the Summer Bowl has ever heard. As the teams enter the arena between columns of fire, the tension is palpable. The WU fans loudly set the tone, while the TU fans escalate. As soon as their team comes running out of the tunnel with black and purple pyrotechnics, they explode. Black versus white – the tactical battle can begin.

First quarter – TU surprises
The match started off excitingly. TU knew they were facing a strong opponent. They tried to surprise their opponents from the very beginning with trick plays. WU defended strongly against TU's initial dominance with defensive discipline and repeatedly attempted bold advances. However, both teams lacked consistency and penetration in the end zone. As a result, the game went into the quarter without a touchdown.

Second quarter – WU wakes up
WU came out of the break much hotter and applied a lot of pressure from the start. Defensively, they didn't let anything slip, and offensively, they lacked the luck to score. As the quarter progressed, WU grew stronger and stronger, leaving TU no room to breathe. The whole thing culminated when WU finally scored its first touchdown of the game three minutes before halftime. The fans had finally arrived. The TU players were probably already mentally at halftime, because there was no response.

Third quarter – WU merciless
The second half begins just as the first half ended: WU needs 13 seconds after the restart to score the next touchdown. TU loses its composure. Simple mistakes creep into the game, offensive ideas dry up, and the fans quiet down. TU tries hard, but their offensive attempts remain unsuccessful. When the response doesn't result in a touchdown, the game becomes more tactical. Neither team manages to get close to the end zone, and the WU defense stifles the TU attacks in the bud.

Fourth quarter – dominance throughout
The final quarter begins, and WU is immediately on the go. After just over a minute, they score again. The result reflects a one-sided game, but TU wants another. With the fans behind them, they wake up and are able to launch dangerous moves again and again. A poor pass from the TU quarterback is fortunately deflected, and TU finally gets back on track. The fans go wild, desperate to bring home the first Summer Bowl in university history. But instead of building on that, WU responds with another touchdown.

Overall, the TU defense is too porous. But TU still refuses to be defeated. Thanks to its strong defense and last-man tackles, WU is able to fend off all of TU's offensive attempts. But TU still has an ace up its sleeve. With a perfect pass, the quarterback manages to set up a touchdown and revive the TU fans' hopes. But not for long: Immediately afterwards, TU attempts an onside kick, which a WU player intercepts and takes advantage of to extend the lead. TU scores a few more points with twenty seconds left, but it's too late.
Final score 34 to 20. WU is the 2025 Summer Bowl winner!

Over the Brenner Pass to the Hohe Warte

South Tyroleans also poured their heart and soul into the Summer Bowl on the Hohe Warte pitch. Seven South Tyroleans, Felix Marx, Dominik Trebo, Adriano Incantalupo, Alexander Haidacher, Jakob Ploner, Raphael Brunello, and Maxim Kozik (absent on match day), are part of the two university teams that desperately wanted to win the Summer Bowl. And the South Tyrolean influence isn't limited to the football teams: the ACSL Cheerdancers have two South Tyroleans, Irina Santifaller and Katharina Hofer.

Both teams were already fired up for the big finale in the locker room before the game started. According to Marx (WU) and Brunello (TU), they were well prepared by their coaches. The anticipation of the game was in the air, but the nerves had grown stronger over the previous week. As soon as the game started, the palpitations disappeared, says Marx. The team is completely focused on the game. Everyone on the team knows they are needed. Whether on offense, defense, or special teams, an ACSL team is like a family. No matter your physical ability or whether you want to work in the background, everyone finds a place on the team. You make friends for life and can build a good network for the future.

Brunello says everyone is working toward a common goal. Everyone pushes each other, whether you're starting or just sitting on the sidelines. Being part of an ACSL team is being part of something bigger. You quickly connect, learn to work as a team, and be disciplined. The team spirit extends beyond the pitch; teammates also help with academics and personal matters.

Marx speaks of utter relief after personally losing two finals in a row. You don't often get the chance to play in a game like this, and haunted by past defeats, the feeling of leaving the court as a winner is all the better.

The South Tyrolean participants at the SummerbowlFrom left to right: Irina Santifaller, Felix Marx, Raphael Brunello, Jakob Ploner, Adriano Incantalupo, Alexader Haidacher, Dominik Trebo, Katharina Hofer. © Daniel Hahofer

Brunello, on the other hand, could hardly be more disappointed. Although it was TU's first Summer Bowl since 2022, they had a good chance of winning. They were undefeated throughout the entire regular season and had previously defeated WU. Missing out on the championship by such a narrow margin is a huge disappointment.

The respect the universities have for one another is very high. Marx speaks of a difficult victory over TU. WU deserved to win, but TU deserves a huge compliment for its performance. According to Marx, they were in better shape and wanted more. He is really looking forward to future games against TU. Brunello believes he personally should have prepared better mentally for the final. Football games are won in the mind. While the disappointment is great, he is still proud of his team and believes that their play would have been enough – as they demonstrated in the fourth quarter.

Whether victory or defeat, the Summer Bowl remains an unforgettable experience for everyone involved, capturing the university spirit in all its intensity. Players from both teams rave about their team and are proud of what they have achieved. And who knows – perhaps the next chapter in South Tyrolean university sports history will soon be written.