ESPN Blog: Big East still shopping for No. 3 bowl slot

[Jim Johnson]

Big East still shopping for No. 3 bowl slot

August 20, 2009 1:00 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

With the Sun Bowl reportedly close to finalizing a deal to take an ACC team instead of the Big East, the Big East needs a spot for its No. 3 team to go.

Right now, the No. 3 team goes to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. The Big East could keep that current arrangement when the new deals begin after this season, but the league would like to upgrade if possible. A person close to the conference's bowl negotiations told me that representatives from several games called the Big East office yesterday when news of the Sun Bowl deal broke.

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[DELdaBull]

I'll believe it when I see an announcement for another bowl.

[BULLfreak]

I thought the Champs paid higher than the Gator

[Joe]

No, pays close now. Who knows with the new contract

[Guest]

Champs 2010+ = 2.4 million

Gator 2009 = 2.25 million

Gator 2010+ ... 3 million or more

[redfisher78]

Wow, I dont think that article inlcuded one useful piece of information, like what bowls etc....

[macphisto]

Liberty Bowl versus SEC would be nice.  Pays out more than the Meineke Bowl and the Liberty has only recently tied in with Memphis' conference.

It's now on January 2, so having a BE team would likely slightly increase the draw over a CUSA team versus the SEC.  It doesn't pay much less than the Sun Bowl right now and might even end up paying more with a BE tie-in. 

Possibly the Insight Bowl with the Big Ten going with the Gator, though I'd think the Liberty would make more sense geographically.

The Alamo could also be a possibility if the Big Ten is leaving that one.

Possibly the Music City Bowl with the SEC since the ACC is going to the Sun.  The Big East was tied into the Music City Bowl before the ACC raid on the conference, so it's a possibility.

And I'd definitely look for the Big East to start up a bowl in NYC because that could turn into a sizeable payday.  I'd check and see if we could swing something with the Big Ten for a game like that, but that'd likely be for the fifth slot.

[Joe]

The Alamo is probably going with the Pac 10 to replace Big 10.

The Insight is sticking with Big 10/Big 11 from all reports

As for the Liberty, with Memphis so involved it will be tough

[BullsFanInTX]

So our choices to add a bowl are probably down to the Music City and Independence bowls.  Independence, no problem, music city is 50/50 whether they would leave the ACC #6 for the BE #3, imo.

[Apis Bull]

Music City would be good.