BIG signs 6 year deal with Detroit Lions(bowl game)

Submitted by Michigan248 on

DETROIT – The Detroit Lions announced today that they have entered into a six-year partnership with the Big Ten Conference for a bowl game that will be played at Ford Field beginning in 2014.

The game will be officially named once sponsorship agreements are in place. The inaugural game is tentatively scheduled for December 30, 2014 (pending TV broadcast schedule)

At the end of each college football season, the Big Ten and a conference to be named will determine their team representatives after discussion between bowl and conference officials to create the best possible matchup.

LINK http://www.detroitlions.com/news/article-1/The-Detroit-Lions-announce-agreement-with-the-Big-Ten-for-Bowl-Game-at-Ford-Field/ed3156cf-d3cb-4de6-aec5-acedd35e02fb

LSAClassOf2000

July 17th, 2013 at 12:19 PM ^

If I understand this correctly then, the 2014 and beyond lineup is shaping up to go something like this:

The Rose Bowl, then selections 2-4 will probably get put in some order of the Capital One, Outback and Holiday Bowls, with 5-7 being in the Music City, Fight Hunger and Pinstripe Bowls (again, a guess at the combination here). That probably gives the Detroit's Bowl the 8th or lower selection. It's hard to say where precisely it will fit in considering that Jim Delany made it clear that the conference would be part of the selection process, but I have a feeling that this will still be where the 6-6 team goes.

As someone said above, at the time when it was first mentioned (CBS Article), the MAC was likely going to be ousted in favor of another Big Ten / ACC matchup here. Right now, the ACC's 7-9 tie-ins are the AdvoCare, Military and Kraft Fight Hunger bowls in that order, I think. 

joeyb

July 17th, 2013 at 12:56 PM ^

I thought when this was first announced that they were talking about that 4-6 range for the tie in. My understanding was that the goal was to try to get a good team field advantage in a bowl game. I also don't think that The Lions would enter this agreement if they didn't think they could get a better turnout than what the Motor City Bowl used to have.

trueblueintexas

July 17th, 2013 at 12:26 PM ^

Great.  Maryland will get to play in Michigan twice a year and as an added bonus they will get a chance to play one of their old conference buddies. Unless Rutgers gets the bid of course.

Perkis-Size Me

July 17th, 2013 at 3:05 PM ^

Having to play in the Detroit Lions Bowl sounds more like a punishment than a reward for your season. Not sure how you can look forward to spending your winter break in Detroit, a frozen tundra, playing in a bowl game named after a team that's been the worst in the NFL for decades. Not to mention a game that is almost assuredly not going to attract more than 30-35,000 people. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

But on the bright side, at least Sparty doesn't have to travel far for bowl games anymore.

Look Up_See Blue

July 17th, 2013 at 8:06 PM ^

I think it would be cool if Ford sponsored the bowl and called it the, Built Ford Tough Bowl.