GameAbove Sports Bowl in Detroit latest college football game to shut down

The GameAbove Sports Bowl, a staple in Detroit's college football postseason for nearly three decades, has been discontinued. This decision marks it as the third bowl game to cease operations within a year. Previously, the LA Bowl ended its run after five years, and the Bahamas Bowl was replaced by the Xbox Bowl in Frisco, Texas, for the 2025 season.

The GameAbove Sports Bowl, originally launched in 1997 as the Motor City Bowl, underwent several name changes, including the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and the Quick Lane Bowl. Traditionally scheduled just after Christmas, the bowl featured matchups between a Mid-American Conference team and either an ACC or Big Ten opponent. Northwestern's decisive 34-7 victory over Central Michigan was its final game.

Despite lower-tier bowl games facing challenges due to the prominence of the College Football Playoff, they remain valuable for networks. ESPN's coverage of 33 non-playoff bowl games averaged 3.1 million viewers, a 13% increase from