The Atlantic Coast Conference on Thursday announced its new bowl lineup, which takes effect in 2014; a deal with the Big Ten is also included. The league retained many of its current affiliations, but there are some changes on the way, including more flexibility in the selection process and a greater emphasis on creating good matchups.
ACC announces bowl lineup for 2014, deal with Big Ten
The conference’s new bowl agreement begins with the 2014 season and runs through 2019.
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Orange Bowl (vs. Notre Dame/SEC/Big Ten)
Russell Athletic Bowl (vs. Big 12)
Sun Bowl (vs. Pac-12)
Belk Bowl (vs. SEC)
Gator Bowl (likely vs. SEC though not official)
Music City Bowl (likely vs. SEC though not official)
Pinstripe Bowl (vs. Big Ten)
The ACC champion will go to the Orange Bowl as usual, unless the Orange Bowl is hosting a playoff semifinal game and the ACC winner doesn’t qualify for the postseason. In that case, the champ will be placed in the Fiesta Bowl or the Chick-fil-A bowl.
The league has a 12-year agreement with the Orange that guarantees three matchups against the SEC, three against the Big Ten and no more than two against Notre Dame. When the Big Ten has a team in the Orange Bowl, the ACC will send a team to the Capital One Bowl.
The ACC will rotate its spots in the Music City and Gator with the Big Ten -- the ACC will send a team to the Music City three times and a team to the Gator three times over the span of the six-year agreement.
Additional details from the league’s release:
The new agreements, all six years in length, feature increased net financial revenues to the Conference, reduced ticket obligations, added flexibility in selection of teams to create the best possible matchups and avoid repeat appearances, prioritized geographic regional proximity for better fan access, additional new market and bowl game possibilities for ACC teams and a greatly increased presence in bowl games in Florida.
While this agreement doesn’t represent a drastic makeover in terms of destinations, it does assure the league’s members plenty of new matchups, particularly with the SEC. The ACC is shedding its games against the former Big East (now AAC), which should be a boon for the league in terms of attendance at these contests, especially those played in the southeast.
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