Earlier today the Big XII Conference unveiled seven new bowl partnerships for the 2014-2019 seasons. Included in this postseason lineup is the Sugar Bowl, while no longer a BCS game after 2014, will still host the champions from Big XII and the Southeastern Conference unless one or both teams appear in the postseason playoffs. The other games and conference partnerships are as follows:
The Alamo Bowl, in San Antonio, Texas, vs. a PAC-12 opponent.
Russell Athletic Bowl, in Orlando, Florida, vs. Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.
Texas Bowl in Houston, TX, vs. SEC opponent
Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, vs. SEC opponent
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, in Tempe, Arizona, vs. PAC-12 opponent
Heart of Dallas Bowl vs. Conference USA opponent or Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, vs. American Athletic Conference (former Big East Football schools) opponent.
Upon looking at these partnerships, one can see that the Big XII has conveniently left out the Big Ten in its post-season plans. Nor will a Big XII team have an opportunity after the 2013 season to come to New York City to play in the Pinstripe Bowl, which will feature teams from the Big Ten and the ACC starting in 2014. So it seems the Big XII has confined itself to playing the Southeast, except for Arizona, in its postseason plans. In this sense, the Big XII is making a mistake by ignoring the potential for playing postseason games in cities up in the North and in the West. Playing games all over the country increases the exposure of the conference and its teams and, in so doing, can attract better players, higher television ratings, and more revenues. It is also important to mention that the 2014 Super Bowl will be played in Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. And it is possible that the success of what has been termed "The Frost Bowl" may lead to more northern cities hosting more postseason bowl games. This development should not be ignored in the college football world, especially by a conference that has four teams (Iowa State, West Virginia, Kansas, and Kansas State) outside the South.
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