The Tribune

More than 110 million eyes are expected to be on the Bahamas come Christmas Eve as college football teams the Western Kentucky University (WSU) Hilltoppers and the Central Michigan University (CMU) Chippewas faceoff in the first ever Popeyes Bahamas Bowl at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

The teams collectively will bring more than 200 football players and their fans to the shores of the Bahamas, and ESPN will bring sole live coverage of the game on that day.

This is the first time since 1937 that a bowl game has been played outside of North America. American fast food franchise Popeyes is the primary sponsor of the game.

Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson, deputy director-general in the Ministry of Tourism, said this game was important for the Bahamas.

“One of the areas that we are really looking to promote is sports tourism, and we see these great events as a catalyst to get more people to the islands of the Bahamas. The fact that you have an in-store promotion in Popeyes’ 1,800 stores – this is a marketer’s dream come true,” he said.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr Daniel Johnson, added: “It is a major way to expose the Bahamas. It is our hope that this is enhanced over the next five years as a major, major event in the Bahamas every December.”