The Northwestern Wildcats will host the Purdue Boilermakers at Wrigley Field on Saturday, in a game that is being branded the “Wildcats Classic.” (full game preview and prediction)
Once again the idea of bringing a college football bowl game to Chicago is being discussed, and we penned an op-ed on this idea for the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition in 2017. You can read it in full over at this link, and we excerpted part of the introduction below:
The Cubs want to be first in line for hosting duties. On Thursday, the Tribune reported that the team is interested in drawing a bowl game to Wrigley Field.The main blueprints for this movement can be found in New York City’s Pinstripe Bowl, which is played at Yankee Stadium; the 2016 edition was won by Northwestern. The Music City Bowl, held in Nashville, also is similar to what a Chicago bowl game might be in terms of weather and easy access to cultural attractions.
“I would 100% be behind having a bowl game in Chicago,” said Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.
“Playing at Wrigley is huge. It’s almost like a bowl game to me in that sense.” added NU OL and team co-captain Peter Skoronski.
The RedEye piece lists a few potential bowl game names, and below we have a few more, with title sponsor already added!
Although we’re guessing that the real bowl game, if and when it arrives, will have much more appropriate sounding naming rights sponsors.
Well, hopefully….but past college bowl practice (San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl or Beef O’Brady’s Bowl anyone) certainly does not give us any confidence this will be the case.
12 Potential Bowl Names
- Geno’s East Deep Dish Bowl
2. Vienna Beef Polish Sausage Bowl
3. Eisenberg Hot Dog Bowl
4. Second City Bowl- The sponsor is already built into the name! Ok, we need an improv location…..
White Sox Park Bowl Names
5. Athletico Silver and Black Bowl
6. Call 888-709-Limo Back of the Yards Bowl
Wrigley Field Bowl Names
7. Eagleman Insurance Friendly Confines Bowl (I have something for you!)
8. O’Reilly’s Auto Parts Cubby Bowl
9. Peter Francis Geraci Infotapes Ivy Bowl
Solder Field Bowl Names
10. United Auto Insurance Lake Shore Bowl
11. Victory Auto Wreckers Midway Bowl
12. Tru Link Fence Windy City Bowl
Max Madsen you might be mad and you might be bad, but you’re not crazy, and 1-877-Kars-4-Kids were left out, sorry.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.