The lead official for the Pinstripe Bowl knows all about Nebraska football. Especially as it relates to the Huskers in New York City.
Executive director Mark Holtzman is aware, for example, that NU coach Matt Rhule is a native of the Big Apple. He can remind that Big Red’s last game in NYC came in the 1962 Gotham Bowl — the metropolis didn’t host another college bowl until the Pinstripe debuted in 2010.
Will the Huskers be heading east for a December contest in Yankee Stadium? Too soon to start spreading the news. Don’t fuhgeddaboudit either.
“Nothing is assured until after the games on Saturday,” Holtzman told The World-Herald this week. “But there’s a very good chance Nebraska will be available for us to pick.”
Bowl matchups will finalize Sunday, a day after conference championships play out across the sport. With Big Ten finalists Oregon and Penn State both almost certainly bound for the College Football Playoff along with Ohio State and Indiana, the rest of the league pecking order appears to be in place eight teams deep to the Huskers.
The Citrus, Reliaquest and Music City Bowls all have B1G picks ahead of the Pinstripe. Illinois (9-3) appears a lock for the Citrus while Michigan (7-5) is likely heading to Tampa after its upset last weekend of Ohio State. Iowa (8-4) would be the logical choice for Nashville based on record.
Next is the Pinstripe, which would then have Nebraska (6-6), Minnesota (7-5) and Rutgers (7-5) as eligible options. The Scarlet Knights were in the New York City bowl last year and the Gophers the season before that.
“From my perspective it’s about bringing in the right brand,” Holtzman said. “I don’t think 6-6 or 7-5 makes that much of a difference. You want to try to mix it up. With Nebraska, it’s well-known how well they travel and that it could be very special.”
Selection decisions are made collaboratively between bowls and conferences. An ACC team — many outlets have projected Boston College — will oppose a Big Ten school in the Pinstripe. The Big Ten is 8-1 in the postseason game in its last nine editions.
Players and coaches in the bowl get a “real flavor” of the city, Holtzman said. They visit Radio City, the 911 Memorial and Statue of Liberty. Some ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The team hotel is near the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
Colors of the competing schools light up the Empire State Building the night before the game. Last year the bowl took the teams to a ping-pong social club in Midtown.
Nebraska, Holtzman said, would satisfy two main objectives of attracting people to the venue and drawing a strong television rating. ABC will broadcast the game at 11 a.m. (central) on Saturday, Dec. 28.
It’s a myth, Holtzman said, that everything is expensive in New York City during the holidays. Multiple airport options make flights more flexible and reasonable.
His pro tip for any Pinstripe guests: Many hotels in New Jersey are closer to Yankee Stadium than those in New York — and more affordable too.
“Nebraska hasn’t been to a bowl for a number of years and the ability for their fan base to travel is legendary,” Holtzman said. “I’d like to believe with New York and Christmas and everything that Nebraska fans would come out in droves to the most famous outdoor stadium in the world.”
https://huskerextra.com/news/football/it-could-be-very-special-why-signs-point-to-strong-match-between-nebraska-pinstripe-bowl/article_da2d51f0-b361-11ef-b1ba-9b17a6e5a1ad.html
Executive director Mark Holtzman is aware, for example, that NU coach Matt Rhule is a native of the Big Apple. He can remind that Big Red’s last game in NYC came in the 1962 Gotham Bowl — the metropolis didn’t host another college bowl until the Pinstripe debuted in 2010.
Will the Huskers be heading east for a December contest in Yankee Stadium? Too soon to start spreading the news. Don’t fuhgeddaboudit either.
“Nothing is assured until after the games on Saturday,” Holtzman told The World-Herald this week. “But there’s a very good chance Nebraska will be available for us to pick.”
Bowl matchups will finalize Sunday, a day after conference championships play out across the sport. With Big Ten finalists Oregon and Penn State both almost certainly bound for the College Football Playoff along with Ohio State and Indiana, the rest of the league pecking order appears to be in place eight teams deep to the Huskers.
The Citrus, Reliaquest and Music City Bowls all have B1G picks ahead of the Pinstripe. Illinois (9-3) appears a lock for the Citrus while Michigan (7-5) is likely heading to Tampa after its upset last weekend of Ohio State. Iowa (8-4) would be the logical choice for Nashville based on record.
Next is the Pinstripe, which would then have Nebraska (6-6), Minnesota (7-5) and Rutgers (7-5) as eligible options. The Scarlet Knights were in the New York City bowl last year and the Gophers the season before that.
“From my perspective it’s about bringing in the right brand,” Holtzman said. “I don’t think 6-6 or 7-5 makes that much of a difference. You want to try to mix it up. With Nebraska, it’s well-known how well they travel and that it could be very special.”
Selection decisions are made collaboratively between bowls and conferences. An ACC team — many outlets have projected Boston College — will oppose a Big Ten school in the Pinstripe. The Big Ten is 8-1 in the postseason game in its last nine editions.
Players and coaches in the bowl get a “real flavor” of the city, Holtzman said. They visit Radio City, the 911 Memorial and Statue of Liberty. Some ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The team hotel is near the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
Colors of the competing schools light up the Empire State Building the night before the game. Last year the bowl took the teams to a ping-pong social club in Midtown.
Nebraska, Holtzman said, would satisfy two main objectives of attracting people to the venue and drawing a strong television rating. ABC will broadcast the game at 11 a.m. (central) on Saturday, Dec. 28.
It’s a myth, Holtzman said, that everything is expensive in New York City during the holidays. Multiple airport options make flights more flexible and reasonable.
His pro tip for any Pinstripe guests: Many hotels in New Jersey are closer to Yankee Stadium than those in New York — and more affordable too.
“Nebraska hasn’t been to a bowl for a number of years and the ability for their fan base to travel is legendary,” Holtzman said. “I’d like to believe with New York and Christmas and everything that Nebraska fans would come out in droves to the most famous outdoor stadium in the world.”
https://huskerextra.com/news/football/it-could-be-very-special-why-signs-point-to-strong-match-between-nebraska-pinstripe-bowl/article_da2d51f0-b361-11ef-b1ba-9b17a6e5a1ad.html
