SAN DIEGO - The Poinsettia Bowl is no more.
After a 12-year run, the Poinsettia Bowl has been axed from the San Diego Bowl Game Association's list of post-season college football games.
The group said Wednesday that they would only produce one post-season college football game in 2017: The Holiday Bowl.
“College football and the bowl game structure has gone through major changes through the years and our board feels the time is right to focus our efforts on one post-season game,” Mark Neville, executive director of the San Diego Bowl Game Association, said. “The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl staged exciting match-ups for more than a decade and we were one of the few cities to host two bowl games.”
While the Holiday Bowl was said to continue, discussions are underway with the San Diego Padres to host the game at Petco Park in the event that Qualcomm Stadium closes after 2018, the association said.
“For now we plan to continue producing the Holiday Bowl and its one-of-a-kind fan experience in Qualcomm Stadium,” Neville said. “However, Petco Park could one day serve as the ideal home for the Holiday Bowl. It's certainly a tremendous venue with world-class amenities that our fans would enjoy.”
Though, now that the Chargers have left Qualcomm Stadium's future in the air, it's future hosting bowl games could be in jeopardy. That's where officials are hoping Petco Park can quickly become a possible host , either long term or until plans for The Q can be made.
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said the city is committed to keeping the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
"The Holiday Bowl brings tourism, economic activity and pride to San Diego year after year. Focusing resources on just one event will ensure that the Holiday Bowl remains a top-tier attraction," Mayor Faulconer said. "I am excited to have started discussions this week with the Bowl Game Association and the Padres about the possibility of bringing the Holiday Bowl to Petco Park. We remain fully committed to supporting this fantastic game."
In addition to the Holiday Bowl, the association will also host the annual Navy versus Notre Dame rivalry game at Qualcomm on Oct. 27, 2018. They said they will also seek more hosting opportunities for high-profile rivalry games in the future.
The Holiday Bowl matches up top teams from the Pac-12 and Big Ten college football conferences. The bowl is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
