The Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl will take place on Saturday, December 31, 2016 this season instead of its traditional New Years Day placement, Florida Citrus Sports announced Tuesday. It is the first time the game has not taken place on New Years Day since 2012 and the first time the game will be played in December since 1985.
The game, which will feature the first pick of the SEC agains the first pick of the Big Ten after the New Years Six, is usually one of the marquee games on the New Years Day calendar. Last year’s game sold out in moments as Florida took on Michigan in a battle of two powers, with the Wolverines dominating 41-7.
The Citrus Bowl has usually avoided playing on Sunday when January 1 falls on a Sunday. College football usually does not compete well with the NFL. The bowl game though got better placement moving back to the 31st rather than up to the second.
“With January 1 falling on a Sunday this season, we are taking advantage of a rare opportunity to open one of the biggest days on the college football calendar with the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl,” Florida Citrus Sports president Steve Hogan said.
ESPN will once again broadcast the College Football Playoff Semifinals on Dec. 31. The Citrus Bowl will be the lead in to that double header with an 11 a.m. kickoff. This will be one of the marquee games on a marquee day for the sport.
While TV ratings were down for the College Football Playoff games played on New Years Eve, they are expected to take a step up with New Years Eve falling on a Saturday, the day college football is traditionally played.
The Citrus Bowl had one of the best TV ratings for a non-New Years 6 game this past bowl season. The Citrus Bowl usually gets good teams and a marquee game. It should be a great appetizer to open up a day of football on New Years Eve.
