On Tuesday, ESPN Events and the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce announced a bowl game will be played in Myrtle Beach beginning in 2020.
“ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, is adding a new bowl game to its roster beginning in 2020 with the creation of the Myrtle Beach Bowl,” a press release from Visit Myrtle Beach says. The game will feature matchups from three conferences: Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, and Sun Belt Conference. Each conference will participate up to four times between 2020 and 2025.
“We are pleased to bring post season college football to the greater Myrtle Beach area and are thrilled to have representation from three of our conference partners; Conference USA, MAC and Sun Belt,” said Pete Derzis, ESPN Senior Vice President of College Sports Programming and ESPN Events. “With the inaugural Myrtle Beach Basketball Invitational taking place this week, the addition of this bowl game brings yet another opportunity to showcase all that Myrtle Beach has to offer.”
The Myrtle Beach Bowl will be played at Coastal Carolina University’s Brooks Stadium and will be nationally televised on ESPN networks, according to the release.
“We are honored to be a part of history in establishing the first bowl game in the state of South Carolina,” said Matt Hogue, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics at Coastal Carolina University. “The brand impact for our University from this game and the excitement of college football during the bowl season will be immeasurable and represents another example of how important sports tourism is to the promotion of our region.”
“Visit Myrtle Beach is thrilled to team up once again with ESPN and Coastal Carolina to bring another major sporting event to our region,” said Karen Riordan, President and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. “It is a fantastic addition to the sports offerings in the Myrtle Beach area, and our exciting destination will ensure that players, coaches, and fans will have a great experience.”
