College football is losing another familiar postseason stop, and this one hits close to home for Detroit.
After nearly three decades, the GameAbove Sports Bowl has officially been canceled, ending a 29-year bowl tradition that spanned both the Pontiac Silverdome and Ford Field. The news was first reported by college football insider Brett McMurphy, who noted the bowl’s quiet closure just two seasons after its most recent rebrand.
Detroit bowl game canceled
A Longstanding Postseason Fixture in Detroit
The Detroit bowl game first debuted in 1997 as the Motor City Bowl, played at the Pontiac Silverdome, then home of the Detroit Lions. It quickly became a reliable postseason destination for MAC programs, offering Mid-American Conference teams a rare indoor bowl opportunity in the Midwest.
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In 2002, the game moved downtown to Ford Field, where it remained for more than two decades. Over the years, the bowl went through several name changes as sponsorships shifted:
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Motor City Bowl (1997–2008)
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Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (2009–2013)
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Quick Lane Bowl (2014–2023)
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GameAbove Sports Bowl (2024–2025)
GameAbove Sports served as the title sponsor for just the final two seasons of the bowl’s existence.
Conference Tie-Ins and Recent History
While the bowl was traditionally anchored by the MAC, its conference affiliations evolved over time:
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ACC participation from 2014–2019
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Big Ten tie-in beginning in 2020
Despite the conference changes, MAC teams remained closely tied to the game, appearing in eight of the last 11 seasons.
The final edition of the bowl was played in December, when Northwestern defeated Central Michigan 34–7 at Ford Field — a fitting bookend featuring both a Big Ten and MAC program.
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A Troubling Trend for Bowl Games
The cancellation of Detroit’s bowl game marks the third bowl to fold within the past year, joining the LA Bowl and the Bahamas Bowl. The growing list reflects broader challenges facing lower-tier bowl games, including sponsorship instability, rising operational costs, and shifting priorities within college football’s postseason structure.
For Detroit, the loss means the end of an annual college football event that brought teams, fans, and national exposure to the city each December.
The Bottom Line
After 29 years, countless name changes, and hundreds of college athletes passing through the city, Detroit’s bowl game is officially gone. It leaves behind a legacy tied to the MAC, Ford Field, and an era when bowl season kept expanding — an era that now appears to be contracting.
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The post End of an Era: Detroit’s College Football Bowl Game Is Officially Done appeared first on Detroit Sports Nation.
