Wednesday, October 7, 2009

ACC elevates Champs; may cut Gator Bowl tie

The Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando has been elevated to the number three spot in the ACC's contracted bowl selection order for 2010 through 2013, conference officials announced Wednesday.

That position behind the BCS/Orange Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Bowl previously had been occupied by the Gator Bowl, whose longstanding relationship with the ACC is in jeopardy.

ACC associate commissioner for football operations Michael Kelly said it appears now that the Gator Bowl won't have a contracted tie with the ACC. Kelly said ACC officials had rejected a proposal by Gator Bowl officials to eliminate the "one-win rule" from the conference's bowl selection process.

That rule states that when a bowl selects its ACC representative, it must choose a team with a conference record that's within one win of the team with the best available ACC record.

In other words, if a team with a 5-3 conference record was available to a bowl, it can select a team with a 4-4 record, but not a team that's 3-5 in the ACC. Kelly said Gator Bowl officials wanted to the freedom to select any bowl-eligible ACC team.

"That requirement was something we weren't prepared to live with," Kelly said.

Efforts to reach Gator Bowl president Rick Catlett for comment were unsuccessful. The bowl has had an agreement to take a team from the ACC since 1995.

Bowl executives in general like to have flexibility to select teams that might sell more tickets instead of teams with stronger won-loss records but fewer or less passionate fans.

Kelly said that with the third slot resolved, the ACC will begin working on the rest of the bowl selection order for 2010 to 2013. That is expected to include Charlotte's Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Meineke Bowl executive director Will Webb said the bowl is in talks with the ACC and looks forward to getting those negotiations finished.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can understand why, ACC kinda stinks. After the top 2-3 teams which bowl would want the rest?

Could you imagine if they had to select the Tarholes, Duke, or Wake? Boy that would suck for the bowl.

Anonymous said...

Most bowls want Carolina moron. Huge fan base that will travel is droves.

Anonymous said...

Most bowls want Carolina moron. Huge fan base that will travel is droves..........Hahahaha maybe to Charlotte or Atlanta. Not even Carolina fans care about Carolina football.

Anonymous said...

Check your language MORAN!!! Go Heels!

Anonymous said...

As an LSA fan, we can't wait to see what UNC-CH crowd scurries into the Georgia Dome next year to face LSU. Visor Boy Jr. is gonna get steamrolled.

Anonymous said...

I see UNC going 6-6 (2-6) this year, so they won't have to worry about a bowl anyway. They won't be invited to one.

Anonymous said...

Uhh I think you mean 6-6* (2-6)

*UConn game

Anonymous said...

Best news I've heard in a long time. Don't know who wants to watch the ACC on New Years Day.

Anonymous said...

All bowls should cut tie with the acc. There is no reason to have bad teams in bowl games.

Anonymous said...

Gator switched to the SEC. Wise move on their part.

The Tire Bowl wants Chapel Hill. That's about it. Charlotte is still infested with Chapel Hill fans.

panfan1 said...

Anonymous Oct. 7,2009 4:38 PM.

Your an idiot! You must follow college swimming.Obviously you don't know what is going on with Wake Forest football! Heck Jim Grobe might even get a run at the Carolina Panthers'job. Wake has been to 3 straight bowls & not too mention another bowl gamme this year probably.Orange Bowl in 2007.

MichaelProcton said...

4:38, you missed the point entirely. They wanted the flexibility to skip a top team (be it Wake, Duke, or whoever) in favor of a team that'd travel better, say FSU or Miami this year.