PROVIDENCE, R.I. – In an effort to provide its fanbase with an interactive platform to share their experiences while attending its bowl games, the BIG EAST Conference, in conjunction with row27 Studios, today launched BIG EAST Bowl Central online at www.bigeastbowlcentral.com.
The BIG EAST is in the first year with its new bowl lineup, which consists of the Bowl Championship Series game, the Champs Sports Bowl, the Meineke Car Care Bowl, the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, the Auto Zone Liberty Bowl, the BBVA Compass Bowl and Beef O’Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg.
At BIG EAST Bowl Central, fans will be enticed with various rewards for sharing their experiences at these games and associated events by posting blogs, uploading photos and video, creating online fan groups as well as posting on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Users will be rewarded with points based on the varying degrees of participation on the site and will be eligible to win prizes ranging from discount coupons to tickets to future BIG EAST football games.
“The BIG EAST has some of the most passionate college football fans in the country,” said Commissioner John Marinatto. “We are excited about this unique opportunity to provide those fans with a new vehicle to express that passion and also to collaborate with each other so that they can fully consume all of the outstanding experiences and pageantry that our bowl games have to offer.”
The development of this new website will also provide a relevant and meaningful avenue for the conference’s bowl partners to promote directly to potential attendees. The BIG EAST will work with representatives from each bowl to feature ticket specials, discounts at restaurants, hotels and shops in the area or provide added value for their sponsors by giving them exposure on the site in return for rewards giveaways.
The BIG EAST will promote this site and its new bowl lineup with video to be run on television during football and basketball conference games as well as on video boards in its stadiums the remainder of the season.
Each of the eight BIG EAST Conference football teams has the opportunity to become bowl eligible through week 10 of the season. The regular season concludes on December 4.
2010 BIG EAST Bowl Lineup (In Selection Order)
Bowl Championship Series (Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, All-State Sugar Bowl, Discover Orange Bowl or Rose Bowl) - BIG EAST Champion - Date TBD - ESPN
Champs Sports Bowl - BIG EAST vs. ACC
Dec. 28, 2010 - ESPN
Meineke Car Care Bowl - BIG EAST vs. ACC
Dec. 31, 2010 - ESPN
New Era Pinstripe Bowl - BIG EAST vs. Big 12
Dec. 30, 2010 - ESPN
BBVA Compass Bowl/AutoZone Liberty Bowl - BIG EAST vs. SEC or C-USA
BBVA Compass Bowl - Jan. 8, 2011 - ESPN
AutoZone Liberty Bowl - Dec. 31, 2010 - ESPN
Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg - BIG EAST vs. C-USA
Dec. 21, 2010 - ESPN
The BIG EAST Conference
The BIG EAST Conference was created in 1979, is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series and represents eight Football Bowl Subdivision member institutions including the University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, University of Louisville, University of Pittsburgh, Rutgers University, University of South Florida, Syracuse University and West Virginia University. For more information on the Conference and its membership, please visit www.bigeast.org.
row27 Studios
Founded in 2007, row27 Studios is a creative agency, with clients that consist of over 70 universities, conferences, and professional sports teams. It focuses on developing innovative fan engagement tools that help their clients utilize new media to grow their brand and interact with their fan base. Additionally, row27's creative team has produced over 200 television commercials, intro videos, and in-venue segments for its clientele annually. This strong video background enables row27 to offer their clients unique original content to assist in activating their new media tools. For more information, visit www.row27.com.