New bowl for Birmingham ?

[MeanGreen61]

Paging Wright Waters, paging Wright Waters

Birmingham may get new bowl game

Friday, April 14, 2006

RAY MELICK

News staff writer

After a 15-year absence, Birmingham could be back in the postseason football bowl business as soon as December.

Charlotte-based ESPN Regional TV has put in a proposal with the NCAA's Post-Season Football Licensing Subcommittee for a bowl game to be played at Legion Field on Saturday, Dec. 23, matching a team from Conference USA with a team from either the Big East Conference or the Mid-America Athletic Conference.

http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/in...3110.xml&coll=2

[VideoEagle]

Charlotte-based ESPN Regional TV has put in a proposal with the NCAA's Post-Season Football Licensing Subcommittee for a bowl game to be played at Legion Field on Saturday, Dec. 23, matching a team from Conference USA with a team from either the Big East Conference or the Mid-America Athletic Conference.

http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/in...3110.xml&coll=2

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I thought Legion Field was one step short of condemned. Literally parts of the stands are falling off!

[greenjoe]

Maybe so. But I looked it up on WorldStadiums and it looked pretty good to me. 80,601 capacity. I'd trade Fouts for it anytime.

[UNTLifer]

I see the three conferences listed as having a tough time filling all of their bowl committments.

[Trojanman]

The entire upper deck of Legion Field has been condemed. The acutal capacity now is probably closer to 50K or less (I'm sure some derranged UAB fan will come on here and correct me if it's more, not like they'd ever use any more than the first 10K seats or so...) All efforts so far to build a dome or new stadium have met political roadblocks. The city has pretty much decided not to sink another dime into Legion Field (that was the last word on it). Birmingham just lost the World Cup Soccer event that it used to hold as well.

To top it off, Legion field is in one of the most run-down and dangerous neighborhoods of any big city in America. Bham topped the century mark in murders last year and they are on pace to break that record.

Nonetheless, I will strap on my bullet proof vest and go root for the Trojans when we play the University of Assault and Battery later on this Fall. Just like last time, Trojan fans will out number UAB fans, and just like last time in Bham, we'll win.

I'll be happy to give a full report on the condition of the field. It's not safe to go down there without all of the lights on and several law enforcement around. I'm not kidding. I think I'll break off pieces of the stadium and sell them on E-Bay. Shouldn't be too hard. People will buy anything. Buy one piece of "historic" Legion Field and get a geniune bullet casing for free.

[VideoEagle]

Buy one piece of "historic" Legion Field and get a geniune bullet casing for free.

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Just one casing - I understand there are thousands down there!

[LongJim]

To top it off, Legion field is in one of the most run-down and dangerous neighborhoods of any big city in America. 

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Sounds like the neighborhood around the Orange Bowl when I lived down there.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

This is not about the condition of Legion Field. There are some standards that have to be met. Neither the NCAA or ESPN want a lawsuit because part of the stands fell.

This is about the SIXTH bowl for Conference USA, vs. one for the SBC, With eight teams, we should have two bowl-worthy teams each year.

If these new bowls are approved, here is my count on the conferences and their bowl tie-ins:

ACC - 6, plus a BCS bowl

Big East - 5, plus a BCS bowl

Big Ten - 6, plus a BCS bowl

Big 12 - 8, plus a BCS bowl

CUSA - 6

MAC - 3, plus a possiblility on the Birmingham Bowl

MWC - 4

PAC-10 - 5, plus a BCS bowl

SBC - 1

SEC - 8, plus a BCS bowl

WAC - 3, plus a possibility at GMAC bowl

There are three bowls that I don't know is the opponent has been decided. The Poinsettia Bowl features the MWC against an undecided opponent. The MWC pulled out of the Liberty Bowl and I don't know who'll be the replacement for them against CUSA's #1 team. I believe that the Big 12 pulled out of the Fort Worth Bowl and I don't know who CUSA's opponent will be.

Wright Waters needs to be negotiating with one of these bowl committees or another bowl that might lose a tie-in as a result of accepting one of the above. We need one more bowl.

[buff64]

Do really feel like the SBC could have two teams with at least 6 wins ?

This is not about the condition of Legion Field.  There are some standards that have to be met.  Neither the NCAA or ESPN want a lawsuit because part of the stands fell.

This is about the SIXTH bowl for Conference USA, vs. one for the SBC,  With eight teams, we should have two bowl-worthy teams each year. 

If these new bowls are approved, here is my count on the conferences and their bowl tie-ins:

ACC - 6, plus a BCS bowl

Big East - 5, plus a BCS bowl

Big Ten - 6, plus a BCS bowl

Big 12 - 8, plus a BCS bowl

CUSA - 6

MAC - 3, plus a possiblility on the Birmingham Bowl

MWC - 4

PAC-10 - 5, plus a BCS bowl

SBC - 1

SEC - 8, plus a BCS bowl

WAC - 3, plus a possibility at GMAC bowl

There are three bowls that I don't know is the opponent has been decided.  The Poinsettia Bowl features the MWC against an undecided opponent.  The MWC pulled out of the Liberty Bowl and I don't know who'll be the replacement for them against CUSA's #1 team.  I believe that the Big 12 pulled out of the Fort Worth Bowl and I don't know who CUSA's opponent will be.

Wright Waters needs to be negotiating with one of these bowl committees or another bowl that might lose a tie-in as a result of accepting one of the above.  We need one more bowl.

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[Arkstfan]

It may be the fifth bowl game for CUSA. Remember they durn near lost the Liberty before because the SEC doesn't want to play non-BCS teams in bowls. There is serious speculation that Liberty will dump CUSA for the Big 12 if Houston folds.

The Belt ain't out of the hunt in B'ham but just exactly what sort of negotiating do you think happens with bowl games?

It's all about dollars.

CUSA earned as many units this year as the Belt gets in its six year rolling average. Will we win a battle of dollars with CUSA? Nope.

The Big East earned about twice as many units as CUSA did and got a BCS check.

Will we win a battle of dollars with the Big East? Nope.

The MAC has nearly double the units the Belt has.

Will we win a battle of dollars with the MAC? Probably not.

The only negotiating the Belt can do is if Troy and WW convince MovieGallery to step up to the plate and sponsor with Belt participation part of that sponsorship. Thing is I don't see Movie Gallery doing it because they did not step in when Wyndham backed out of the New Orleans Bowl.

[MeanGreen61]

Do really feel like the SBC could have two teams with at least 6 wins ?

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Yep. It's happened in 3 of the past 4 seasons.

'05 - ASU & ULL were 6-5 in regular season

'04 - UNT & Troy played in bowls

'02 - NMSU & NT were both 7-5 in regular season.