The Gator and Music City Bowls have agreed to share selections for one of its participating teams with the Big Ten Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference and Notre Dame football. Yes, Notre Dame football will now fall into the Music City Bowl and Gator Bowl selection processes, despite not being a part of the ACC.
This agreement runs for a term of six years starting in the 2014 college football season. Here’s the interesting line from the press release:
“With the additions of Notre Dame, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, the ACC expands to 15 teams within its conference bowl affiliations. Beginning July 1, 2014, the Big Ten will be comprised of 14 teams, adding Maryland and Rutgers.”
So even though Notre Dame football is not part of the ACC, they are technically a member of the ACC for bowl selection purposes. So ND is but it is not. They’re an ACC team; not they’re not. According to Coach K. over at Duke, this is why Notre Dame football is not in the Big Ten, but the ACC instead.
Right, the Big Ten wasn’t going to put up with that half-in, half-out who-hah like the ACC does. The Fighting Irish are a member for all sports except football and hockey. All the while scheduling five college football games a year against the ACC. Heck, Notre Dame football already has a couple rivalries with ACC opponents already: Boston College and Miami.
The two Bowls are still working on their relationship with a Conference to provide an opponent for the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten Conference. The 69th Gator Bowl will be played at Everbank Field in Jacksonville, Florida on Wednesday, January 1, 2014. The game will kickoff at 11 AM CST on ESPN2. The Gator Bowl will pair the fifth selection after the BCS from the Southeastern Conference and the fourth selection after the BCS from the Big Ten Conference.
The Music City Bowl will be at LP Field in Nashville on Monday, Dec. 30 at 2:15 p.m. CST, on ESPN. Notre Dame football will be in one of them, possibly, if they go 7-5 or 8-4 this year.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An analyst for 95.7 The Fan, he also writes on Chicago sports media for Chicago Now. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)