The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT IS officially bowl season in the Bahamas and organisers have launched their campaign to promote the second edition of the only NCAA Division I bowl game to be played outside the United States.

Popeyes Bahamas Bowl hosted a kickoff pep rally last night at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium featuring a gathering of stakeholders and local football enthusiasts.

In its inaugural edition, The Popeyes Bahamas Bowl made an indelible mark on the NCAA Bowl season, and now the event looks to extend its reach through a partnership with “the worldwide leader in sports.”

In June, ESPN made the official announcement to come onboard with the project.

Pete Derzis, senior vice president and general manager of ESPN Events, opened the pep rally by saying his organisation welcomed the addition of the Christmas Eve event which garnered international acclaim last year.

“It takes everyone pulling together in a common goal to host this event. We look forward to building it step by step every year adding a new element. Hopefully, satisfying our stakeholders, the people that have come together to work so hard in pulling this off, and the public who come to the stadium and who watch on television and expect a quality football game.”

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson said the event further develops the Bahamas’ sports tourism initiative.

“We have a tight schedule ahead of us but I think we’re up to the challenge,” he said. “This is what I mean when I say we’re in the business of sports. We continue to host top class events in the Bahamas and and it pays tremendous dividends for our ‘Sports in Paradise’ product.

Representing the Ministry of Tourism, Deputy Director General Tommy Thompson said onlookers should expect the second event to build on the momentum of December’s game.

“We can only build on it and make it even better. We are continually being recognised as the place to host events like this. There are constantly things going on in the island of the Bahamas,” he said. “We believe in this event, we are a chief sponsor and we will market it and do all we can to make it better.”

The 2014 game featured Western Kentucky of Conference USA against Central Michigan of the MAC in the first FBS-level bowl game outside of the United States or Canada since 1937. The Hilltoppers held on for a 49-48 victory over the Chippewas in one of the most memorable bowl games of the 2014 season.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has extended its title sponsorship in a multi-year deal with the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl.

Hector A Muñoz, chief marketing officer in the US for Popeyes, said the partnership between his company and the Bahamas is now cemented with the building of its first franchise restaurant in the country.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the relationship we have established with the bowl game and with the Bahamas. We are completely committed to the country with the building of our first restaurant,” he said. “We couldn’t be more excited to be here and we look forward to an extended partnership that will go on for years to come.”

The Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Committee raised $57,000 for the Ranfurly Home for Children during bowl week and based on the exposure from the game, a Dallas-based prep school raised an additional $25,000 to support the home.

The committee also announced that a youth football league will be formed soon. The league will be established on six islands and expects to field 18 teams. A final tournament will be held during bowl week in December.

According to an analysis of expenditure on the 2014 game, the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl spent just over $1.2 million in the Bahamas. That number did not include the money spent by Popeyes for activation in Nassau.

The game reached nearly 12 million viewers in the United States and saw over 13,000 attendees locally. There was a strong social media presence with nearly 56 thousand posts, 141 million impressions and 1,587 articles.