Montgomery will announce a new ESPN bowl between the MAC and Sunbelt today. That makes two new bowls moving forward (The Detroit Lions Bowl and the Montgomery Bowl). Personally, I think there is really only room for one more bowl. The Marlins, Christmas, Cure, Boca, and Legends Bowl (recently moved thier efforts to Charleston from Montgomery) are all still trying to put all the pieces together.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The city of Montgomery has landed an ESPN-owned bowl game pairing the Sun Belt against the Mid-American Conference, according to industry sources with knowledge of the information. An announcement will be made this afternoon in Montgomery.

The game will be owned by ESPN Regional Television and begin in 2014 at the Cramton Bowl. The contract is a six-year deal.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/...cart_river

With Detroit Pizza Bowl being replaced there is still on a net +1. There could be room for 2 more, I think, with all of the FCS move-ups.

Also we've lost the double hosting bowl for the national champion which counted among the 35.

34. Lions Bowl (replaces LCPB)
35. Montgomery (replaces double host)

With 9 new teams in FCS I would say logically that 4-5 more bowl games could be created beyond that number.

I can't believe how many bowls there are now.

Montgomery sucks.

Ew..

(08-19-2013 10:07 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  With Detroit Pizza Bowl being replaced there is still on a net +1. There could be room for 2 more, I think, with all of the FCS move-ups.

The Little Caesar's replacement has yet to come to fruition. I know they're trying, but it isn't real just yet. The Montgomery Bowl makes 36 games, but only brings the total direct-bid spots back up to 70.

Yeah that's a bad bowl game.

(08-19-2013 10:47 AM)CommuterBob Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 10:07 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  With Detroit Pizza Bowl being replaced there is still on a net +1. There could be room for 2 more, I think, with all of the FCS move-ups.

The Little Caesar's replacement has yet to come to fruition. I know they're trying, but it isn't real just yet. The Montgomery Bowl makes 36 games, but only brings the total direct-bid spots back up to 70.

Ah, I thought the "Lions" Bowl was announced as a done deal with ACC & B1G.

(08-19-2013 10:32 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  Also we've lost the double hosting bowl for the national champion which counted among the 35.

34. Lions Bowl (replaces LCPB)
35. Montgomery (replaces double host)

With 9 new teams in FCS I would say logically that 4-5 more bowl games could be created beyond that number.

This year we just have 126. But good point--I think we could see 3 more NET games. And I agree that Montgomery sucks. I also wonder why they are using the old high school looking stadium and not ASU's new stadium.

(08-19-2013 10:53 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 10:47 AM)CommuterBob Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 10:07 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  With Detroit Pizza Bowl being replaced there is still on a net +1. There could be room for 2 more, I think, with all of the FCS move-ups.

The Little Caesar's replacement has yet to come to fruition. I know they're trying, but it isn't real just yet. The Montgomery Bowl makes 36 games, but only brings the total direct-bid spots back up to 70.

Ah, I thought the "Lions" Bowl was announced as a done deal with ACC & B1G.

It is, but it kicks the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl out of Ford Field. They're now on the hunt for a new venue, if they can find one.

Seems like ESPN is on the move to increase its' bowl owned inventory. So far, they have announced Las Vegas and Hawaii as part of a pool. The question remains what other bowls will be involved...at least two and maybe more. I have to think that ESPN will want to try and manufacture at least one "ratings" game per bowl season. If you're feeling really kooky, put on a tin foil hat, and squint real hard... Could ESPN be gathering company owned bowls to control a G5 playoff in the event of a split? Probably not, but is does make you wonder why the rush to own bowls vs. bidding on broadcast rights.

(08-19-2013 11:21 AM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  Seems like ESPN is on the move to increase its' bowl owned inventory. So far, they have announced Las Vegas and Hawaii as part of a pool. The question remains what other bowls will be involved...at least two and maybe more. I have to think that ESPN will want to try and manufacture at least one "ratings" game per bowl season. If you're feeling really kooky, put on a tin foil hat, and squint real hard... Could ESPN be gathering company owned bowls to control a G5 playoff in the event of a split? Probably not, but is does make you wonder why the rush to own bowls vs. biding on broadcast rights.

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN 3m
ESPN owns 9 bowls, wants to add Heart of Dallas & new one in Boca Raton. If so will own 11 of 31-non @CFBPlayoff bowls

(08-19-2013 11:29 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN 3m
ESPN owns 9 bowls, wants to add Heart of Dallas & new one in Boca Raton. If so will own 11 of 31-non @CFBPlayoff bowls

Don't do it, Banowsky.

(08-19-2013 11:29 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 11:21 AM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  Seems like ESPN is on the move to increase its' bowl owned inventory. So far, they have announced Las Vegas and Hawaii as part of a pool. The question remains what other bowls will be involved...at least two and maybe more. I have to think that ESPN will want to try and manufacture at least one "ratings" game per bowl season. If you're feeling really kooky, put on a tin foil hat, and squint real hard... Could ESPN be gathering company owned bowls to control a G5 playoff in the event of a split? Probably not, but is does make you wonder why the rush to own bowls vs. biding on broadcast rights.

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN 3m
ESPN owns 9 bowls, wants to add Heart of Dallas & new one in Boca Raton. If so will own 11 of 31-non @CFBPlayoff bowls

Guess that means our Miami Bowl is as good as dead

(08-19-2013 11:34 AM)NBPirate Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 11:29 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 11:21 AM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  Seems like ESPN is on the move to increase its' bowl owned inventory. So far, they have announced Las Vegas and Hawaii as part of a pool. The question remains what other bowls will be involved...at least two and maybe more. I have to think that ESPN will want to try and manufacture at least one "ratings" game per bowl season. If you're feeling really kooky, put on a tin foil hat, and squint real hard... Could ESPN be gathering company owned bowls to control a G5 playoff in the event of a split? Probably not, but is does make you wonder why the rush to own bowls vs. biding on broadcast rights.

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN 3m
ESPN owns 9 bowls, wants to add Heart of Dallas & new one in Boca Raton. If so will own 11 of 31-non @CFBPlayoff bowls

Guess that means our Miami Bowl is as good as dead

Not necessarily. The Miami Bowl would be owned by the AAC--not ESPN. ESPN would have to buy the 6 year TV rights via a contract with the AAC. But they wouldn't own the bowl and they would only control the TV rights until the contract term expired. I give Aresco credit here, that's the one place where the AAC really did try to do something different. Im just not sure its worth fooling with if the game is just going to be against some random CUSA also-ran.

(08-19-2013 11:39 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 11:34 AM)NBPirate Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 11:29 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 11:21 AM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  Seems like ESPN is on the move to increase its' bowl owned inventory. So far, they have announced Las Vegas and Hawaii as part of a pool. The question remains what other bowls will be involved...at least two and maybe more. I have to think that ESPN will want to try and manufacture at least one "ratings" game per bowl season. If you're feeling really kooky, put on a tin foil hat, and squint real hard... Could ESPN be gathering company owned bowls to control a G5 playoff in the event of a split? Probably not, but is does make you wonder why the rush to own bowls vs. biding on broadcast rights.

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN 3m
ESPN owns 9 bowls, wants to add Heart of Dallas & new one in Boca Raton. If so will own 11 of 31-non @CFBPlayoff bowls

Guess that means our Miami Bowl is as good as dead

Not necessarily. The Miami Bowl would be owned by the AAC--not ESPN. They could buy the TV rights for a period of time, but they wouldn't own the bowl once the contract term expired. That's the one place where the AAC really did try to do something different.

So if ESPN owns the HoD, does that mean CUSA has the potential of getting kicked out in the future and replaced?

(08-19-2013 11:41 AM)NBPirate Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 11:39 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 11:34 AM)NBPirate Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 11:29 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(08-19-2013 11:21 AM)gulfcoastgal Wrote:  Seems like ESPN is on the move to increase its' bowl owned inventory. So far, they have announced Las Vegas and Hawaii as part of a pool. The question remains what other bowls will be involved...at least two and maybe more. I have to think that ESPN will want to try and manufacture at least one "ratings" game per bowl season. If you're feeling really kooky, put on a tin foil hat, and squint real hard... Could ESPN be gathering company owned bowls to control a G5 playoff in the event of a split? Probably not, but is does make you wonder why the rush to own bowls vs. biding on broadcast rights.

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN 3m
ESPN owns 9 bowls, wants to add Heart of Dallas & new one in Boca Raton. If so will own 11 of 31-non @CFBPlayoff bowls

Guess that means our Miami Bowl is as good as dead

Not necessarily. The Miami Bowl would be owned by the AAC--not ESPN. They could buy the TV rights for a period of time, but they wouldn't own the bowl once the contract term expired. That's the one place where the AAC really did try to do something different.

So if ESPN owns the HoD, does that mean CUSA has the potential of getting kicked out in the future and replaced?

Yup. Might be the cost ESPN is asking CUSA to pay to get the Boca Bowl.

ESPN buying the bowls makes it pretty interesting. They basically have broadcasted all the other bowls except 1 or 2. Are the other bowls TV contracts going out to bid? Logically looking at it with having CBS, NBS and FOX1 and FOX2 bowl games would not have to start prior to Christmas as in the past. In 2015, Dec 26 would be Wed so looking at the schedule that each Cable Channel had a game. Actually this would be pretty cool but I have not heard anything about FOX, CBS and NBC trying to contract other bowls.

7 Sport Cable Channels (In theory 35 bowl games could be shown prior to Dec 31 and Jan 1)
26 - Wed - 7 games
27 -Thur - 7 games
28 - Fri - 7 games
29 - Sat 14 Games (Min)
30 - NFL Day
31 - Primary Bowls 3 games
1 - Primary Bowls 3 games

AAC should go after the Charleston Bowl as their bottom bowl.