ESPN to purchase the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman is reporting that ESPN has purchased the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, played in Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. It was formerly known as the Humanitarian Bowl.

In addition to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, ESPN now owns the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl (St. Petersburg, Fla.), BBVA Compass Bowl (Birmingham, Ala.), Texas Bowl (Houston), Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth), Las Vegas Bowl (LasVegas), Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque), and the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl (Honolulu). Of those, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, Gildan New Mexico Bowl, and Sheraton Hawaii Bowl are all contracted with the MW through 2019.

This year will be the first time the Mountain West Conference sends a team to the Idaho Potato Bowl. The MW representative will be facing off against a team from the Mid-American Conference, also contracted through 2019.

Murphy notes that The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, with ESPN running the show, will be a positive change in solidifying the bowl’s future and give the bowl greater financial stability. He also suggests the purchase by ESPN will allow more flexibility in selecting teams.

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