The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BRINGING together elite NCAA Division I football and Bahamian culture, the third edition of the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl promises to provide entertainment value to football fans both on and off the field.

The trophy presented to the winning team has been officially renamed “The Prime Minister’s Cup” and each team’s helmet has been detailed with both the  American and Bahamian flags.

A halftime show featuring the Saxons and Valley Boys junkanoo groups, the Bahamas All-Star Band and a pregame Fan Fest experience will accent the battle on the gridiron when the Old Dominion Monarchs and Eastern Michigan Eagles square off today at Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

Bowl Executive Director Richard Giannini welcomed the biggest media turnout in the game’s three-year existence while Bowl founder Lea Miller said the presence of Popeyes CEO Cheryl Bachelder is just one of the indicators of how the game has grown in stature.

“It is awesome for us to have the CEO of Popeyes in attendance and it is an unbelievable thing to have the second Popeyes franchise open here in the Bahamas the day before the Bowl,” she said, “The Ministry of Tourism, they have really done a wonderful job with activation, word about the game is everywhere. The NSA has wonderful job with the facilities. The stadium looks amazing and the field is really world class.”

The National Sports Authority underwent a massive resurfacing of the infield at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium at a cost of $800,000.

Jeffrey Beckles, NSA General Manager, said the upgrades were necessary for the Bahamas to continue to maintain its stellar reputation as even hosts.

“These teams have worked very hard and this is their reward. They get to come and play in paradise. We have lived up to our commitment; every time you come you have a better experience,” he said, “There may be stadiums larger than ours but there’s nobody that’s going to execute an event like we do in the Bahamas. We have certainly outdone ourselves but we are happy to say we have lived up to our commitment and we are looking forward to a good number of people coming to the stadium tomorrow.”

Added Hector A Muñoz, chief marketing officer in the US for Popeyes:

“It’s been quite the week here in Nassau. The players have had an amazing time and everyone has been so gracious. The players came in with such excitement and anticipation not only for the game but to be in Nassau. The teams have shown tremendous character this week no doubt a reflection of the leadership both coaches provide.”

According to Sports Media Watch, the 2015 Christmas Eve matchup, which saw the Western Michigan Broncos top the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, drew in 2.1 million viewers on ESPN. The 45-31 win for the Broncos was the first bowl win in school history.

The offensive display between the two teams featured six touchdowns of 40 yards or more.

Those viewing numbers from 2015 represented a 43 per cent increase from the 2014 game, its inaugural edition.

The high scoring matchup that saw the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers win 45-31 over the Central Michigan Chippewas, drew in an estimated 1.5 million viewers.

In total, the inaugural Popeyes Bahamas Bowl locked in 11 million views on ESPN, was featured in 401 news segments and there were 1,587 news articles written about the game.

Director General of Tourism, Joy Jibrilu, looks for the event to continue its upward trend.

“With this game have come to expect the unexpected and we look forward to number three bringing that same excitement. We have a spectacular indigenous parade called junkanoo and that has been synonymous with Christmas but all of a sudden we have something else synonymous with Christmas -  the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl,” she said, “It speaks to our partnership that people associate the celebratory part of Christmas with the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. That’s what these partnerships are about, to showcase the beauty of our destination. We hope the game is so exciting that people go away saying football really is better in the Bahamas.”

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson, said the continued expansion of the game benefits the country’s sports tourism initiative, “Sports in Paradise.”

“Good things happen when sports people come together. This field is first class top notch and the best you may see period this bowl season on ESPN. Good things happen for young people in university environment and a large part of that is the sporting culture. This game allows the participating teams to share in our culture we also have people going to your home to do the same,” he said, “It continues to show the Bahamas has potential to be one of the greatest sports destinations on the planet.”