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The Arizona Bowl is approaching its tenth anniversary this year. Despite multiple uncertainties over media rights over the years, the bowl remains standing. But it could have had two counterparts sharing this anniversary. Austin received NCAA certification but ultimately postponed its start to the following year, a year that never came because the NCAA placed a moratorium on new bowls from 2016 to 2019.
The other bowl did not get as far as the Austin Bowl. Little Rock also pursued a bowl before the 2015 season but ultimately gave up after its tie-in with the Sun Belt fell through. It turned out the Sun Belt already had an existing backup tie-in to the Liberty Bowl, leaving the Little Rock Bowl in a frantic search for another conference.
Ten years later, Little Rock has another chance. For the second time in three years, the Bahamas Bowl will not be in the Bahamas. In 2023, the bowl became the Famous Toastery Bowl for a year and moved to Charlotte. Although the game was an all-time classic, fans filled only 5,632 of the 15,314-seat Jerry Richardson Stadium. Charlotte did not need a second bowl.
This year, the Bahamas Bowl needs another home. Little Rock cannot let this opportunity slip away. Hardly anyone in college football is talking about this year's Arkansas-Arkansas State game potentially being the last time Arkansas plays at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium. There is no contract in place for future games. Many have questioned the benefits of continuing the 76-year, 220-game tradition. Arkansas' departure from War Memorial would add to the recent departure of the local Salt Bowl high school game and the NJCAA Championship Game, which moved to West Texas A&M's campus.
War Memorial Stadium is one expired contract from becoming Legion Field. A monolith with few events and little direction for its future. Luckily, this Bahamas Bowl could change that.
War Memorial Stadium is an optimal location for several Group of Five teams. Although the Bahamas Bowl has always been a MAC vs. Conference USA matchup, ESPN could shuffle its participating conferences as it does with other bowls it operates. Thus, a bowl game at War Memorial Stadium becomes attractive for several Sun Belt teams and Conference USA teams.
Arkansas State, Louisiana, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Sam Houston, and Texas State would make outstanding de facto home teams for the bowl game. Additionally, there is no other bowl game in the city to compete against for ticket sales. The Little Rock Bowl would not have to deal with the apathy that the Famous Toastery Bowl did, further appealing to ESPN Events.
A loss for college football fans, the Bahamas Bowl news is a chance for a new beginning for War Memorial Stadium. Hopefully, the city and venue will be more active in courting this audition, and ESPN more sensible in selecting a replacement city.
