Create a realistic bowl game:

[Drew]

You're Mike Aresco and you're in charge of creating a new bowl game. What location are you choosing, which conference are you going to play, who sponsors it, and what is the date going to be?

I'll start it off:

In-N-Out San Francisco Bowl

Pac 12 #4/5 vs American #2/3
AT&T Park- San Francisco, CA
Game played on: December 28 at 9:30 ET


This past year this game would've been Louisville/Cincy vs UCLA/USC/Washington. What say you?

 

[Dooley]

I like it. I wonder if Citi Field will ever consider opening up their stadium to host a bowl. Call it the Metropolitan Bowl and pit a mid-level AAC vs. ACC/B1G school. They'd probably skip over the AAC and just want ACC vs B1G but maybe a huge UCONN turnout at Yankee in November would help sway?

 

[bobbyinaz]

I like it. I wonder if Citi Field will ever consider opening up their stadium to host a bowl. Call it the Metropolitan Bowl and pit a mid-level AAC vs. ACC/B1G school. They'd probably skip over the AAC and just want ACC vs B1G but maybe a huge UCONN turnout at Yankee in November would help sway?

The Pinstripe is already ACC vs B1G. They are not going to add a second bowl game in NYC pitting those 2 conferences against each other

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Anyone else suprised that Fenway Park/Fenway Sports Group hasn't tried to get into the college bowl game business yet?? Seems like they do everything else under the sun, and you know that place would be PACKED for any game played there no matter who the teams were. Imagine the American having a bowl game there with Northeast-ties. It would be huge.

 

[SubbaBub]

Needs to be these three things:

1. Relatively accessible by most if not all programs either by car in less than 18 hours or by cheap airfare, which means near a major airport. (not Birmingham, Phoenix, or anywhere on the west coast for the AAC)

2. In warm weather city that people want to visit (no to El Paso, San Antonio, Shreveport, Birmingham again)

3. Against a P5 opponent (sorry, Sun Belt, MAC, CUSA)

So that means, Miami, Orlando, Tampa (meh), Dallas, Houston, Memphis. I could be talked into certain spots in the Carolinas

There are two exceptions to these rules, Las Vegas vs. MWC Champion or NYC vs. the B1G.

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Also, anyone else think (aside from the novelty factor of it) the new game in the Bahamas is a failed idea already? Just getting fans there (realistically) seems far fetched. Same goes for rumors I've heard about doing a bowl game in Europe or Ireland.

 

[weyuo]

I don't know man. I think giving that Bahama's Bowl game a chance might be a good thing for the AAC especially if you get a pretty interesting matchup out of the gate. Bahamaa's during the holidays? That might catch on. Sure beats freezing your butt off in NYC.

 

[SubbaBub]

Flying to the Bahamas can be pricy at certain times of the year. San Juan would have been a better choice if you are going Carribean. Though flying to PR during the holidays can be expensive too, but nothing like Phoenix from Hartford. That was a ridiculous trip cost and hassle-wise.

 

[Drew]

I think the Bahamas bowl is interesting because if I remember correctly the stadium size isn't that big and it SHOULD be supported by the local population. Helps lessen the need for thousands of fans from the schools involved to travel there to make it look like a decent crowd.

 

[noeynox]

The OP is something I have thought about often. To attract a P5 4-5 level team I think you need like a two million dollar payout or better. Citi Field is an interesting choice and I am shocked they haven't already done it.

 

[BlueMAB]

Trying to be somewhat realistic, Washington DC at FedEx field vs. B1G.

AAC #2/3 vs. whatever team from the B1G that is .500 or higher and willing to play.

 

[coachcap]

If you're Mike Aresco, as the OP stated you are NOT creating a startup bowl on the west coast.
Agree with other posters that the host city should be accessible with relatively inexpensive (compared to Phoenix) airfares.

Problem is that most of the desirable locations are spoken for. I'll throw out one possibility: Philadelphia.
Historic, tourist magnet, lots to see & do, major city & airport. Great dining & nightlife. Home of a conference member. Only negative is that it's not a warm weather site.
As for a target date: December 31st. Think of it: New Year's eve, in the city that's the home of Independence Hall, fireworks, football, post game partying. Sounds like a win.

 

[Drew]

Citi Field is an interesting spot to me, I really wonder why they haven't (maybe they have?) explored hosting a bowl game.

I'm kind of surprised St. Louis doesn't have a bowl already. With places like New Mexico, Boise, etc having games there would seem to be an ability to go to the heart of the country (near Memphis, Tulsa) and take on the B1G.

Another cool spot would be Soldier Field in Chicago. The main problem with using these NFL stadiums is that the NFL season is still going on during most bowl games and it is also freezing in most of the areas that aren't already hosting games.

I wouldn't mind trying something totally outside the box like the Bahamas Bowl. I like the thought process behind the Miami Beach Bowl, but I believe we're going to have to pick an area where the local population will come out in the masses if we really want to have a good shot at filling the stadium for some of these games. Aren't we currently contracted for the Bahamas bowl? Not for this season but the next? I wouldn't mind us trying to get in there. Places that host one game per year are more likely to have local support IMO than places that have professional sports year round, college sports, and then AAC 3 vs Sunbelt 2 comes to town.

 

[dsturdy5]

I like CoachCap's idea vs a team from the B1G. Easy to get to for both fan bases.

 

[junglehusky]

I hate to get all @whaler11 on you guys, but I don't think there is a realistic P5 opponent because those commissioners seem intent on locking non P5 conferences out of any kind of postseason legitimacy. They throw one tiny breadcrumb to the entirety of the G5 (or whatever you want to call it) in the form of access bowls and playoff eligibility with a very high bar, but that's only to avoid a lawsuit or an investigation by the senator con Utah. The NBE had the pinstripe bowl for what, 3 years, but once Rutgers and Cuse left for the ACC and B1G, guess who got access to that game.

 

[whaler11]

I hate to get all @whaler11 on you guys, but I don't think there is a realistic P5 opponent because those commissioners seem intent on locking non P5 conferences out of any kind of postseason legitimacy. They throw one tiny breadcrumb to the entirety of the G5 (or whatever you want to call it) in the form of access bowls and playoff eligibility with a very high bar, but that's only to avoid a lawsuit or an investigation by the senator con Utah. The NBE had the pinstripe bowl for what, 3 years, but once Rutgers and Cuse left for the ACC and B1G, guess who got access to that game.

This also may come as news: There are 26 teams in the AAC and Big 10. Only 6 of them are an 'easy' drive to NYC and one of them has no fans.

 

[noeynox]

I hate to get all @whaler11 on you guys, but I don't think there is a realistic P5 opponent because those commissioners seem intent on locking non P5 conferences out of any kind of postseason legitimacy. They throw one tiny breadcrumb to the entirety of the G5 (or whatever you want to call it) in the form of access bowls and playoff eligibility with a very high bar, but that's only to avoid a lawsuit or an investigation by the senator con Utah. The NBE had the pinstripe bowl for what, 3 years, but once Rutgers and Cuse left for the ACC and B1G, guess who got access to that game.

Everything you said is spot on. That is why I say the payout has to be a minimum of 2 million, likely more to get a team from P5 conference involved. Most likely a 6-6, 7-5 team facing 9 or 10 win team from this conference. A crumb is an apt description for what the G5 get.

Back when the Big East was intact there was some talk of the rest of the FBS conferences becoming one conference. I wonder if that wouldn't be a bad idea right about now. Could be a lot of inventory to offer to someone, though most likely it will be looked at as a lot of inventory that no one really cares about at the moment.

 

[HomeKing93]

I'm repeating myself but I'm sure Atlanta can handle more than one bowl game. If the Chick-Fil-A/Peach doesn't want another bowl in the Georgia Dome, what about Ted Turner Field or the new Braves stadium that's being planned?

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Citi Field in NYC... "Big Apple Bowl, presented by Citi"? Maybe hold it earlier in the bowl season to not compete with the Pinstripe Bowl?

 

[CL82]

Anyone else suprised that Fenway Park/Fenway Sports Group hasn't tried to get into the college bowl game business yet?? Seems like they do everything else under the sun, and you know that place would be PACKED for any game played there no matter who the teams were. Imagine the American having a bowl game there with Northeast-ties. It would be huge.

The lack of a quality football team in Boston may contribute to their disinterest.

 

[dsturdy5]

The lack of a quality football team in Boston may contribute to their disinterest.

The lack of a quality football team in the NY metro area (or anywhere within the state for that matter) hasn't stopped the Pinstripe Bowl.

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

The lack of a quality football team in the NY metro area (or anywhere within the state for that matter) hasn't stopped the Pinstripe Bowl.

Also true.

 

[Drew]

Does Seattle have a bowl? They have a great football/sports in general fan base and are dying to support anything to show they can handle an NBA team.

 

[Fishy]

Proposed Bowl Game: Capital of the goshdarn World Bowl.
Location: RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington DC
Teams: 1/2 AAC vs whoever.

If we act like it's a big deal, maybe people will eventually think it's a big deal. As such, the winner gets a really freaking huge trophy called the Really Big Deal Cup. Ideally, we'd have a team of Clydesdales being ridden by Hooters girls pulling the trophy into the stadium on a float that we've stolen from the Rose Bowl Parade.

 

[freescooter]

I'm not so sure I get all excited about yet another cold weather bowl, which is why US Taxpayer Bailout Field, aka Citi Field, does nothing for me. I'd prefer something south and if I were trying to put one together, I'd look at Orlando, maybe New Orleans, someplace people would want to actually go. I guess Atlanta if you want to bore everyone. I'd try and set a matchup with the ACC. Boston, New York, Chicago, are all fine towns but who wants to have to worry about snow, freezing rain, 12 degrees at kickoff...thanks, but a bowl is supposed to be a reward, so no thanks.