Just when Syracuse and Pitt thought they finally had enough of their old conference-mates, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Aresco Athletic Conference have agreed to a six-year deal to play each other in the Military Bowl starting in 2014. Read more…
Look, this is not even news. Once it is announced, it will just be the fulfillment of what has been speculated for weeks. And it also makes complete sense. The Pinstripe Bowl will matchup the Big 10 and the ACC.
It has recently been reported that the Detroit Lions, having mastered the art of running a successful professional football team, are going to sponsor a bowl game in the ultimate holiday destination of Detroit, Michigan. As a resident of the Detroit metropolitan area, I can make say that without it being offensive, fyi. In any event, this new Detroit Lions Rust Bowl, or whatever it will be called, has opened the floodgates to numerous new bowls being contemplated/rumored, within even more atypical partners, such as:
It looks like the Big Ten Conference may finally get North Carolina and Virginia after all… but not as conference mates.
A few weeks back, The Confidential reviewed the future ACC bowl lineup. With four more teams entering the league, it was believed that the league might increase its bowl affiliations to nine or 10.
Brett McMurphy of ESPN is reporting that the Detroit Lions are looking to replace the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl after this season and operate a new bowl game at Ford Field starting in 2014.
The bowl will still feature a team from the Big Ten, but is expected to have an opponent from the ACC.
The Atlantic Coast Conference, our beloved ACC, has issued a release sharing the 2013 bowl schedule, including dates and times. As previously noted, it will be interesting to see if there are changes to this lineup in the future. But here is the key data you need for 2013:
| Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman | ||
| Friday, Dec. 27, 2013 | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (conditional) | ||
| Friday, Dec. 27, 2013 | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Russell Athletic Bowl | ||
| Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013 | 6:45 p.m. | ESPN |
| Belk Bowl | ||
| Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013 | 3:20 p.m. | ESPN |
| Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl | ||
| Monday, Dec. 30, 2013 | 3:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| AdvoCare V100 Bowl | ||
| Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013 | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Hyundai Sun Bowl | ||
| Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013 | 2 p.m. | CBS |
| Chick-fil-A Bowl | ||
| Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Discover Orange Bowl | ||
| Friday, Jan. 3, 2014 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
Note that all games are on ESPN, except the Sun Bowl. Also, the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is conditional.
You will also note that there are 8-9 bowl games for the 14 teams in the conference. That may or may not pose a problem for 2013.
ESPN.com has a fairly comprehensive look at the ACC bowl picture as it transitions from a 12-team conference to a 15-team conference (including Notre Dame). The article notes the possibility that the “league might increase its bowl affiliations to nine or 10” and change some of the bowls. So let’s take a closer look at some of the bowls being discusssed.
New Era Pinstripe Bowl. As you know, this bowl game is played in New York City. With the Big East transitioning to the American, the inclusion of the ACC in the Big East’s slot makes sense. There is also scuttlebutt on the Internet about the B1G taking over for the Big XII with a bowl tie in for that game. Such a decision makes complete sense. Just look at the schools that could potentially face each other in that game:
All six schools have significant proximity to the NYC market. Plus, one could envision these schools not being selected for better bowls. And Penn State will be grappling with its sanctions. There are numerous combinations of schools that would lead to interesting matchups. It really is a slam dunk, no brainer, grand slam, whatever you want to call it for the bowl and both conferences. And if Notre Dame is part of the mix? Consider it done.
Gator Bowl. Until 2009, this bowl game involved the ACC. Seems like a natural fit given its location in Jacksonville and the ACC’s two Florida-based schools. Not to mention Georgia Tech and Clemson being relatively close.
Belk Bowl. This Charlotte-based bowl is currently an ACC-Big East event. There is apparently talk of switching to an ACC-SEC matchup. As with the Pinstripe Bowl, it is hard to disagree with that logic. Again, look at the teams in the region:
Once again, you have teams that are likely to qualify in the region. Also, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Auburn, and the Mississippi schools are nearby. Another nice fit.
In fact, between these three bowls alone, every single ACC team would have a regional bowl tie-in.
What do you think, are there are any other bowls that the ACC should try to get tie-ins with?
The Confidential 