http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/category/sports/seankeeler/#15342 Iowa State could be bound for the Big Apple. Start spreading the news — the Big 12 is apparently going bowling in New York City. According to a story posted by The Tampa Tribune, the Big 12 is “close” to finalizing a deal to send its 7th ‘choice’ to the new Yankee Bowl beginning in 2010. The opponent would be the Big East’s third or fourth selection. The site? New Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Also, the Champs Sports Bowl — which is phasing out the Big Ten (No. 4/5 selection) after this fall/winter — is moving on. From the story: “Last month, the Big East officially announced the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando would get the league’s second selection or Notre Dame once every four years if eligible beginning in 2010, taking the place of the current hybrid agreement with the Gator and Sun bowls.” The Chicago Tribune had been reporting that the Big Ten was in talks with the Yankee Bowl, but the Big 12 apparently swooped in. And if you’re an Iowa State fan, two or three days in Manhattan sure has heck beats two or three days in Shreveport, don’t you think? Tampa Tribune story: Big East, Big 12 close to adding Yankee Bowl in 2010 By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune Published: September 14, 2009 The Big East and Big 12 conferences are near finalizing an agreement to play in the new Yankee Bowl beginning in 2010. The Big East would send its third or fourth selection to New York against likely the seventh selection from the Big 12. The bowl game would be played at the new Yankee Stadium with a seating capacity of about 47,000. The Big 12's Board of Directors is expected to approve adding the Yankee Bowl to the conference's lineup in 2010-13, Big 12 spokesman Bob Burda said. "That's our intent," Burda said. "All indications are we would add the Yankee Bowl to our lineup." Burda said it hasn't been decided which selection the Yankee Bowl would get from the Big 12, but it "would be toward the bottom." The Big 12 has eight bowl affiliations in its current lineup and is expected to maintain at least that many in the new cycle running from 2010-13. Last month, the Big East officially announced the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando would get the league's second selection or Notre Dame once every four years if eligible beginning in 2010, taking the place of the current hybrid agreement with the Gator and Sun bowls. The Sun Bowl had an offer from the Big East to take the league's third selection, but opted to take the fifth selection from the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Tampa Tribune reported. The Meineke Car Care Bowl currently has the third selection from the Big East, but that could move down to fourth in the new lineup, or the Yankee and Meineke Car Care bowls could alternate between the third- and fourth-selections from 2010-13. If the Big East adds the Yankee Bowl, the league's new six-bowl lineup likely would consist of BCS, Champs (Orlando), Yankee (New York), Meineke Car Care (Charlotte, N.C.), Papajohns.com (Birmingham, Ala.) and St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg, Fla.). Yankee Stadium officials have been seeking to add college football games at the new stadium and recently announced several future regular-season games, including Notre Dame-Army in 2010, Army-Rutgers in 2011, Army-Air Force in 2012 and Army-Boston College in 2014.
If I'm from Iowa, I think I'd rather go somewhere with an average hi above 40 degrees around that type of year. Also, you're going to be paying out the ass to go watch your team play in a crap room when you compare the costs of transportation/hotel/food in a place like NYC vs. Shreveport. Also, the tickets to the Independence bowl are insanely cheap based on the time I went. Maybe it's just me, but I've been to Shreveport several times and it's not nearly as bad as everyone makes it seem. The town is pretty ugly in parts, but the stadium has been renovated fairly recently, they have pretty decent nightlife, the casinos are nice, and its easy to get around. Oh, and if its your type of thing, they have some decent strip clubs. It seems like the city keeps improving its downtown area as well. The first time I went to Shreveport, downtown was a complete dump, but they seem to have really put a lot of money into improving it. All things being equal, of course I am going to want to go to New York City over Shreveport, but I don't know if I would want to spend a ton of money to go to NYC at the end of December to watch my team play another crap team. One bowl that doesn't get enough crap is the Capital One Bowl. I didn't realize Disneyworld could have a ghetto til I went to this game a few years ago when Arkansas played Wisconsin. I remember driving by multiple prostitutes in the area immediately surrounding the stadium. The parking was also pretty bad, as we ended up parking our car in a used car lot surrounded by chain link fence. The stadium is a complete POS with vendors literally charcoaling burgers on the type of grill you'd go to Wal-Mart and buy for $50.
I like the fact that they assume Iowa State would be the team most likely to go. At this point, I put Iowa State as the 10th-12th best team in the B12 (K-State and Colorado being the other two, but with expectations that K-State should improve with Snyder).
I got the news from an Iowa paper, so they are naturally going to mention ISU. I thought the Big 12 tie in would be more interesting for people here. Football in the new Yankee Stadium sounds cool, I think. Big stage for a smaller game. There's a great sports story today about the Stoops brothers and their ties to the Iowa program and Hayden Fry, because Arizona is playing Iowa. I naturally didn't post it because didn't think anyone reading this board would care...
LOL at the Iowa St fan complaining about New York. As if ISU will ever make a bowl game. Texas A&M to New York = King of the Hill episode.
