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September 1st, 2016 | BAHAMAS BOWL

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Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Weekly Release – 2016 Week 1 (September 1-3)

Click here to read the 2016 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl Weekly Release – Week 1 – September 1-3 (PDF)

SINCE WE LAST VISITED: The Popeyes Bahamas Bowl begins the march to its’ 2016 game this weekend. Since Western Michigan’s 45-31 victory over Middle Tennessee in the 2015 game, the bowl has gone to three conference partners for this year’s game as the American Athletic Conference joins Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference. Teams from two of these three conferences will meet on a new date and time in 2016, Friday, Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. ET in Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. The game will be televised for the third straight year on ESPN. Seven players who participated in the first two Popeyes Bahamas Bowls were selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.

INTRODUCING THE AMERICAN: Last season, West Division champion Houston won the inaugural American Athletic Conference Championship Game over East Division champ Temple. Houston (13-1 overall) finished No. 8 in the both the final AP and USA Today Coaches’ polls. In a vote of the conference’s media, USF (East) and Houston (West) were selected to win their divisions, while Houston was tabbed by the media to repeat as AAC champions. Houston is ranked No. 13 in the Amway Coaches’ and No. 15 in the AP preseason polls. Navy and USF are receiving votes in both polls, and Memphis is receiving votes in the Coaches’ poll. There are four new head coaches in the AAC: Scott Frost (UCF), Scottie Montgomery (East Carolina), Mike Norvell (Memphis) and Willie Fritz (Tulane).

C-USA NOTES: In a vote of the conference’s media, Middle Tennessee (East) and Southern Miss (West) were selected to win their respective divisions. WKU received votes in both preseason polls, while Marshall got votes in the Coaches’ poll. Southern Miss QB Nick Mullens was selected as the C-USA preseason Offensive Player of the Year by the media. There are three new head coaches in C-USA: Seth Littrell (North Texas), Jay Hopson (Southern Miss) and Frank Wilson (UTSA).

MAC NOTES: Bowling Green (East) and 2015 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl champion Western Michigan (West) were selected to win their divisions by both the media and the league’s head coaches. Toledo received votes in both preseason polls, and Northern Illinois got votes in the preseason Coaches’ poll. In 2015 the MAC had four wins over “Power Five” teams: Arkansas (SEC), Iowa State (Big-12), Maryland (Big Ten) and Purdue (Big Ten). The MAC has three new head coaches at Bowling Green (Mike Jinks), Toledo (Jason Candle) and Ball State (Mike Neu).

WEEK 1 SCHEDULE

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Thursday, Sept. 1
UT Martin at Cincinnati (ESPN3)
Maine at UConn (ASN/ESPN3)
Tulane at Wake Forest (ESPN3)
Friday, Sept. 2
Army at Temple (CBSSN)
Saturday, Sept. 3
Oklahoma vs. Houston (ABC)
Fordham at Navy (CBSSN)
Western Carolina at East Carolina (ESPN3)
Towson at USF (ASN/ESPN3)
Southeast Missouri State at Memphis (ESPN3)
South Carolina State at UCF (ESPN3)
SMU at North Texas (ASN/ESPN3)
San Jose State at Tulsa (CBSSN)

CONFERENCE USA

Thursday, Sept. 1
Charlotte at Louisville (ACC RSN)
Indiana at FIU (ESPNU)
* Rice at WKU (CBSSN)
Saturday, Sept. 3
Louisiana Tech at Arkansas (SECN)
Southern Ill. at Florida Atlantic (CUSATV)
Hampton at Old Dominion (CUSATV)
Alabama A&M at Middle Tenn. (CUSATV)
SMU at North Texas (ASN)
Alabama State at UTSA (KMYS)
Southern Miss at Kentucky (ESPNU)
New Mexico State at UTEP (beIN)

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE

Thursday, Sept. 1
Presbyterian at Central Michigan (ESPN3)
Friday, Sept. 2
Albany at Buffalo (ESPN3)
Ball State at Georgia State (ASN/ESPN3)
Miss. Valley St. at Eastern Michigan (ESPN3)
Toledo at Arkansas State (ESPNU)
Saturday, Sept. 3
Bowling Green at Ohio State (BTN)
Western Michigan at Northwestern (ESPNU)
Kent State at Penn State (BBTN)
Miami at Iowa (ESPNU)
Texas State at Ohio (CBSSN)
VMI at Akron (ESPN3)
NIU at Wyoming (CBSSN)

* – conference games

POPEYES BAHAMAS BOWL MEDIA PROJECTIONS
Media Organization (Reporter) – Date: Matchup
10thYearSeniors.com (John Marc Nutt) – Sept. 1: Temple vs. FIU
Nassau Tribune (Renaldo Dorsett) – Sept. 1: Cincinnati vs. FIU
SI.com (Colin Becht) – Aug. 30: Memphis vs. Ohio
FOXSports.com (Stuart Mandel) – Aug. 30: Tulsa vs. Akron
ESPN.com (Brett McMurphy) – Aug. 29: FIU vs. Tulsa
ESPN.com (Mark Schlabach) – Aug. 29: Old Dominion vs. Temple
CollegeFootballNews.com (Pete Fiutak) – Aug. 24: Memphis vs. Northern Illinois
Orlando Sentinel (Brant Parsons) – Aug. 24: UConn vs. Central Michigan
Campus Insiders (Dave Miller) – Aug. 23: UConn vs. Toledo
Sports on Earth (Matt Brown) – Aug. 22: Memphis vs. Northern Illinois
CBSSports.com (Jerry Palm) – Aug. 11: Marshall vs. Ohio
Athlon Sports (Steven Lassan) – July 6: Toledo vs. Marshall
SB Nation (Jason Kirk) – June 28: Tulsa vs. Ohio
The Sporting News (Bill Bender) – May 29: Cincinnati vs. Middle Tennessee
Bleacher Report (Brian Pedersen) – May 4: Bowling Green vs. Tulsa
Phil Steele Magazine (Phil Steele) – Magazine: Marshall vs. Bowling Green

ESPN EVENTS
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; 13 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 250-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and St. Petersburg, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football
AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl (Houston); Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Camping World Kickoff (Orlando, Fla.); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Orlando, Fla.); Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Collegiate Basketball
AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Honolulu); DIRECTV Wooden Legacy (Orange County, Calif.); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic presented by Corona (Uncasville, Conn.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan) and State Farm Champions Classic (New York City)

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