BIG APPLE BOWL BRINGS COLLEGE FOOTBALL BACK TO NEW

[Apis Bull]

BIG APPLE BOWL BRINGS COLLEGE FOOTBALL BACK TO NEW YORK

BIG APPLE BOWL BRINGS COLLEGE FOOTBALL BACK TO NEW YORK

The BIG EAST Conference, the New York City Sports Commission, the New York Jets and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced the creation of the Big Apple Bowl. This annual college football game will be held at the New York Sports and Convention Center (NYSCC) -- proposed future home of the New York Jets. BIG EAST Conference Commissioner Mike Tranghese, New York Jets President Jay Cross, National Football Foundation President Bob Casciola and Ken Podziba, Commissioner of the Sports Commission made the announcement.

The Big Apple Bowl will give New Yorkers the opportunity to enjoy a postseason college football game and bring 75,000 new visitors to the City annually while generating up to $8 million in fiscal impact. New York City has not hosted a college bowl game since the Gotham Bowl was played in Yankee Stadium in 1962.

“We are proud to announce that the Big Apple Bowl is the first annual event that the New York Sports and Convention Center has booked,†said New York Jets President Jay Cross. “The Big Apple Bowl represents the type of event that will generate significant revenue for our City and bring thousands of new visitors to enjoy all that New York has to offer. The fact that we have already secured one of two major events to meet our projections of $72 million in new annual revenue for New York indicates what an extraordinary success this project will be for the city of New York.â€Â

“The Big Apple Bowl will be a great showcase for BIG EAST Conference Football. New York City and Madison Square Garden are already home to The BIG EAST Conference men’s basketball championship. I know BIG EAST fans would love to make New York a postseason destination for football, too,†said BIG EAST Conference Commissioner and current Bowl Championship Series Coordinator Michael Tranghese who continued, “Bowl games have played an important role in shaping college football history. The level of excitement generated by bowl games, the economic impact for the host communities and student-athlete experience makes the bowl system unique.â€Â

“On behalf of National Football Foundation Chairman Jon F. Hanson and our 13,000 members nationwide, we take great pride in helping bring a big-time college football bowl game to New York City,“ said NFF President Bob Casciola. “This game will provide a unique opportunity for the student-athlete participants and challenge the New York City community to create a level of excitement and pageantry of unmatched proportion. As the leading organization for promoting amateur football within the United States, the National Football Foundation subscribes to the intrinsic belief and value of athletic participation,†stated Casciola who continued, “We look forward to the establishment of the NYSCC, the Big Apple Bowl and all of the events that this state-of-the-art facility will accommodate.â€Â

New York City currently ranks 18th in the nation in convention center space behind such cities as Rosemont, Illinois. Consequently, the Big Apple has never been a top destination for large events, translating into a significant loss of revenue for our city. The New York Jets have offered $800 million of private investment in New York to build a venue for the city that will generate $72 million in new annual revenue. The construction of the NYSCC presents a unique opportunity to create a facility that would allow New York to compete for the Bowl Championship Series and the College Football Championship as well as professional championships such as the Super Bowl in addition to the NCAA Final Four – events that will generate substantial revenue for New York and New Yorkers. The NYSCC will also double as a first-class convention center, hosting more than 40 events a year that generate more than $38 million in tax revenue to the city and state as a convention center.

"The New York Sports Commission is committed to creating a healthy and unique environment in which to showcase and enjoy both professional and amateur sports," said Sports Commission Commissioner Ken Podziba. "Over the past several years, we have created many new sporting events including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square. The creation of the NYSCC will enhance our ability to attract a wider range of sporting events to New York City."

“New York City is a place where people come to realize their dreams,†said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “The NYSCC, and the surrounding development, will create thousands of jobs for New Yorkers, additional revenue for our city that will help pay for critical city services throughout the five boroughs, and the opportunity for conventions, professional and amateur teams to finally host the kinds of events that are not possible today in New York City.â€Â

“I think the Big Apple Bowl will be a tremendous asset to the New York sports-scene,†said NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. “I’ve attended major Bowl games in several cities and have seen the excitement and activity they bring. I look forward to the inaugural game in the new NYSCC.â€Â

College football post-season bowl games are all required to petition the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for certification status. This process will begin once the timeline for the NYSCC is finalized.

[smazza]

what a great idea

[bulls96go]

this could be a paradiem shift in the bowl mess hopefully for the better

[smazza]

great for big