Deal for bowl game at Wrigley Field close; ACC the likely opponent for Big Ten
The Cubs have made significant progress toward the creation of a college football bowl game at Wrigley Field and are close to nailing down a title sponsor and media partner, according to sources.
They hope to have the process wrapped up by the end of June for an annual game that would begin in the 2020 postseason.
But a key facet has yet to be determined, and there’s a chance it would threaten the game: The Cubs want one of the higher-rated Big Ten teams rather than, say, the conference’s sixth- or seventh-place team.
As far as the annual opponent, college football reporter Brett McMurphy reported it will come from the ACC. Sources told the Tribune that’s not a reality just yet, pointing to discussions with the SEC. But there’s at least a 95 percent chance the ACC will sign on.
Notre Dame is part of the ACC’s bowl lineup, but it would take an odd set of circumstances for the Irish to end up playing at Wrigley, according to sources.
McMurphy reported that the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee would approve a record 43 bowls, including the national championship game, and that the Wrigley game would likely replace the San Francisco Bowl (formerly the Foster Farms Bowl) that is played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
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:facepalm: Please stop.
