Birmingham Bowl
Encyclopedia
The BBVA Compass Bowl is a post-season NCAA
-sanctioned Division I-A college football
bowl game
approved in April 2006 and played annually at the 71,594-seat Legion Field
in Birmingham, Alabama
, U.S. ESPN Regional Television (doing business as ESPN Plus
, a subsidiary of ESPN
) owns and manages the bowl's operations, sponsorships and marketing, including broadcast of the game on ESPN
. The University of Alabama at Birmingham
(UAB) also provides marketing, management and game-day operations support.
The game is sponsored by BBVA Compass, a subsidiary of Bilbao, Spain-based Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
which is based in Birmingham. Compass and bowl officials announced the new sponsorship on November 4, 2010.
The game formerly promoted the website of Papa John's Pizza
, who became the title sponsor signing a multi-year agreement on November 16, 2006. The company declined to renew its sponsorship in 2010, so the bowl name reverted back to its working title before the announcement of the Compass deal.
The bowl originally had a four-year agreement with Conference USA
to match a representative of that conference against an opponent from the Big East Conference
, but the bowl's officials later appealed to the NCAA for a recertification which was granted in late April 2008. In 2008 and 2009, the bowl featured the Southeastern Conference
's ninth bowl-eligible team and a team from the Big East Conference. Should either of these conferences not fulfill their bowl commitments, a team from the Sun Belt Conference
will take their place, provided it is bowl eligible
. Otherwise, the game will choose an at-large team (as in 2008, when the SEC was unable to send a team; the bowl selected ACC
team North Carolina State to face Rutgers
from the Big East).
from 1947-1948, the Hall of Fame Classic
from 1977-1985 (relocated to Tampa
and now named the Outback Bowl
), and the All-American Bowl
from 1986-1990 (canceled when the SEC
awarded their championship game
to the city).
In the inaugural game, played on December 23, 2006, the , the Big East's representative, beat Conference USA's East Carolina
Pirates, 24-7 in front of an announced crowd of 32,023. Benjamin Williams scored the game's first points just over ninety seconds into the game as one of his two touchdowns on the day, and earned the game's MVP honors. Notably, South Florida had previously been a member of C-USA.
The 2007 matchup featured the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the Cincinnati Bearcats
. As with the previous year's game, the participants were a former Conference USA member (Cincinnati) and a current C-USA member (Southern Miss).
After being held in December for its first three years, the PapaJohns.com Bowl was played on January 2, 2010. It was one of five bowl games to take place that day, joining the Cotton Bowl Classic, International
, Alamo
, and Liberty
bowls. Connecticut
faced South Carolina
in the 2010 edition of the bowl. Once again, the unique link with C-USA returned, as South Carolina was part of the Metro Conference
from 1983-94 (1983-91 all sports, men's soccer only afterwards) that became Conference USA, and is an associate member in the conference for men's soccer.
On August 6, 2010, Papajohns.com announced it would not renew its sponsorship, after having secured a sponsorship deal with the National Football League
. Following the announcement, the game was temporarily renamed the Birmingham Bowl until BBVA
Compass was announced as its title sponsor on November 4, 2010, officially changing its name to the BBVA Compass Bowl.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
-sanctioned Division I-A college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
approved in April 2006 and played annually at the 71,594-seat Legion Field
Legion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, U.S. ESPN Regional Television (doing business as ESPN Plus
ESPN Plus
ESPN Plus, the popular name of ESPN Regional Television, is an American television program syndicator. ERT is based along with sister network ESPNU in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, a subsidiary of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
) owns and manages the bowl's operations, sponsorships and marketing, including broadcast of the game on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. The University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System...
(UAB) also provides marketing, management and game-day operations support.
The game is sponsored by BBVA Compass, a subsidiary of Bilbao, Spain-based Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. is a multinational Spanish banking group. It was formed in 1999 from the merger of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya and Argentaria, both of which in turn had previously amalgamated three important banks in Spain, namely Banco de Bilbao, Banco de Vizcaya, Banco Exterior de...
which is based in Birmingham. Compass and bowl officials announced the new sponsorship on November 4, 2010.
The game formerly promoted the website of Papa John's Pizza
Papa John's Pizza
Papa John's Pizza is the third largest take-out and delivery pizza restaurant chain in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza. It is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Papa John's slogan is "Better Ingredients. Better pizza. Papa John's"...
, who became the title sponsor signing a multi-year agreement on November 16, 2006. The company declined to renew its sponsorship in 2010, so the bowl name reverted back to its working title before the announcement of the Compass deal.
The bowl originally had a four-year agreement with Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
to match a representative of that conference against an opponent from the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
, but the bowl's officials later appealed to the NCAA for a recertification which was granted in late April 2008. In 2008 and 2009, the bowl featured the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
's ninth bowl-eligible team and a team from the Big East Conference. Should either of these conferences not fulfill their bowl commitments, a team from the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
will take their place, provided it is bowl eligible
Bowl eligible
Bowl eligibility in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision College Football is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games. When a team achieves this state, it is described as "bowl-eligible"...
. Otherwise, the game will choose an at-large team (as in 2008, when the SEC was unable to send a team; the bowl selected ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
team North Carolina State to face Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
from the Big East).
History
The PapaJohns.com Bowl marked the return of post-season football to the city of Birmingham, which previously hosted the Dixie BowlDixie Bowl
The Dixie Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game held New Year's Day at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game was only held twice, following the 1947 and 1948 seasons, after which it was discontinued. Birmingham and Legion Field have since played host to a number of other bowl...
from 1947-1948, the Hall of Fame Classic
All-American Bowl
The All-American Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977 to 1990. The game was known as the Hall of Fame Classic from 1977 to 1985....
from 1977-1985 (relocated to Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
and now named the Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
), and the All-American Bowl
All-American Bowl
The All-American Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977 to 1990. The game was known as the Hall of Fame Classic from 1977 to 1985....
from 1986-1990 (canceled when the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
awarded their championship game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
to the city).
In the inaugural game, played on December 23, 2006, the , the Big East's representative, beat Conference USA's East Carolina
2006 East Carolina Pirates football team
-Schedule:...
Pirates, 24-7 in front of an announced crowd of 32,023. Benjamin Williams scored the game's first points just over ninety seconds into the game as one of his two touchdowns on the day, and earned the game's MVP honors. Notably, South Florida had previously been a member of C-USA.
The 2007 matchup featured the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the Cincinnati Bearcats
2007 Cincinnati Bearcats football team
The 2007 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2007 college football season. The team, coached by Brian Kelly, played its home games in Nippert Stadium, as it has since 1923...
. As with the previous year's game, the participants were a former Conference USA member (Cincinnati) and a current C-USA member (Southern Miss).
After being held in December for its first three years, the PapaJohns.com Bowl was played on January 2, 2010. It was one of five bowl games to take place that day, joining the Cotton Bowl Classic, International
International Bowl
The International Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association collegiate American football bowl game played in Toronto from 2007 through 2010...
, Alamo
Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
, and Liberty
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
bowls. Connecticut
2009 Connecticut Huskies football team
The 2009 Connecticut Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2009 college football season as a member of the Big East Conference. The team was coached by Randy Edsall and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut...
faced South Carolina
2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the college football season of 2009–2010. The team's head football coach was Steve Spurrier, who was in his fifth season at USC. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in...
in the 2010 edition of the bowl. Once again, the unique link with C-USA returned, as South Carolina was part of the Metro Conference
Metro Conference
The Metropolitan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, popularly known as the Metro Conference, was an NCAA Division I athletics conference, so named because all of its charter members were in urban metropolitan areas in, or at least on the fringes of, the Southern United States...
from 1983-94 (1983-91 all sports, men's soccer only afterwards) that became Conference USA, and is an associate member in the conference for men's soccer.
On August 6, 2010, Papajohns.com announced it would not renew its sponsorship, after having secured a sponsorship deal with the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Following the announcement, the game was temporarily renamed the Birmingham Bowl until BBVA
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. is a multinational Spanish banking group. It was formed in 1999 from the merger of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya and Argentaria, both of which in turn had previously amalgamated three important banks in Spain, namely Banco de Bilbao, Banco de Vizcaya, Banco Exterior de...
Compass was announced as its title sponsor on November 4, 2010, officially changing its name to the BBVA Compass Bowl.
Game results
| Date | Winning team | | Losing team | Attendance !! Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 23, 2006 | 24 | East Carolina 2006 East Carolina Pirates football team -Schedule:... |
7 | 32,023 | notes 2006 PapaJohns.com Bowl The 2006 PapaJohns.com Bowl was the inaugural postseason college football match of the game, between the East Carolina Pirates and the South Florida Bulls at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. East Carolina University represented Conference USA and the University of South Florida represented the... |
|
| December 22, 2007 | Cincinnati 2007 Cincinnati Bearcats football team The 2007 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2007 college football season. The team, coached by Brian Kelly, played its home games in Nippert Stadium, as it has since 1923... |
31 | Southern Miss | 21 | 35,258 | notes 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl The 2007 PapaJohns.com Bowl was a postseason college football match between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The University of Cincinnati represented the Big East Conference and the University of Southern Mississippi represented... |
| December 29, 2008 | Rutgers 2008 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team After losing star halfback Ray Rice to the NFL Draft, Rutgers faced a rebuilding season. Senior Mike Teel was forced to step up his game at quarterback without being able to rely on Rice so frequently. Rutgers started off very slowly, dropping 5 of the first 6 games, including two to Big East... |
29 | NC State 2008 NC State Wolfpack football team The 2008 NC State Wolfpack football team represented North Carolina State University during the 2008 college football season. The team's Head Coach was Tom O'Brien, who began his second season as the Wolfpack head coach with a 5-7 overall record, and a 3-5 conference record at NCSU. N.C... |
23 | 38,582 | notes 2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl The 2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl was the third edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game was played starting at 2 PM US CST on Monday, December 29, 2008... |
| January 2, 2010 | Connecticut 2009 Connecticut Huskies football team The 2009 Connecticut Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2009 college football season as a member of the Big East Conference. The team was coached by Randy Edsall and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut... |
20 | South Carolina 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team The 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the college football season of 2009–2010. The team's head football coach was Steve Spurrier, who was in his fifth season at USC. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in... |
7 | 45,254 | notes 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl The 2010 PapaJohns.com Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Connecticut Huskies of the Big East Conference and the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference , on January 2, 2010 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama... |
| January 8, 2011 | Pittsburgh 2010 Pittsburgh Panthers football team -Rankings:The Panthers debuted at #15 in the preseason Coaches' Poll. and in the preseason Associated Press Poll.Sports Illustrated ranked Pitt #16 in the annual College Football Preview issue on August 16, 2010.... |
27 | Kentucky 2010 Kentucky Wildcats football team The 2010 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats, led by first-year head coach Joker Phillips, competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference and played their home games at Commonwealth... |
10 | 41,207 | notes |
MVPs
| Date | Name | School | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 23, 2006 | Benjamin Williams Benjamin Williams (disambiguation) Benjamin Williams may refer to:* Benjamin Williams , American politician, last Federalist governor of North Carolina* Benjamin Williams , American politician, lieutenant governor of Vermont 1931–1933... |
South Florida | RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
| December 22, 2007 | Ben Mauk Ben Mauk Gary Benjamin "Ben" Mauk is an American football quarterback who was most recently the quarterback for the Cincinnati Commandos of the Continental Indoor Football League , and with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League . He completed his college football career in 2007 for... |
Cincinnati | QB Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... |
| December 29, 2008 | Mike Teel Mike Teel Mike Teel is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights before he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft... |
Rutgers | QB Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... |
| January 2, 2010 | Andre Dixon Andre Dixon Andre Jamar Dixon is an American football running back who currently plays for the Sacramento Mountain Lions. He was signed by the Hartford Colonials as a first round draft pick in 2010. He played college football at Connecticut.... |
Connecticut | RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
| January 8, 2011 | Dion Lewis Dion Lewis Dion John Lewis is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft... |
Pittsburgh | RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Most appearances
| Rank | Team | Appearances | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Cincinnati Cincinnati Bearcats football The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T1 | Connecticut Connecticut Huskies football The Connecticut Huskies football team is a collegiate football team that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big East Conference. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1896, and participated in Division I-AA until 1999. The Huskies began their two-year Division I-A transition period in 2000, and... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T1 | Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T1 | Rutgers Rutgers Scarlet Knights football The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T1 | South Florida South Florida Bulls football The South Florida Bulls are a Division I FBS college football program that plays its home games in Tampa, Florida. The team began playing in 1997, holding its first team meeting under a shade tree as the school had no proper football facilities on campus... |
1 | 1–0 |
| T1 | East Carolina East Carolina Pirates football The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and... |
1 | 0–1 |
| T1 | Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats football The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era... |
1 | 0–1 |
| T1 | N.C. State NC State Wolfpack football The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference.... |
1 | 0–1 |
| T1 | South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks football The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice... |
1 | 0–1 |
| T1 | Southern Miss Southern Miss Golden Eagles football The Southern Miss Golden Eagles football program represents the University of Southern Mississippi in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Eagles are members of Conference USA and player their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi... |
1 | 0–1 |
Wins by conference
| Conference | Wins | Losses | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big East | 5 | 0 | 1.000 |
| ACC ACC ACC may refer to:-Business:* ACC Limited, Indian cement manufacturer* ACCBank, Ireland* American Campus Communities, private student housing provider* American Communications Corp, cabling company in San Diego... |
0 | 1 | .000 |
| C-USA Conference USA Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports... |
0 | 2 | .000 |
| SEC Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... |
0 | 2 | .000 |