The Detroit Lions and the Big Ten Conference have entered into a six-year partnership for a bowl game that will be played at Ford Field beginning in 2014.
The game will be officially named once sponsorship agreements are in place. The inaugural game is tentatively set for December 30, 2014 (pending TV broadcast schedule).
At the end of each college football season, the Big Ten and a conference to be named will determine their team representatives after discussion between bowl and conference officials to create the best possible matchup.
The Big Ten has sent a representative to Detroit for a bowl game three times (Northwestern, 2003; Purdue, 2007 and 2011) for the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, also played at Ford Field.
The Lions become only the second NFL team (Houston Texans, 2006) to officially host and operate a college football bowl game.