SEC Announces Nine Bowl Game Agreements

The Southeastern Conference announced Monday that it has come to an agreement with nine bowl games along with a new method for assigning teams, and it will start in 2014 and extend for six years.

The new deals coincide with the new College Football Playoff, which will determine the national champion of college football beginning next season. Under the new system, the Capital One Bowl (vs. Big Ten/ACC) in Orlando will have the first selection of SEC teams after the College Football Playoff field has been set.

Following the Capital One Bowl, there will be a pool of six bowls comprised of renewals with the Outback Bowl in Tampa (vs. Big Ten), Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville (vs. ACC/Big Ten), TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl in Jacksonville (vs. ACC/Big Ten) and AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis (vs. Big 12), as well as new agreements with the Texas Bowl in Houston (vs. Big 12) and Belk Bowl in Charlotte (vs. ACC).

“We are pleased to have established a lineup of premier bowl games that will give our student-athletes a wonderful post-season experience and our fans the opportunity to travel to venues in the geographical footprint of the conference,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive.

The new method for assigning teams to that pool of six bowls will be in the hands of the conference. With the input of member institutions and the bowl games, the SEC will make the decision on which teams travel where.

“This bowl process gives us the best opportunity to address several issues that impact SEC fans, including the creation of intriguing matchups, the accommodation of travel for fans, reduced ticket obligations for our schools and a variety of assignments to help prevent repetitive postseason destinations,” said Slive.

The final two games that complete the nine bowl agreements are the Birmingham Bowl (vs. TBD) and the Advocare V100 Bowl (vs. ACC) in Shreveport.