The Mall of America Bowl

Schnauzer

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With U.S. Bank Stadium being a first class facility and the Twin Cities being a first class metropolitan area, has there ever been any talk of someone stepping up to the plate and sponsoring a bowl game here?

Newsflash: It gets cold here and one only needs to look at the Quick Lane Bowl to understand northern bowl destinations typically are not the most desirable and we of course wouldn't be talking some sort of New Year's 6 replacement here. We've all heard the chuckles related to teams landing a bowl game in Detroit.

But, if managed well and promoted smartly, I could see Minneapolis being a decent bowl destination around the holidays, for the same reason it makes a decent Super Bowl or NCAA Basketball Final Four destination. Plenty of hotels, light rail connecting both downtowns AND the Mall of America, decent bar scene, etc. etc. Lots of potential unique activities for the participating teams too.

It makes me wonder if it had a clever name like the "Mall of America Bowl" it could capture the imagination of potential travelers around the holidays at least to the same degree as Detroit, if not better - and this area could host a bowl at least as "big" as the Quick Lane Bowl.

For fun, would you attend 6-6 Colorado vs 8-4 Middle Tennessee State at the Mall of America Bowl if you were looking for something to do between the holidays?
 
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For fun, would you attend 6-6 Colorado vs 8-4 Middle Tennessee State at the Mall of America Bowl if you were looking for something to do between the holidays?
If I could get in for like $10 I might go.
 

Smirnoff Ice Bowl!

I'd go to any garbage bowl game here locally.

I think the biggest problem with bowl attendance is:

- Proximity to teams playing.
- Game Time / Date.

Problem is garbage bowls get absolute crap game times. There was one on 3:30 ET on a Friday ... WTF?
 

Smirnoff Ice Bowl!

I think the biggest problem with bowl attendance is:

Problem is garbage bowls get absolute crap game times. There was one on 3:30 ET on a Friday ... WTF?

If your target audience is educators and students on break (and retirees) makes perfect sense. The coveted 10-22 and 65+ demographic.

I‘m not sure we need more bowls... Maybe co-opt one of the others.
 


If you look at a map and the bowls by region:
Ocean: 2 (Hawaii & Bahamas)
West: 3 (California)
Mountain/Desert: 6 (Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas)
Southeast: 17 (east Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina)
Northeast: 3 (Michigan, Maryland, New York)

There is absolutely a big gap right in the middle of the map that Minneapolis or maybe St. Louis could bridge. But the trick will be which bowl to swap for it since we're pretty close to the maximum possible (without further diluting the qualifications). I would gladly go to a game if there was one locally.
 

Maybe have a porta potty company sponsor it and we can call it the Minneapolis "Toilet Bowl". LOL

I'd go if it were reasonable and was teams that aren't the very bottom of the D1 barrel.
 


If i was a d1 college football player i would not want my bowl game to be in minneapolis or anywhere there is snow
 



The Minnesota Timberwolves Toilet Bowl!

Matching the lowest ranked teams in the P5 for the coveted "Menard's Toilet Trophy"! Teams would get a goodie bag from Menards, Mills Fleet Farm, Duluth Trading Company and Artic Cat! Maybe even some discount coupons for their parents to get new Anderson or Marvin Windows! Through in some 3M office sticky notes and who could possibly turn this down?
Seriously, no more bowls! Ever!
 

If you could get them to sponsor it, the Land O’ Lakes bowl seems more Minnesotaish.
 

I’d vote for the Teachers on Call Bowl. Makes it sound somewhat scandalous.
 

I didn't clarify in the OP, which is my fault, but I wasn't suggesting bowl expansion. I was focused on the possibility of a bowl here but in terms of its origin, I would prefer it to be one moved from one of the existing sites - not an expansion to yet another game.

So, I understand when a couple people replied with the "no more bowls" response but from here on out... know the point isn't to add more bowls.
 




For fun, would you attend 6-6 Colorado vs 8-4 Middle Tennessee State at the Mall of America Bowl if you were looking for something to do between the holidays?

To your initial question, I would not attend a bowl with those specific teams regardless of the price of tix.

2 P5 teams at a price of $40 or less, maybe.
 


For fun, would you attend 6-6 Colorado vs 8-4 Middle Tennessee State at the Mall of America Bowl if you were looking for something to do between the holidays?
I’d go the first year, but I’m not sure that it is something that I would attend annually.
 


It would have to not interfere with future recurring trips to Pasadena for me to go.
Cheerios Bowl actually would work marketing-wise or Wheaties Bowl with winning team getting their picture on the box. Play up the winter, north, holiday season, etc. Players would like playing in an NFL stadium.
 

I like the idea. Get some more people from out of state to come here and spend money as much as possible. Try to position yourself as one of the earlier bowls on a weekend and people can make the excuse that they need to go to Minneapolis for their Christmas shopping. Hotel is full, Mall of America is more packed, people barely even have to go outside to get to US Bank stadium. It's easy to get to Minneapolis from pretty much anywhere and flights will be cheap in.

Get BIG10 #10 and Mountain West #6 and call it a day. That would have been Nebraska v. Nevada or Wyoming or Utah State... SICK GAME!
 

Get BIG10 #10 and Mountain West #6 and call it a day. That would have been Nebraska v. Nevada or Wyoming or Utah State... SICK GAME!

With a 9 game conference schedule, you can't count on a Big Ten #10. We've had 9 or fewer bowl teams in 3 of the 4 years where we've had a 9 game conference schedule.
 

Smirnoff Ice Bowl!

I'd go to any garbage bowl game here locally.

I think the biggest problem with bowl attendance is:

- Proximity to teams playing.
- Game Time / Date.

Problem is garbage bowls get absolute crap game times. There was one on 3:30 ET on a Friday ... WTF?

Not all of them get bad times, especially if they are early.
 

I didn't clarify in the OP, which is my fault, but I wasn't suggesting bowl expansion. I was focused on the possibility of a bowl here but in terms of its origin, I would prefer it to be one moved from one of the existing sites - not an expansion to yet another game.

So, I understand when a couple people replied with the "no more bowls" response but from here on out... know the point isn't to add more bowls.

I'd definitely go. Take the one from Mobile, Alabama. That looked deserted the other night. There might even be enough domes around for the teams to rent practice space.
 

If either General Mills or Post sponsored it and named it after a cereal it would be one of the best sponsored bowl names. "Fruity Pebbles Bowl" or "Lucky Charms Bowl" sound a lot cooler than the ones where they just slapped a name in front of an existing bowl.

If it's before Christmas I think the Mall of America would be a much bigger draw than anything in Detroit is.
 

I know they lost out on an earlier bid, but I feel like hosting the CFP Championship there could be fun. If it’s good enough for the Final Four and the Super Bowl, we can make it happen here.
 

I'd go. Tickets are cheap to the bowls. Let's face it I would be watching on TV anyways.
 

DQ Blizzard Bowl
 

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I'd definitely go to any bowl game that they play here. I love college football and would be watching the game anyways.
 


Did you say the MALE of the mall. I must be invited then as I am the only true male on this board & human male! :) :cool:
 




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