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The previously rumored new bowl game that would pair the Mid-American Conference with the Sun Belt, has been confirmed by AL.com's Jon Soloman. The bowl game will be owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television and will take place in Montgomery, Ala. starting in 2014. An official announcement is expected to come today at 3 p.m.. The length of the deal has yet to be confirmed.
Exciting news coming today for the Mid-American Conference at 3 pm ET. Stay Tuned! #MACtion
— MAC Sports (@MACSports) August 19, 2013
Last week it was reported the ESPN was nearing a deal to create a new bowl game in the city of Montgomery, and that the game would likely be played in the cities' 91-year-old Cramton Bowl. The stadium has seen several million dollars in renovations in recent years, and currently hosts the Raycom College Football All-Star Classic annually in January. The Cramton Bowl can seat 25,000.
The "Biscuit Bowl" (the name hasn't been confirmed yet) will mark the third primary bowl tie-in for the Mid-American Conference starting in 2014, which recently inked a new long-term deal with the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (also owned by ESPN).
MAC vs Sun Belt in the BISCUIT BOWL, starting in 2014. Can't wait!
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) August 19, 2013
The MAC has a deal with the GoDaddy.com Bowl as well, which also pairs them against a representative from the Sun Belt. This new bowl game serves as a quasi-replacement for the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl which is likely done after 2013 due to the Big 10 starting a new bowl game at Ford Field, leaving the LCPB homeless.
ESPN and the MAC seem to be doubling down on their relationship. This now marks two long-term bowl deals with the company, as well as the conference's television deal with the ESPN family of networks.
In July MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher teased that the conference was looking to add two or possibly even three new primary bowl tie ins. We now have two, but will we see a third one? What do MAC fans think of game in the south, also against the Sun Belt? Where would you rather see the MAC land a bowl game? Let us know in the comments below.