JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl has announced a six-year extension of its partnership with the Southeastern Conference, beginning with the 2014 college football regular season.
This agreement means an SEC team will play in the annual New Year's Day bowl game at EverBank Field and represents an upgrade in the selection process by creating a top-tier bowl pool.
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"The TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl has a rich history and the SEC is pleased to renew its relationship with this premier college football game," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. "Jacksonville offers a great venue for our schools and their fans and we are excited about fostering a long-term agreement."
"Our new agreement provides a great opportunity to create the very best match-ups possible for the teams, their fans and our local community," said Rick Catlett, president and CEO of the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl.
Previously, the Gator Bowl announced its partnership with the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl to share selections for one of its participating teams with the Big Ten Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference, which includes the University of Notre Dame. This unique partnership allows the conference teams the flexibility to participate in both bowl games three times each in a six-year period playing against an opponent from the SEC.
The 69th Annual TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl game will kick off at noon on Jan. 1 and will be televised nationally on ESPN2. The Gator Bowl will pair the fifth selection after the BCS from the SEC and the fourth selection after the BCS from the Big Ten Conference.