COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Bowl game in Toronto likely in UB’s future
For its second bowl invitation in 50 years, the University at Buffalo may only have to make a quick trip up the Queen Elizabeth Way.
UB (7-4, 5-2), which hosts Kent State (3-8, 2-5) Friday afternoon at UB Stadium, is a prime candidate to represent the Mid-American Conference for the International Bowl on Jan. 3 in Toronto at Rogers Centre. An official announcement won’t be made until after the Bowl Championship Series games are revealed Dec. 7 but a source indicated that there’s an “85 percent chance” that the Bulls are going to Toronto.
“We would love to have Buffalo and we’ve always felt that way since we started the International Bowl,” said Don Loding, president of the Toronto Sports Association which runs the International Bowl. “We certainly hope it can work out that way but we have to play a few football games yet and see how things shape up.”
The MAC has tie-ins with the International, Motor City and GMAC Bowls and traditionally the winner of the MAC Championship Game goes to the Motor City. But because of the school’s close proximity to Toronto — even if it wins the MAC title game next week in Detroit — UB’s preference is the International and its $750,000 payout.
“Obviously these games are trying to sell tickets and we make the most sense for Toronto just like Central Michigan or Western Michigan make the most sense for Detroit,” said Douglas Gnodtke, UB’s associate athletic director who is handling the bowl arrangements for the university. “We’re planning on Toronto, but it depends on how things fall into place over the next couple of weeks.”
The International features a MAC opponent against the fourth or fifth place team in the Big East. Pittsburgh is currently in fourth place but the Bulls have already played the Panthers and bowls generally frown on rematches. So the Bulls would likely play Connecticut (7-4, 3-3).
Loding spoke ardently about UB, winners of five straight, on Monday.
“Buffalo is playing well enough right now to be an 8-4 team in Detroit and pull off an upset and be the champion,” Loding said. “We’ll have to wait and see.”
Loding has attended the Bulls’ last two games against Akron and Bowling Green — which both ended in overtime — and the Central Michigan game which the Bulls lost in the final seconds.
“Frankly, I’ve been impressed with them since last year,” Loding said. “They were one game away from being in a bowl game a year ago, and they didn’t lose much coming into this year. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they’ve come back as strong as they have. They have great coaching and they have a lot of talent and experience coming back. They have a great quarterback, a great running back and a good line. All those things have been building up for that program and although they are sneaking up on the rest of the country they certainly not sneaking up on us.”
