The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FOR the fifth consecutive year, Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference will bring their championship football teams to town to clash in the Bahamas Bowl.

The bowl game is scheduled for Friday, December 21 at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, but the two participating teams will not be known until November when the NCAA college championship games are played.

Yesterday, the visiting principals and local dignitaries led by Frankie Campbell, the Minister of Agriculture and Local Government, were on hand during a press conference at the stadium to reveal plans for the game, which they have dubbed: "Bowl games are better in the Bahamas."

Started in 2014 when Western Kentucky University came back on a "Hail Mary" to nip Central Michigan 49-48 to take the title, ESPN came on board the following year and started live coverage as Western Michigan outscored Middle Tennessee 45-31.

And although 2016 was another banner year with Old Dominion holding off Eastern Michigan 24-20, last year was the first rout as Ohio demolished UAB 41-6.

Despite the outcome, Chris Pika, the director of communications, said UAB's Director of Athletics Mark Ingram said "we had high expectations for the Bahamas Bowl and they were far executed.

"The bowl staff was organised, accommodating and extremely helpful throughout the entire process. Not many people get to experience a place like the Bahamas in their lifetime, so for our players to have an opportunity to play in this game and spend five days in paradise was truly special."

According to Pika, Ohio's Director of Athletics Jim Schaus took it a bit further when he stated: "Best bowl ever. Beautiful setting in a destination, location and resort.

"Outstanding job by host. Tremendous experience for our student athletes. When can we come again?"

Pete Derzis, the senior vice president of College Sports Programming and Events for ESPN, said they look forward to returning to broadcast another exciting game.

He thanked the Bahamas Bowl executives for affording them to showcase the game to the world and they know that once the teams have been decided, the viewing public will get to watch as if they are live in the stadium.

Dr Jon Steinbrecher, the commissioner for the Mid-American Conference, said the game will be the crown jewel of all bowl games because none of the other conferences get to compete in an international arena as this one.

"These players, never in their wildest imagination, thought they would have this type of opportunity and year after year after year, through this partnership," he said. "We see some great football here."

Steinbrecher said when they host their football media day a month from now, they will start talking about the Bahamas Bowl and he knows that until they make their pick, the excitement will continue to brew. "Bowl games are better in the Bahamas. Everything is better in the Bahamas," he said.

In welcoming their international partners to the Bahamas, Campbell, representing both the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, said that once someone has visited our shores two or three times, they are no longer a guest, but a friend.

He said the Ministry of Tourism is pleased to be partnering once again with the international bodies to bring another highly anticipated Bahamas Bowl game to the stadium.

"The Bahamas Bowl, over the past four consecutive years, has been a resounding success," he stated, noting that a total of over 9,000 persons have travelled to the Bahamas in the past to view the games.

"Over the first four years, the games has injected a total of almost 24 million dollars into our economy, generated from expenditure by athletes, organisers, coaches, fans with hotel, transportation and food expenses."

By December when Americans will be looking forward to escaping from the chilly weather in the United States to the sunny isles of the Bahamas, Campbell said the Bahamas Bowl will provide an added incentive to make the trek here.

He assured the visitors of the Bahamas Government's continued commitment to the bowl.

Ed Fields, senior vice president of public affairs at Atlantis, said they welcome the visitors to their world-class property as they do in other such popular events like the Battle 4 Atlantis. "We are very pleased, not only to be the host hotel for this, but we are also very pleased to be an intricate part of the development of sports in the Bahamas," he stated.

And as they witnessed with the Battle of Atlantis, Fields said they envision that there will be some great athletes and performances produced at the Bahamas Bowl.

As the game officially kicks off the Bahamas Christmas weekend, board member Anton Sealey said the National Sports Authority will once again make sure that the facility is in tip-top shape to host the Bahamas Bowl.

"Each year we try to improve on our delivery and this year we firmly intend to make it the best experience so far for both the participants and the patrons alike," Sealey said. Sealey said the Bahamas Bowl has not just been a partner, but customers and so they want to make sure that the NSA does whatever it takes to ensure that the event continues to be a resounding success.

Also in attendance were Tim Munnings, the director of sports at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Lester Cox of the NSA, Richard Giannini, the executive director of the Bahamas Bowl and Lea Miller, who is affiliated with both the Bahamas Bowl and the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Pika said an announcement will be made very soon when the tickets will go on sale.

And, in addition, who will be the participants of this year's Bahamas Bowl once the respective champions have been crowned in the MAC and Conference USA.