The San Francisco Bowl, formerly known as the Redbox Bowl, has been canceled for a second straight season, it was announced on Friday. The bowl was expected to match up teams from the Big Ten and Pac-12.
"While the game will not take place this season, we are working together with local bowl organizers towards confirming the 2022 edition of the event and continuing this annual bowl tradition," the conferences said in a joint statement.
The bowl began in 2002 and was played at Levi’s Stadium from 2014-19 when operated by the San Francisco 49ers, but has struggled to secure its standing since parting with the NFL franchise after the 2019 season. Organizers had lined up a new venue, Oracle Park, and believed earlier this week they could still salvage the 2021 edition but ultimately could not come to terms with all necessary parties (TV network, sponsor, etc.)
The Big Ten still has partnerships with eight other bowls, including the Rose Bowl, and the Pac-12 still has seven. It’s expected the conferences will work with ESPN, which owns and operates 17 lower-level bowls, to secure another matchup. The Pac-12 is already slotted to place its seventh selection in either the ESPN-owned Armed Forces or First Responder bowls (both in Texas) or Gasparilla Bowl.
(Photo: Larry Placido / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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