The AAC and Sun Belt conferences have committed to send teams to a new bowl game in Orlando beginning next year, pushing the "number of bowls in 2015 to a record 40," according to Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com. The game will be called the Cure Bowl and will "benefit breast cancer-related charities." It will be played at the Citrus Bowl, joining the Russell Athletic and Capital One bowls in calling the stadium home. Sources said that the Cure Bowl "applied to be certified by the NCAA to begin in 2014 but has not found a television network." That caused the game "to move its start date" to '15 (ESPN.com, 4/15). In Orlando, Matt Murschel reported the Cure Bowl will "not be affiliated" with Florida Citrus Sports, which oversees the current two bowl games in the city. It will be played "before the Russell Athletic Bowl in December and would not conflict with any potential College Football Playoff or national championship games Orlando hopes to host in the future" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/15).
THE MORE, THE MERRIER? ESPN's Michael Wilbon said there should only be 10 bowl games. Wilbon: "I say that as an alum of a school (Northwestern Univ.) that promotes the number of bowl games we've been to. ... Schools promote that and that's how you help recruit." ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said, "If you get to a bowl game, it can save a coach's job." Kornheiser: "This particular bowl game, which is probably going to have a fifth-place team against a sixth-place, it's not for the national championship. It doesn't matter. You know what matters? What matters is eyeballs. People watch these bowl games. ... Who is hurt by two terrible 6-6 teams?" Wilbon sarcastically said, "The culture, the universe" ("PTI," ESPN, 4/15).
