Motor City Bowl will be MAC versus Big Ten
May 15, 2002
CLEVELAND -- A four-year agreement between the Motor City Bowl and the Big Ten Conference will place a seventh bowl-eligible football team from the Big Ten in the bowl game versus the No. 1 or No. 2 team from the Mid-American Conference.
The agreement begins with the upcoming 2002 season and runs through 2005, according to an announcement from the MAC league office in Cleveland.
"This is a tremendous development for the Mid-American Conference," said MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst. "The opportunity to join with the premier conference in the country, in the heart of our geographies, is a great thing. The growth of this game in five short years, and the stature and caliber of all the partners involved, is truly remarkable."
The 2002 Motor City Bowl will be televised by ESPN Dec. 26 beginning at 5 p.m. ET. The bowl game is expected to be played in Ford Field, the new home of the Detroit Lions, which is scheduled to open later this summer. The Detroit area is located in close proximity to most MAC and Big Ten schools, making the drive a one-day trip for the fans of both conferences.
"This is the absolute best thing that could happen to the Motor City Bowl, the Mid-American Conference, the city of Detroit and the great state of Michigan," said Ken Hoffman, Executive Director of the bowl. "And the ones who created the environment to allow this to happen are Ford, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors. They are the heroes. They are the ones who said 'let's do what's best for Detroit and the state of Michigan'."
"The Big Ten Conference is extremely pleased to announce our partnership with the Mid-American Conference and the Motor City Bowl," said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. "With the outstanding support of alumni and fans in the Detroit area, this game is a natural fit for a Big Ten team. The Big Ten's relationship with the MAC has produced many exciting regular season games over the years. Now, our teams will have the opportunity to replicate that excitement in the post-season atmosphere at an outstanding venue like Ford Field."
MAC teams have produced an overall 5-1 bowl record since 1997 and a 4-1 record in the Motor City Bowl. Last year the MAC featured two teams ranked in the final national polls. The feat by the MAC marked the first time since the creation of the Bowl Championship Series that a conference outside the BCS had multiple teams ranked in the top 25 in either the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches (Marshall No. 21 and Toledo No. 22) or Associated Press (Toledo No. 23) poll.
The MAC also adds the University of Central Florida this year, thus balancing the league with two seven-team divisions. UCF will compete in the East Division with Akron, Buffalo, Kent State, Marshall, Miami and Ohio. Bowling Green, formerly in the East, will move to the West Division to join Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan.
This year there are 10 regular season games featuring a MAC team versus a Big Ten opponent. During the past five seasons, there were 40 regular-season meetings between MAC and Big Ten football teams.
Media contact: Daniel Jankowski, 269 387-4138, daniel.jankowski@wmich.edu
