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Big Ten-affiliated Heart of Dallas Bowl game may be leaving Dallas

Andrew Olson

By Andrew Olson

Published:

The future of the Heart of the Dallas Bowl appears to be in doubt.

Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas News reported that Dallas city council officials have delayed a vote on whether to give ESPN $300,000 to continue to broadcast the Heart of Dallas Bowl game from the classic Cotton Bowl stadium. (The Cotton Bowl game is now played at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.) The vote has for the Heart of Dallas Bowl’s funding future will now be held on Sept. 12.

Without money from the city of Dallas, ESPN may look to other cities to host the bowl game which takes teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA and Pac-12. Though a Sept. 12 decision may be too late to find a new site and set up a game for 2018. The game has traditionally been held on Dec. 26.

Illinois, the last Big Ten team featured in the bowl game, faced Louisiana Tech in 2014. Last year’s game between West Virginia and Utah was widely noted for its low attendance, something frequently cited by critics of the city paying tax-payer money to host the bowl game.

Andrew Olson

A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.