Mobile GMAC Bowl Moves To January

[MeanGreen61]

GMAC Bowl moves to January

Officials say higher-profile position on night before BCS Championship Game will help the bowl and Mobile

Friday, July 14, 2006

By RANDY KENNEDY

Sports Editor

Mobile's GMAC Bowl will join the early January college football lineup beginning this season when the game moves to Sunday, Jan. 7.

The switch from having been held the week before Christmas to being the sole nationally televised football game the night before the Bowl Championship Series national title event could be a boon to the eighth annual contest, officials said.

While two NFL wild-card playoff games will be played during the day on Jan. 7, the GMAC Bowl will have no competition when it kicks off just after 7 p.m.

"Our only hesitation was: Why do you mess with what has been successful?" said Jerry Silverstein, president of the GMAC Bowl. "But to play in prime time the night before the national championship game offers more exposure for the city, the teams, the conferences, GMAC and the bowl."

The GMAC Bowl has a contract with ESPN to televise the game. Silverstein said ESPN has given him the go-ahead to schedule the game for January through 2010. Silverstein said bowl officials maintain the right to continue to play the game in January or move it back where it was.

"ESPN opened this opportunity, and it was a mutual agreement to move the game," Silverstein said. "This will allow everyone more time from the end of the regular season to prepare for the bowl."

Dave Brown, ESPN vice president for programming and acquisitions, said the game will have a unique position in the bowl season lineup.

"On the eve of the national championship game, we think this move will provide tremendous exposure for the GMAC Bowl, GMAC, the city of Mobile and the participating conferences," Brown said.

The game will continue to feature a representative of Conference USA against a team from either the Mid-American or Western Athletic conferences. There will be no change in the way the teams are selected or in monetary payouts to the universities and conferences involved, according to Silverstein.

The game will be played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium 20 days before the Senior Bowl.

Among the players who have participated in the GMAC Bowl are current NFL stars Ben Roethlisberger, LaDainian Tomlinson and Byron Leftwich.

The 2001 game between Marshall and East Carolina is still the highest scoring postseason game in history, with Marshall winning 64-61.

"We think this is an unusual and unprecedented way to improve our game," Silverstein said. "This should really help our TV ratings and be a win for everyone involved."

[BleedGreen64]

With 2 months to go after the last regular season game will the teams practice all of that time without a game - boring - or lay off for a month and get out of shape?

[class84]

While two NFL wild-card playoff games will be played during the day on Jan. 7, the GMAC Bowl will have no competition when it kicks off just after 7 p.m.

Yep, the thing I'll want to do after watching 7 hours of playoff football is to kick back and watch Bowling Green and UConn, or somesuch exciting matchup. Sounds like a great idea