Detroit's Bowl Game has been Canceled

[615dawg]

A Mississippi State connection. In 1997, the bowl's first year - they were slated to take a 7-4 Mississippi State team after Ole Miss won 15-14 in the Tubberville going for 2 game. The team was told to prepare to play Randy Moss and Marshall in the inaugural Motor City Bowl. Ole Miss was headed to the Las Vegas Bowl to play Air Force.

The Las Vegas Bowl was in its sixth year and had struggled with matchups that included MAC teams against MWC teams. The MAC did not have a team to go to Vegas therefore the Las Vegas Bowl was looking for a team to play a ranked Air Force team. Mississippi State and Ole Miss were both 7-4 SEC teams that were attractive, but State had played Air Force a few years earlier in the Liberty Bowl and Air Force favored the Ole Miss matchup.

A 6-5 Oregon team, who had sucked all year and ended up being an 0-8 Oregon State team in the Civil War to get above .500 was not expected to get a bowl bid. But Nike injected money into the struggling bowl, and Oregon got the bid. That moved Ole Miss to the Motor City Bowl and a 7-4 State team was left out of bowl season. There were only 20 bowl games in '97, and two were brand new (Motor City and Humanitarian). We were the only 7-win regular season team in college football to not make a bowl, despite being ranked No. 15 in the nation headed into the final two games of the season.

The Las Vegas Bowl went from having matchups between Utah State and Ball State to hosting Pac 10, ACC, SEC teams in the next few years. Oregon started their ascent to greatness, winning 8 games in '98, 9 games in '99, 10 games in '00 and 11 games in '01.

 

[00Dawg]

IIRC, That last slot actually went to whomever of State and UM would guarantee the most ticket sales. UM guaranteed they would buy out their whole allotment, and we (LT era) would not.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

A Mississippi State connection. In 1997, the bowl's first year - they were slated to take a 7-4 Mississippi State team after Ole Miss won 15-14 in the Tubberville going for 2 game. The team was told to prepare to play Randy Moss and Marshall in the inaugural Motor City Bowl. Ole Miss was headed to the Las Vegas Bowl to play Air Force.

The Las Vegas Bowl was in its sixth year and had struggled with matchups that included MAC teams against MWC teams. The MAC did not have a team to go to Vegas therefore the Las Vegas Bowl was looking for a team to play a ranked Air Force team. Mississippi State and Ole Miss were both 7-4 SEC teams that were attractive, but State had played Air Force a few years earlier in the Liberty Bowl and Air Force favored the Ole Miss matchup.

A 6-5 Oregon team, who had sucked all year and ended up being an 0-8 Oregon State team in the Civil War to get above .500 was not expected to get a bowl bid. But Nike injected money into the struggling bowl, and Oregon got the bid. That moved Ole Miss to the Motor City Bowl and a 7-4 State team was left out of bowl season. There were only 20 bowl games in '97, and two were brand new (Motor City and Humanitarian). We were the only 7-win regular season team in college football to not make a bowl, despite being ranked No. 15 in the nation headed into the final two games of the season.

The Las Vegas Bowl went from having matchups between Utah State and Ball State to hosting Pac 10, ACC, SEC teams in the next few years. Oregon started their ascent to greatness, winning 8 games in '98, 9 games in '99, 10 games in '00 and 11 games in '01.

Glad we won that war. #longgame

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

If you are not in Playoff, bowl game is irrelevant

 

[BTCMoonBoy]

meh!

 

[615dawg]

If you are not in Playoff, bowl game is irrelevant

Yep. This is the third bowl game to fold, with about 10 more unsure if they will have a game next season.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Yep. This is the third bowl game to fold, with about 10 more unsure if they will have a game next season.

The Bahamas Bowl was replaced by the bowl game in Frisco this past year so technically two less games. What are the other 10?

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

I expect several more to throw in the towel.
And fewer 5/6 win teams will go to a bowl.
Oh MY!

 

[Maroon13]

IIRC, That last slot actually went to whomever of State and UM would guarantee the most ticket sales. UM guaranteed they would buy out their whole allotment, and we (LT era) would not.

LT isn't AD now and that would happen again today. So what's the common denominator....

 

[Maroon13]

Interesting back story 615. I recall it simply came down to whomever won the Egg, would get the motor city bowl bid. But I can't recall when the civil war was played in relation to the egg bowl.

 

[Predestined]

17 em. That's what they get for not taking us in 97

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

LT isn't AD now and that would happen again today. So what's the common denominator....

Common denominator - The level at which LT sucked the life out of MSU Athletics for a lifetime cannot be overstated

 

[615dawg]

The Bahamas Bowl was replaced by the bowl game in Frisco this past year so technically two less games. What are the other 10?

I saw a list on X a few weeks back. I remember the Montgomery and Mobile games were on it, but not Birmingham. none of the games in the SEC group

these No. 6 team from G5 games just can’t be making money. Just programming for ESPN.

 

[615dawg]

Interesting back story 615. I recall it simply came down to whomever won the Egg, would get the motor city bowl bid. But I can't recall when the civil war was played in relation to the egg bowl.

Civil War was that night but bowls were not announced u til Tuesday. It was Monday afternoon when internet rumblings that Vegas was looking at Oregon for better ticket sales (game was in UNLVs tiny stadium) started.

By Monday night, Ole Miss boards were stating they were going to Detroit and were disappointed. There was simply no place for State to land and of course LT wasn’t lobbying for us.

Going back to look at that season, a top 15 LSU was in the then Weedeater Independence Bowl. Just a different time.

The next season I watched Ole Miss beat Oklahoma on New Years Eve in Shreveport, then drive to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl on New Years Morning.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

Civil War was that night but bowls were not announced u til Tuesday. It was Monday afternoon when internet rumblings that Vegas was looking at Oregon for better ticket sales (game was in UNLVs tiny stadium) started.

By Monday night, Ole Miss boards were stating they were going to Detroit and were disappointed. There was simply no place for State to land.

I think this was the last time that a 7 win SEC team did not get a bowl bid. The Conference had more bowl tie-ins beginning in 1998.

 

[HotMop]

A Mississippi State connection. In 1997, the bowl's first year - they were slated to take a 7-4 Mississippi State team after Ole Miss won 15-14 in the Tubberville going for 2 game. The team was told to prepare to play Randy Moss and Marshall in the inaugural Motor City Bowl. Ole Miss was headed to the Las Vegas Bowl to play Air Force.

The Las Vegas Bowl was in its sixth year and had struggled with matchups that included MAC teams against MWC teams. The MAC did not have a team to go to Vegas therefore the Las Vegas Bowl was looking for a team to play a ranked Air Force team. Mississippi State and Ole Miss were both 7-4 SEC teams that were attractive, but State had played Air Force a few years earlier in the Liberty Bowl and Air Force favored the Ole Miss matchup.

A 6-5 Oregon team, who had sucked all year and ended up being an 0-8 Oregon State team in the Civil War to get above .500 was not expected to get a bowl bid. But Nike injected money into the struggling bowl, and Oregon got the bid. That moved Ole Miss to the Motor City Bowl and a 7-4 State team was left out of bowl season. There were only 20 bowl games in '97, and two were brand new (Motor City and Humanitarian). We were the only 7-win regular season team in college football to not make a bowl, despite being ranked No. 15 in the nation headed into the final two games of the season.

The Las Vegas Bowl went from having matchups between Utah State and Ball State to hosting Pac 10, ACC, SEC teams in the next few years. Oregon started their ascent to greatness, winning 8 games in '98, 9 games in '99, 10 games in '00 and 11 games in '01.