SEC swaps one funny smell for another

MSU vs. Texas A&M in the 2000 Independence Bowl

The SEC and the Independence Bowl are parting ways after a 15 year relationship that had its good moments (the 2000 Snow Bowl), bad moments (last year's inability to put an SEC team in the game) and ugly moments (the Shreveport Odor Complaint Form).

The league is replacing the Independence Bowl with a new Gator Bowl relationship starting with the 2010 season. The Independence Bowl, which was once called the Granddaddy of Bad Bowls by Spencer Hall, will replace the SEC and Big 12 tie-ins with ACC and MWC teams.

The Gator is dumping their ACC tie-in as well as their hybrid Big East/Notre Dame/Big 12 rotation in favor of a Big 10 team. The new SEC bowl pecking order isn't finalized, but it sounds like the Gator will definitely move in front of the Music City and Liberty in a deal that puts it close to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

Basically, the SEC swaps whatever Shreveport smelled like (see form above) with that gross sour coffee smell that permeates Jacksonville Municial Stadium's parking lots.

This off season has seen incredible movement in bowl tie-ins with the biggest moves surrounding the Gator Bowl and the the Alamo Bowl overtaking the Holiday Bowl. The biggest winners of all these shifts are the SEC, Gator and Alamo Bowls. The biggest losers are the Big East, ACC and Holiday Bowls.

PWD