Yippie!?!?
Following up on the reports from Tuesday, the American Athletic Conference and the Orlando Sports Foundation announced the creation of what’s being called the Cure Bowl. The AAC will face a member of the Sun Belt Conference in December 2015 at the newly-renovated Citrus Bowl.
One of the few redeeming qualities for yet another game added to an already bloated postseason slate is that this one will have strong ties to charitable organizations working to find a cure for breast cancer.
“We are pleased to partner with the Cure Bowl and commend the organizers for their dedication and commitment to such a worthy cause while also supporting youth organizations in Central Florida,” said AAC commissioner Mike Aresco in a statement. “By adding the Cure Bowl to our already strong bowl lineup, we continue to meet our goal of providing a competitive game and a desirable destination for our student-athletes, coaches and fans.”
Barring any contraction between now and then -- highly unlikely, unfortunately -- the Cure Bowl will bring the total number of FBS bowl games to a whopping 40. In 1995, just 18 bowl games were played after that season. Or, to put it into even more perspective, there’s this little historical nugget from al.com:
There were 35 bowls played in the 2013-2014 postseason cycle, with 79 teams reaching the requisite six wins for bowl eligibility. There will be four additional bowl games added for the 2014 season, bringing the total to 39 the year prior to the Cure Bowl’s arrival.