May 10, 2017

St. Petersburg Bowl Returns to Prime Time

Kickoff set for Thursday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (May 2, 2017) - The St. Petersburg Bowl will be back in prime time in 2017 with an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Thursday, Dec. 21. The game will air nationally on ESPN. This will be the fifth time the St. Petersburg Bowl is being played at night and the first time since 2014. This season's bowl rotation is scheduled to match up teams from the American Athletic Conference and Conference USA.' "Our game was given the opportunity to return to an evening kickoff and we see this is a positive for our two teams and their fans to have the opportunity to enjoy another full day in Tampa Bay before heading to the stadium," said Brett Dulaney,  St. Petersburg Bowl executive director. "This 8 p.m. kickoff time with the pre-Christmas date will also make our event attractive for local companies to take advantage of the many holiday party offerings we can provide including group ticket discounts, hospitality packages, party deck tickets and luxury suite deals." Last year, in the ninth edition of the St. Petersburg Bowl, Mississippi State became the first SEC team to win in this bowl game holding off Miami (MAC) 17-16. With five seconds remaining in the game the Bulldogs blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt to preserve its come-from-behind victory. Tickets for the 2017 St. Petersburg Bowl will go on sale later this year. To inquire on group tickets and suite packages, please call the bowl office at 727.290.9865. The St. Petersburg Bowl is one of 13 games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.