Quote:“We will return to Detroit as a primary partner in the Quick Lane Bowl versus the Big Ten. It is gratifying to return to Detroit and play in the one bowl game in our geographic footprint. In addition, we will play in four games owned by or partnered with ESPN Events. Each year we will anchor and play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.

We will then play in two games from a rotation among the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl; the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.; the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fla.; the Frisco Bowl in Texas; the Myrtle Beach Bowl in South Carolina; and the New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M. And one or two other games could be added to the mix.

https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/colle...0190723090

A couple of notes here from the commish:

-He didn't list Mobile as part of the MAC's bowl pool.

-He did say 1 or 2 more bowls could be added to the mix. That might mean the MAC may have a rotated slot with the Independence Bowl yet.

Quote:TUCSON, Ariz., July 24, 2019 – As it enters the fifth year of its inaugural bowl cycle, the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl today announced that it has reached a deal with the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and Mountain West Conference (MW) to provide a fresh slate of teams that may be eligible to play at the December 31 match-up at Arizona Stadium starting in 2020. The MW will return as one of the bowl’s current conference partners, and the MAC steps in to fill the second spot in conference alignments.

“Earlier this year we rolled out our theme of ‘New Traditions’ as our bowl continues to grow, and we’re thrilled that one of our new, years-long traditions is a partnership with the MAC and the Mountain West,” said Kym Adair, executive director of the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. “And the irony that 2020 will be the first year of this partnership was not lost on us given the shared 20/20 vision that we all have for taking this bowl to new heights.”

The NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl will take a large leap in selection priority among the conference’s bowl-eligible programs. The ability to jump to upper echelon picks in the aligned conferences will allow for top quality football teams to make their way to the desert in December. “Our picks will be among the top picks available from the conferences,” said Adair.

https://themw.com/news/2019/7/25/footbal...cycle.aspx

Official Arizona Bowl announcement.

As I expected the Arizona Bowl would be high pick in the MAC selection order. It may even be a #1 pick in most years replacing Mobile as the defacto #1 pick bowl game for the MAC.

(07-26-2019 11:02 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  As I expected the Arizona Bowl would be high pick in the MAC selection order. It may even be a #1 pick in most years replacing Mobile as the defacto #1 pick bowl game for the MAC.

I like it. I really enjoyed my trips to Mobile. They did a great job. But Tucson won't be that difficult for us to get to. I think this is a good change.

(07-26-2019 11:09 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(07-26-2019 11:02 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  As I expected the Arizona Bowl would be high pick in the MAC selection order. It may even be a #1 pick in most years replacing Mobile as the defacto #1 pick bowl game for the MAC.

I like it. I really enjoyed my trips to Mobile. They did a great job. But Tucson won't be that difficult for us to get to. I think this is a good change.

I could potentially see Boise State losing the MWC Championship game and showing up in Arizona as a #2.

It looks like then its going to be MAC #1/#2 vs. MWC #2/#3 depending if one of the conferences put a team CFP. The MWC #1 is already committed to the new Christmas Bowl against the PAC #7.

I'd expect the Potato is going to become a MAC #5 vs. MWC #5 game with seven or eight win teams competing in it.

(07-26-2019 11:34 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(07-26-2019 11:09 AM)Schadenfreude Wrote:  

(07-26-2019 11:02 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  As I expected the Arizona Bowl would be high pick in the MAC selection order. It may even be a #1 pick in most years replacing Mobile as the defacto #1 pick bowl game for the MAC.

I like it. I really enjoyed my trips to Mobile. They did a great job. But Tucson won't be that difficult for us to get to. I think this is a good change.

I could potentially see Boise State losing the MWC Championship game and showing up in Arizona as a #2.

It looks like then its going to be MAC #1/#2 vs. MWC #2/#3 depending if one of the conferences put a team CFP. The MWC #1 is already committed to the new Christmas Bowl against the PAC #7.

I'd expect the Potato is going to become a MAC #5 vs. MWC #5 game with seven or eight win teams competing in it.

I like the MAC#1/#2 going to Quick Lane (B1G) or Arizona (MWC).. I agree a solid upgrade over the existing cycle! Lots of flights to PHX and only a couple of hour drive to Tuscon.

It seems it's possible with 6 bowls that it is possible that the MAC fails to have 6 teams bowl eligible. What are the odds, 15% .

(07-27-2019 09:02 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  It seems it's possible with 6 bowls that it is possible that the MAC fails to have 6 teams bowl eligible. What are the odds, 15% .

Don't be so desperate bro....not appealing.

(07-27-2019 09:02 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  It seems it's possible with 6 bowls that it is possible that the MAC fails to have 6 teams bowl eligible. What are the odds, 15% .

Probably 25%.

In the case of a really weak year the MAC can roll back to filling its hosted bowl commitments (Potato, AZ, Bahamas, Detroit) and stick 1 team in the pool.

(07-28-2019 02:25 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 09:02 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  It seems it's possible with 6 bowls that it is possible that the MAC fails to have 6 teams bowl eligible. What are the odds, 15% .

Probably 25%.

In the case of a really weak year the MAC can roll back to filling its hosted bowl commitments (Potato, AZ, Bahamas, Detroit) and stick 1 team in the pool.

And if such a year involves a very low Conference-wide Go5 OOC winning percentage, there'd likely be some other Go5 conference with a surplus of qualifying schools. That's an advantage of the pool approach.