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Report: Big Ten, Pinstripe Bowl to announce official agreement Monday

The Big Ten will officially replace the Big 12 in the 3-year-old bowl game at Yankee Stadium.

By Mike Fiammetta Updated
But but but... you can't play football in bad weather!
But but but... you can't play football in bad weather!
USA TODAY Sports

UPDATE 2 -- Monday, 6:13 p.m.: This also happened:

UPDATE -- Monday, 5:52 p.m.: The Big Ten and Pinstripe Bowl did indeed announce their partnership on Monday, with a few interesting notes coming out of the press conference at Yankee Stadium. The Big Ten also released a lengthy press release that is generally a long history of the 3-year-old bowl game, though it does offer a few noteworthy bits. Among them:

  • The deal lasts eight years, from 2014-21. It's obviously the Big Ten's first East Coast bowl tie-in.
  • For all Yankees home games, beginning in 2014, the Big Ten will feature a fixed ad along the first-base line of Yankee Stadium. There will also be rotating signage behind home plate.
  • In the week prior to the game, players, coaches and university officials will participate in a variety of events throughout New York City. The release touts these as "special events, promotions and community outreach." Seems like a pretty intriguing opportunity for a collection of schools that likes to pull a majority of its out-of-state students from the area (including yours truly).

"The Big Ten Conference playing college football at Yankee Stadium is something I know my father would be proud to see come to fruition. He had a great passion for college football and spoke glowingly of his involvement with several of the conference's programs," said New York Yankees Managing Partner Hal Steinbrenner. "Welcoming a national powerhouse conference like the Big Ten to participate in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl and partner with the New York Yankees for years to come only expands the prestige of our great annual bowl game in New York City."

"Once we saw the success of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, it became obvious - especially with the Big Ten's growing East Coast footprint - that being in the media capital of the world at one of sports' most renowned venues was a natural pairing," said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. "By agreeing to an eight-year partnership, it increases the likelihood that most of the Big Ten schools will have the opportunity to participate in the game, while giving our coaches, student-athletes, administrators and fans the opportunity to experience the nation's biggest metropolis and an iconic setting like Yankee Stadium."

Naturally, Delany also fielded questions on Rutgers, the closest university to Yankee Stadium and the one that's currently embroiled in yet another scandal. On Rutgers and its newly hired, embattled athletic director, Julie Hermann:

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The Big Ten has been linked to the Pinstripe Bowl for some time now, and a report from the Associated Press says the agreement will be officially announced in a press conference on Monday.

Starting in 2014, when the Big Ten also expands to 14 teams with the addition of Maryland and Rutgers (we think), the conference will replace the Big 12 in the bowl game played at Yankee Stadium every year since 2010. Though only the Big Ten will be at the announcement in New York tomorrow, the ACC is the favorite to replace the Big East as the bowl's other conference tie-in. The Big East is approaching its last season before becoming the American Athletic Conference, though the American does reportedly hope to maintain an affiliation with the Pinstripe Bowl.

Back at the Big Ten conference meetings in Chicago last month, the league announced it was likely to add the Pinstripe Bowl, as well as the Holiday Bowl, in its new bowl lineup. Placing a team in the Pinstripe Bowl each year will allow the Big Ten to expand its reach along the East Coast, which has obviously improved considerably since the Maryland and Rutgers additions became official over the winter.

"I think New York City around Christmastime is one of the most beautiful places in the world, or around the holidays," Penn State Athletics Director Dave Joyner said at last month's meetings. "I think people will find it's a really great place to play."

Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez also added his support of the Pinstripe Bowl, adding, "I think everyone's in favor of that."

Pinstripe Bowl History

DATE RESULT MVP
December 29, 2012 Syracuse 38, West Virginia 14 Prince-Tyson Gulley
December 30, 2011 Rutgers 27, Iowa State 13 Jawan Jamison
December 30, 2010 Syracuse 36, Kansas State 34 Delone Carter

It's currently unclear which team the Big Ten will send to the Pinstripe Bowl, though it is expected that the Holiday Bowl will get the conference's third-ranked team. The conference will also expand its presence at the Orange Bowl beginning in 2014 by playing an ACC school there at least three times over the next 12 years. Additionally, the Big Ten is expected to extend agreements with the Capital One and Outback Bowls, as well as continue its growing connection with the ACC by sharing bids to the Gator and Music City Bowls. Scott Dochterman of The Gazette (Eastern Iowa) previously reported the Big Ten will likely add one more Texas bowl in the near future, most likely the Heart of Dallas Bowl (formerly known as the Cotton Bowl).

Stewart Mandel of SI.com recently predicted the Big Ten's full bowl lineup for 2014-19, though the conference is probably the farthest along in setting that slate and leaving little to guess.

Projected 2014-19 lineup:

1. Rose*
2-4. Capital One
2-4. Outback
2-4. Holiday
5-7. Music City/Gator**
5-7. Kraft Fight Hunger
5-7. Pinstripe
TBD: Detroit bowl
TBD: Military? Heart of Dallas? Armed Forces?

* The Big Ten will also share a spot in the Orange Bowl with the SEC and Notre Dame.

** The ACC and Big Ten will likely share spots in the Music City and Gator bowls.

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