After 70 years the Gator Bowl - as we've known it - is no more.
The new name of the game removes "gator" entirely, and it will no longer be played on New Years Day, two big changes that we learned Thursday morning from the President of Gator Bowl Sports. The game will now be known as the TaxSlayer Bowl and played on Jan. 2nd.
Dropping "gator" from the name is part of a six-year agreement reached between TaxSlayer.com and the Gator Bowl.
"TaxSlayer.com recognizes the history of the Bowl's rich 70 year tradition. It is a legacy in college football and we...are extremely proud to be a part of such a dedicated and professional Bowl family and look forward to building on its historic foundation", said TaxSlayer.com President and CEO, Jimmy Rhodes.
Beginning in 2015 the TaxSlayer Bowl will be televised on ESPN January 2nd, which is one day later than years past. It will feature a team from the SEC that will serve as the anchor team. That team will face an opponent from the Big Ten Conference or the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Rick Catlett, Bowl President and CEO, described this as a great partnership that will enable the Bowl game to maintain its stature on the national level as one of the top tier bowl games in the country.