Potential 3rd Bowl Game for MAC in 2005!

mossmaidi · Post by **mossmaidi** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:25 pm

Check out the following story from Toronto:

KERRY GILLESPIE
CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF

The SkyDome could be host to an annual NCAA football bowl game starting next year.

SportsWorld Interactive LLC, the organizers of the successful Motor City Bowl in Detroit, approached Toronto with the idea of bringing a game to the city in December 2005.

"College football in the U.S., like the NFL, is quite a passionate sport and they feel there's a market for it here," said Brian Ashton, a councillor and chair of the economic development committee.

A report will come before his committee on Thursday asking council to let SportsWorld make the bid to the NCAA.

The report says the bowl game would feature a game between a team from the Big East Conference and a team from the Mid-American Conference.

Ashton thinks it's a great idea.

"This is part of broadening our sports events, it's employing our sports facilities in a better fashion. The domed stadium needs this type of activity," he said.

But Ashton's main interest in bringing a bowl game to the city are the "pigskin bucks" that would come with it.

Duncan Ross, head of Tourism Toronto, also has his eye on that ball.

"There are 100 million Americans within a day's drive of Toronto," Ross said.

The Motor City Bowl, which Toronto's would be modelled after, brings an average of $15 million (U.S.) a year to Detroit and attracts up to 25,000 out-of-town visitors.

The numbers would be similar for Toronto, Ross said.

A bowl game would "deliver visitors to the city at a time when there is capacity in hotels and brings media attention to the city," Ross said.

SportsWorld has said it will assume all the financial risks involved, he said.

All Toronto has to do is send a tourism official to attend a presentation to the NCAA event certification committee next April, the report says.

It is likely the economic development committee and full council will approve the plan later this month.

The schools in the two conferences being considered include Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Toledo, Ohio University and Bowling Green. Most of them are within a 10-hour drive of Toronto.

The report estimates that up to 45,000 spectators will attend the game, with 15,000 to 25,000 coming from the two competing teams, 10,000 being sold in the greater Toronto area and 5,000 to 10,000 tickets being donated as corporate gifts to charities, youth groups and youth athletic programs.

Metz · Post by **Metz** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:33 pm

That is awesome news and something I really hope goes through!! The Big East has some great teams and this bowl game could be a great chance for the MAC to get more recognition IMO. I mean West Virgina would probably derail any MAC team this year but I'm sure they will get other bowl bids. In the future though, it'd be great to see Boston College, Syracuse, or Connecticut there playing a MAC team. All the Big East schools are rather close to Toronto and that could lead to some big crowds.

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 2:56 pm

I wonder if this is a sign that the MAC is considering expanding eastward.

Tricky_Falcon · Post by **Tricky_Falcon** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 3:48 pm

Schadenfreude wrote:I wonder if this is a sign that the MAC is considering expanding eastward.

Or North of the border

Metz · Post by **Metz** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 3:49 pm

Tricky_Falcon wrote: Or North of the border

Yeah, next year we are going to be the Mid-Canadian Conference...

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 3:54 pm

I'm still hoping for the Indianapolis Bowl.

bgmaggot00 · Post by **bgmaggot00** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:13 pm

Any excuse for me to go to Toronto, is good enough for me. I'd love it, and I honestly think that BG could take anyone in that conference, with WVU being the toughest of course. Anyway, I'm all for it, and SkyDome is a great stadium, Jeff

UK Peregrine · Post by **UK Peregrine** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 8:30 am

Outstanding news! Any additional MAC bowl games would be just great. This conference needs one or two more bowls.

BGSUfanatUT · Post by **BGSUfanatUT** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 8:58 am

I hope the first "toronto bowl" is between BGSU and WVU

NWLB · Post by **NWLB** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:34 pm

This was a game that was being talked about about the time the MCB was created in Detroit. However the original group seems to have vanished along with the original group seeking to start the Hoosier Bowl. Both fell victum to the passing NCAA halt to new bowls.

I have to think the MCB people are taking this up in part because the Hoosier bowl fell through this year. This means there remains a chance at a fourth bowl bid, if another group could be put together for the RCA dome, or another facility like it.

Beyond that however, a bowl in Toronto would rock. I love that city. It is and has everything Detroit doesn't.

Plus, consider this: How about an expo game with our Hockey team playing U. of Toronto, only on their home ice for a change? Miami, WMU, or BGSU could fill that gap!