The Sun Belt Conference, which includes South Alabama, announced a postseason tie-in with the newly created Miami Beach Bowl, a game to be played at Marlins Park in Miami.
The bowl will be owned and administered by the American Athletic Conference, which will provide one participant each year.
Six-Year Rotation
The Sun Belt will share the opposing slot in a six-year rotation with Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.
- 2014 and 2015: Conference USA vs. American Athletic Conference
- 2016 and 2018: Mid-American Conference vs. American Athletic Conference
- 2017 and 2019: Sun Belt Conference vs. American Athletic Conference
Officials Comment
“The Sun Belt Conference is excited to be included in this new bowl game,” Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson said. “Our student-athletes and fans look forward to postseason opportunities and I know that the Miami Beach Bowl will be a great showcase for college football.”
Miami Marlins president David Samson said the stadium is ready to host college football.
“We are very pleased to host the Miami Beach Bowl at Marlins Park,” Samson said. “Bringing postseason football back to the site of the Orange Bowl should bring a smile to the faces of college football fans throughout South Florida. Marlins Park is a perfect venue for exciting college football, and we look forward to many memorable matchups in the years to come.”
The Venue
Marlins Park, home of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins, opened in 2012 on the site of the former Orange Bowl stadium. Configured for football, it will seat 34,000 and features 50 luxury suites, a retractable roof, climate control and a natural grass playing surface.
South Alabama’s Postseason Path
The agreement adds to the Sun Belt’s slate of bowl affiliations. South Alabama is playing its first season as a full member of the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2013 and is eligible for the Sun Belt championship and postseason play for the first time.
