Two more releases to post and then I’m shutting down the blog for the night. Quite a busy day and thanks to SI.com’s Jimmy Traina, SI.com’s Richard Deitsch, the Big Lead, HHR Media’s Blogs with Balls and the Indiana University National Journalism Center for linking to my Big Dozen Sports Media Stories of 2009. We had one of the busiest days ever here as far as visitors are concerned and it’s all thanks to those sites for giving me the love today. Much appreciated.
Ok, to the college football notes.
First, Fox Sports tells us what’s on tap for the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s night.
FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
MYERS SITS DOWN FOR ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW WITH FLORIDA HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER – Before Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators take the field to battle the unbeaten Cincinnati Bearcats in the SUGAR BOWL this Thursday, Jan. 1, (8:00 PM ET) FOX Sports reporter Chris Myers will sit down with Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer. Earlier this month, Meyer announced his resignation due to health reasons but quickly changed his ‘resignation’ to a ‘leave of absence’ and expects to be on the Gators sideline when next season opens. But how will he do it? Myers will talk to Meyer about what went into Urban’s decision, his current health and what the head coach sees in the future for himself and the University of Florida football program. The one-on-one interview will be taped on Thursday and shown during FOX’s BCS pregame show.FOXSPORTS.COM TO UNVEIL “STAR CAM” ON FLORIDA GATORS QB TIM TEBOW DURING SUGAR BOWL – The collegiate football career of perhaps the most celebrated athlete in college sports will come to an end this Thursday, Jan. 1 when Tim Tebow takes the field for the final time in his Florida Gators uniform when they take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in the SUGAR BOWL. In this highly anticipated, emotional farewell, FOXSports.com unveils it’s “Star Cam,” positioned high on the 50-yard line to be isolated on Tebow from the second he takes the field until the moment he runs into the locker room. A constant video stream of this select angle is available to fans by logging onto FOXSports.com or by clicking here: http://msn.foxsports.com/video/shows/Sugar-Bowl.
And in 2010, ESPN Regional Television will take an ownership stake in the Texas Bowl. Up until last year, the NFL Network had aired the Texas Bowl. The game then signed a rights deal with ESPN starting with this year’s contest and now, ERT will be a full partner.
ESPN Regional Television Partners with Texas BowlERT Acquires Ownership Interest; LSSE Will Continue to Manage Postseason Bowl Game
HOUSTON – ESPN Regional Television, Inc., a subsidiary of ESPN, has announced that ERT will partner with the Texas Bowl, effective at the conclusion of the 2009 Texas Bowl.
The Texas Bowl, which will continue to be played at Reliant Stadium, will feature a bowl-eligible team from the Big 12 Conference against one from the Big Ten Conference.“We are excited to work with ESPN to take the Texas Bowl to an even higher level of performance for our community, our conference partners and the student athletes we serve,” said Heather Houston, Texas Bowl executive director. “ESPN brings a wealth of resources and experience that will help the Texas Bowl rapidly reach its full potential. We look forward to working with the professionals at ESPN on this exciting project and expanding our relationsh
ip with them in the years to come.”The Texas Bowl was founded in 2006 and is Houston’s only collegiate bowl game. Through the past three years, the event has annually generated an average of $25 million in economic impact. The 2008 game featured Rice vs. Western Michigan and drew 58,880 fans, ranking it seventh among the most-attended non-BCS bowl games in the nation.“The Big 12 is proud to partner with the Texas Bowl,” said Big 12 Conference Commissioner Dan Beebe. “The growth of and commitment to the Bowl by Lone Star Sports and Entertainment, ESPN and the Houston community has been phenomenal. The Conference and its member institutions appreciate the opportunity to have a postseason presence in Houston and look forward to building on the relationship with the Texas Bowl for years to come.”“The Big Ten looks forward to facing the Big 12 in the Texas Bowl beginning in December 2010,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Jim Delany. “The Big Ten has played at least one postseason game in the state of Texas in every season since 1995, and we look forward to continuing that tradition in the city of Houston. With the number of Big Ten alumni in the state, playing a postseason game in Texas will provide another outstanding experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans.”“We are pleased to be working with LSSE on the Texas Bowl,” said Pete Derzis, senior vice president & general manager, ESPN Regional Television. “Our bowl tie-ins combined with being in one of America’s best stadiums provides us a terrific opportunity to continue to grow and establish this game as a premier bowl event.”Widely recognized as a model startup, the Texas Bowl earned the American Marketing Association’s “Crystal Award” in 2009 for Houston’s best special event. The successful launch of the Texas Bowl has also helped the game’s charity partner, DePelchin Children’s Center, by generating millions of dollars in media value and more than $200,000 to support the center’s important work with youth and families in the Houston area.As part of ESPN’s popular Bowl Week, which features 23 bowl games from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2, the 2009 Texas Bowl will feature Navy vs. Missouri and will be televised live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT from Reliant Stadium. For more information, visit the official Web site: http://www.texasbowl.org/.
We’re done.
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