April 29, 2006
IRVING, Texas - Conference USA has reached a four-year agreement with the Birmingham Bowl to provide a team for its annual game beginning with the inaugural 2006 contest. The C-USA representative will play an opponent from the Big East Conference at historic Legion Field, the home of UAB football. The inaugural Birmingham Bowl will be played on Saturday, December 23 and will be televised by ESPN.
"We are all very pleased about this bowl opportunity in Birmingham," said Commissioner Britton Banowsky. "Birmingham is important to Conference USA and we are committed to bringing college sporting events to the city. It is particularly helpful to have a game in proximity to many of our members."
ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, Inc., will own and operate the Birmingham Bowl and will be responsible for the bowl's organization, operation, sponsorship, marketing efforts and more. UAB will provide marketing, management and game day operations support for the Birmingham Bowl. ESPN Regional Television will assign an executive director to be based in Birmingham. Additional details, including sponsorship, are to be finalized.
"We are very pleased to have worked with local officials and businesses to bring a bowl game back to this great college football market, which will provide nationwide exposure for the conferences, schools and players," said Pete Derzis, Vice-President and General Manager of ESPN Regional. "This exciting event will also allow sports fans in the Birmingham community to once again participate in the bowl experience."
The Birmingham Bowl marks the return of postseason football to the city of Birmingham. The city previously hosted the Hall of Fame Bowl/All-American Bowl from 1977-1990. Tulane played in the 1980 Hall of Fame Bowl against Arkansas and Brett Favre quarterbacked Southern Miss in the 1990 All-American Bowl vs. North Carolina State as Jeff Bower made his head coaching debut for the Golden Eagles.
The champion of Conference USA plays in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis and the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama has the second selection of all remaining C-USA teams. C-USA's other bowl agreements are with the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Fort Worth Bowl (which are both owned and operated by ESPN), the New Orleans Bowl and the Houston Bowl.
Conference USA's 11th football season gets underway on Thursday, August 31.