At long last the “Fenway Bowl” is set to help Boston participate in college football’s season-ending bash.
Football teams from the ACC and AAC will meet Dec. 29 in Boston at Fenway Park in the inaugural Fenway Bowl, Fenway Sports Management announced Thursday in a statement. The newly created annual college football game will be the first bowl game to be played at the Boston Red Sox’s historic home stadium and the first Division 1 bowl game to be held in New England.
“Fenway Park rose to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic and played multiple unique roles this year — from serving as home to a mass vaccination site to hosting local college and high school graduations — in addition to safely welcoming fans back for baseball,” Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said. “We are incredibly proud of these achievements, and as we approach the 2021 college football season, we are delighted to introduce the ballpark and its rich history to the excitement of NCAA bowl games for the first time. Our team is grateful for this collaboration with the American Athletic and Atlantic Coast Conferences, ESPN Events, and (Boston) mayor (Kim) Janey, and we look forward to hosting an incredible experience for student-athletes, coaches, and fans, while enriching New England’s education
community.”
The inaugural “Fenway Bowl” was supposed to take place in 2020, but disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic prompted FSM to delay the kickoff game by one year.
Regular season win-loss record, geographic proximity to Boston as well as previous appearances and matchups will determine which teams compete in the “Fenway Bowl.”
FSM and ESPN will produce the 2021 “Fenway Bowl,” and the Worldwide Leader will televise the game. Kickoff will be at 11 a.m. ET.
