The ACC has made some changes to its football bowl game affiliations for the 2020-25 seasons, the conference announced on Thursday.
The big additions to the lineup are the historic Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California and a new bowl game to be played in Boston’s Fenway Park.
The top ACC destination will continue to be the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida, on years when it is not hosting a College Football Playoff semifinal, continuing a relationship with that bowl that dates back to 2007.
In years when the ACC sends a team to the College Football Playoff, and the Orange Bowl does not host a semifinal, the Orange Bowl will get the next selection of teams from the ACC.
If the ACC plays a Big Ten opponent in the Orange Bowl, the league will also get a berth in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida, which is also played on New Year’s Day.
From there, the league will continue relationships with the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, the Camping World Bowl in Orlando, Florida; the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas; the Belk Bowl in Charlotte; the Pinstripe Bowl in New York and the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland.
The Gator Bowl is also traditionally played on New Year’s Day, while the Sun Bowl is played on New Year’s Eve and the other games at various points in December.
One final berth will be shared between the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida, the Birmingham (Ala.) Bowl and the First Responder Bowl in Dallas.
The league will do away with its previous tier structure, lumping all of the above bowls into one pool after the Orange Bowl gets the first selection. The conference and bowl games will make the bowl selections based on “geographic proximity, avoiding repeat appearances and matchups and regular-season won-loss records.”
“We are proud to partner with this exceptional collection of bowls for the 2020-25 seasons,” ACC Commissioner John Swofford said in a press release. “We have enjoyed the long-standing relationships and look forward to working with those that are new to our lineup. The partnerships provide our 15-member league premier matchups, enhanced financials and attractive destinations.”
The conference ended its relationship with the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana and the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit.
The league increased its permanent number of bowl berths from eight to 10 in the new cycle, which will begin with the 2020 season.
Pitt has played in three of the bowl games that the league will still have relationships with since joining the ACC — the Sun Bowl in 2018, Pinstripe Bowl in 2016 and Military Bowl in 2015.
Pitt has also played in Birmingham Bowl three times (2011, 2012 and 2013), the Belk Bowl twice (2003 and 2009), the Camping World Bowl once (2001), the Gator Bowl three (1956, 1977 and 1980) and the Sun Bowl three other times (1975, 1989 and 2008).
No more tiered bowls means only one thing. More sports politics than ever, in who goes where, not based on your record and who you beat.
And of course Notre Dame trumps all of the above, in where they want to go.
Notre Dame isn’t part of the ACC’s bowl group.
Sure it is, like it has been for the last several years.
“Notre Dame remains part of the ACC’s bowl lineup if the Irish don’t qualify for a College Football Playoff or New Year’s 6 Bowl berth.”
https://watchstadium.com/news/college-football-bowl-game-changes-to-begin-in-2020-03-05-2019/
Getting rid of Detroit and Shreveport Bowls…..not a bad thing at all. Replaced with San Diego & Boston. A win win.
Boston in December??? Outdoors???