http://www.ubbullrun.com/2013/5/21/43517...pizza-bowl

Is it not enough that the Lions ruin the post season for their own fans by only getting there once every 13 years or so? Do they have to mess with the post season for MAC fans as well? I can just see Bill Ford saying to himself "whelp I've got nothing to do in January, might was well try to get a better profile bowl game in here"

This is the other shoe of conference realignment. While the MAC escaped the fallout of conference membership changes mostly unscathed they will not be unaffected by the Bowl shifting which will accommodate the 14 team contract conferences.

Was just coming here to post this. New bowl to be B1G vs ACC. No more Little Caesar's Bowl and no more MAC tie in.

Wasn't the Big 14 moving their championship game there in a couple years too?

Need to get that bowl started up in Arkansas I guess, just to stay at 3 bowl tie-ins. Starting to get annoyed at all the heavy-handed stuff that happens.

Isn't not having to go to downtown Detroit a good thing?

I think it should be a MAC V B1G game. That would draw well as it sits in each league's natural footprint. The ACC will do fine there - particularly the Northern ACC schools - but the MAC would do exceptionally well in the D - just as it always has.

At the very least the MAC needs to be the alternate league for what figures to be a lower tier bowl game.

Maybe the MAC could get a tie in to a game in Indianapolis or in the new dome they are building in Minneapolis? Also, maybe Lambeau Field would be interested in hosting a bowl game? That would be as cold as hell but the venue is incredible and who knows, maybe the locals would help sell it out?

(05-21-2013 10:58 AM)Big Frog II Wrote:  Isn't not having to go to downtown Detroit a good thing?

Detroit sucks but without that one the MAC is down to 2 official tie-ins plus whatever secondary tie-ins work out. And it's the only one that's anywhere near the midwest. The others are basically flights or a really long drive. And that's assuming we keep the other tie-ins and aren't forced out of those too.

Also the MAC has had the conference championship in Detroit, and it would suck going back to Detroit twice in 2 weeks. I just hope they can find a replacement. Indianapolis would be good but I don't know if they have any interest in a bowl or the MAC championship game (Big 14 is moving that from Indy to Detroit too I believe).

(05-21-2013 11:05 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  I think it should be a MAC V B1G game. That would draw well as it sits in each league's natural footprint. The ACC will do fine there - particularly the Northern ACC schools - but the MAC would do exceptionally well in the D - just as it always has.

That's what it's supposed to be but it's so far down the pecking order that the Big 14 rarely supplied a team for it.

If they are okay with playing the game outside, maybe Cleveland would work as a host site for a bowl game? Lots of MAC alums in Cleveland.

If I were to start a new lower-level Big Ten/ACC bowl (one where 6-6 or 7-5 teams can easily drive to), I would have picked Indianapolis as a location. Regardless, this is more indicative of how the power 5 conferences seem to be only interested in playing each other even for their very lowest-level bowl tie-ins. Also note that the ACC has Notre Dame as part of its bowl package along with newcomers Louisville and Pittsburgh, so a Midwestern bowl vs. a Big Ten team is a lot more plausible today than it was prior to conference realignment.

Indianapolis is definitely a more desirable city than Detroit. I was in Indy two summers ago and was highly impressed with it. I regularly travel to the D for a number of reasons and though it's not as bad as its reputation, it still has a looooong way to go to reach Indy's current level.

It's too bad "Old" Cardinal Stadium in Louisville is about to get demolished-it would have been a good site for a MAc-SBC or MAC-CUSA matchup. I doubt U o L would be open to letting a bowl be played in their stadium.

(05-21-2013 11:15 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  Indianapolis is definitely a more desirable city than Detroit. I was in Indy two summers ago and was highly impressed with it. I regularly travel to the D for a number of reasons and though it's not as bad as its reputation, it still has a looooong way to go to reach Indy's current level.

+1. I would much prefer Indy.

(05-21-2013 11:11 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  If I were to start a new lower-level Big Ten/ACC bowl (one where 6-6 or 7-5 teams can easily drive to), I would have picked Indianapolis as a location. Regardless, this is more indicative of how the power 5 conferences seem to be only interested in playing each other even for their very lowest-level bowl tie-ins. Also note that the ACC has Notre Dame as part of its bowl package along with newcomers Louisville and Pittsburgh, so a Midwestern bowl vs. a Big Ten team is a lot more plausible today than it was prior to conference realignment.

Yep, I think there were only 2-3 bowls last year where a P5 team played a Go5 team. They're doing their best not to play us at all in the postseason. Can't be having any more upsets to Boise or somebody like that. Even in the lesser bowls.

(05-21-2013 11:11 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  If I were to start a new lower-level Big Ten/ACC bowl (one where 6-6 or 7-5 teams can easily drive to), I would have picked Indianapolis as a location. Regardless, this is more indicative of how the power 5 conferences seem to be only interested in playing each other even for their very lowest-level bowl tie-ins. Also note that the ACC has Notre Dame as part of its bowl package along with newcomers Louisville and Pittsburgh, so a Midwestern bowl vs. a Big Ten team is a lot more plausible today than it was prior to conference realignment.

Exactly on all accounts.

I had thought if it turned out the B1G didn't want to play in Detroit anymore that they might bring the ACC in to play the MAC but it turned out the B1G had other ideas.

I expect this game to be a B1G #8 vs. AAC #8 game. There shouldn't be much of a problem on both sides supplying a team to this game. The Heart of Dallas Bowl will drop down to B1G #9 to face a CUSA opponent.

Well at least someone besides the AAC is getting crushed by the bowls. Looks like I might be going to more road games during the season to make up for the fact that I'll likely go to very few bowl games going forward.

(05-21-2013 11:22 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(05-21-2013 11:15 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  Indianapolis is definitely a more desirable city than Detroit. I was in Indy two summers ago and was highly impressed with it. I regularly travel to the D for a number of reasons and though it's not as bad as its reputation, it still has a looooong way to go to reach Indy's current level.

+1. I would much prefer Indy.

Indy would be good, whether against the last pick Big Ten or against the AAC.

Actually, I really liked the idea of Toronto for a game but it simply did not work. I think passport issues were the killer there. Still, T.O. is a WAY cooler city than any of the others mentioned. I'd go for T.O. any day of the week and if there was a B1G/ACC bowl played there, I'd be all over the schitt.

(05-21-2013 11:15 AM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  Indianapolis is definitely a more desirable city than Detroit. I was in Indy two summers ago and was highly impressed with it. I regularly travel to the D for a number of reasons and though it's not as bad as its reputation, it still has a looooong way to go to reach Indy's current level.

Lucas Oil Stadium is awesome. I like it better than Heinz field TBH.

(05-21-2013 11:48 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  Well at least someone besides the AAC is getting crushed by the bowls. Looks like I might be going to more road games during the season to make up for the fact that I'll likely go to very few bowl games going forward.

CUSA will also end up crushed in the bowls.

My days of attending bowl games in support of the Bobcats may be done if the Little Cesar's game is moved to Comercia Park.