CHICAGO -- The Big Ten's six-year bowl agreement beginning in 2014 will include some new games, and it seemed likely the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Arizona would remain part of the mix.
Hold the barbecue sauce.
The Wings Bowl likely won't be part of the Big Ten's lineup beginning in 2014, according to sources. A lower payout from the bowl is a big reason why, and the Big Ten's rotating tie in with the Gator and Music City bowls, which colleague Brett McMurphy reported Monday night, should fill the Wings Bowl's spot in the rundown. The Gator Bowl and Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl previously had rotated the No. 3 Big Ten selection after the Rose Bowl. The Holiday Bowl is expected to get the No. 3 Big Ten pick, after Capital One and Outback. The next Big Ten team could go to the Gator Bowl or Music City Bowl, depending on the year.
Speaking generally about bowls, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Wednesday that "some of the payouts changed a little bit."
It's still possible the Wings bowl could remain as the Big Ten finalizes agreements in the next few weeks. But the more likely scenario is that the Wings bowl, like the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, isn't part of the league's lineup. The Big Ten has had a tie-in with the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (formerly Insight Bowl) since the 2006 season.
The expected additions to the lineup include Pinstripe, Holiday and Music City. Another possibility is the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco, which would love a Big Ten team and will see its profile increase when it moves to the San Francisco 49ers' new stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., beginning in 2014.
