PapaJohns.com Bowl

Collegebowl
name = Papajohns.com Bowl
full_name =
nickname =
defunct =


image_size =
caption = Papajohns.com Bowl logo
stadium = Legion Field
previous_stadiums =
location = Birmingham, Alabama
previous_locations =
years = 2006-present
previous_tie-ins =
conference_tie-ins = Big East, SEC
Sun Belt (alternate)
payout = 300,000 (2006)
sponsors = Papa John's Pizza (2006-present)
former_names = Birmingham Bowl (2006)
prev_matchup_year = 2007
prev_matchup_season= 2007
prev_matchup_teams = Cincinnati vs. Southern Mississippi
prev_matchup_score = Cincinnati 31, Southern Miss 21
next_matchup_year = 2008
next_matchup_season= 2008
next_matchup_teams = SEC vs. Big East
next_matchup_date = December 29The Papajohns.com Bowl (formerly known as the Birmingham Bowl) is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game approved in April 2006 and played annually at the 71,594-seat Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. ESPN Regional Television (a/k/a ESPN Plus, a subsidiary of ESPN) owns and manages the bowl's operations, sponsorships and marketing, including broadcast of the game on ESPN 2.cite web |url=http://www.papajohnsbowl.com/news/espn-regional.php | title=ESPN Regional Television to Own and Operate New PapaJohns.com Bowl Game | date=2006-05-09 | accessdate=2006-12-25 ] The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) also provides marketing, management and game day operations support. Papa John's pizza became the title sponsor signing a multi-year agreement on November 16, 2006. cite web |url=http://www.papajohnsbowl.com/news/papajohns-title-sponsor.php | title=PapaJohns.com Signs on as Title Sponsor of Inaugural PapaJohns.com Bowl Game | date=2006-11-16 | accessdate=2006-12-25 ]

The bowl originally had a four-year agreement with Conference USA to match a representative of that conference against an opponent from the Big East Conference, but the bowl's officials later appealed to the NCAA for a recertification which was granted in late April 2008. In 2008 and 2009, the bowl will feature the Southeastern Conference's lowest-ranked bowl-eligible team and a team from the Big East Conference. [cite web | url= http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/ncaa/05/01/papajohns.sec.ap/index.html | title= PapaJohns.com Bowl receives two-year tie-in with SEC | website= CNNSI.com | publisher= Associated Press | date= May 1, 2008] Should neither of these conferences fulfill their bowl commitments, a team from the Sun Belt Conference - provided it is bowl eligible - will take their place.

The game promotes Papa John's Pizza website.

History

The Papajohns.com Bowl marked the return of post-season football to the city of Birmingham, which previously hosted the Dixie Bowl from 1947-1948, the Hall of Fame Classic from 1977-1985 (relocated to Tampa, FL and now named the Outback Bowl), and the All-American Bowl from 1986-1990 (cancelled when the SEC awarded their championship game to the city).

In the inaugural game, played on December 23, 2006, the South Florida Bulls, the Big East's representative, beat Conference USA's East Carolina Pirates, 24-7 in front of an announced crowd of 32,023. [cite news | title = Cheers for Papajohns.com Bowl | last = Solomon | first = Jon | publisher = The Birmingham News | url = http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1166955956184540.xml&coll=2 | date = 2006-12-24 | accessdate = 2006-12-25] Benjamin Williams scored the game's first points just over ninety seconds into the game as one of his two touchdowns on the day, and earned the game's MVP honors. Notably, South Florida had previously been a member of C-USA.

The 2007 matchup featured the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the Cincinnati Bearcats. [" [http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2007/11/its_official_cincinnati_is_sou.html It's official: Cincinnati is Southern Mississippi's opponent in Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham ] " (November 28, 2007) "Birmingham News"] As with last year's game, the participants were a former Conference USA member (Cincinnati) and a current C-USA member (Southern Miss).

Previous results

MVPs

ee also

*List of college bowl games
*NCAA football bowl games, 2006-07
*NCAA football bowl games, 2007-08
*NCAA football bowl games, 2008-09

References

External links

* [http://www.papajohnsbowl.com/ Official Papa John's Bowl Website]