For those of you who enjoy mixing a little college football bowl action amidst your New Year’s hangover, you’re going to have to wait an extra day once the calendar flips to 2012.
The NFL released its 2011 regular season schedule Tuesday and, assuming the sparring parties get their heads out of their collective nether regions, the league will have a full slate of games on Sunday, January 1. That release jogged many a memory bank into realizing/remembering that the traditional New Year’s bowl games will be pushed back a day to Jan. 2.
This is hardly breaking news, though, as bowl games have in the past been moved to a Monday whenever New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday. The last time that occurred? After the 2005 season, which affected the Fiesta, Sugar, Cotton, Capitol One, Gator and Outback bowls. The Rose Bowl that year was the BcS title game and was played Jan. 4; we’re quite certain neither Texas nor USC fans have not forgotten that particular quirk.
As noted by Dr. Saturday on his Yahoo! blog, the Rose, Sugar, Outback, Capital One, Gator and Ticket City bowls will all move to Monday, Jan. 2, next year because of the way the calendar will fall. The Orange and Fiesta -- maybe -- will follow over the next two days, with the Cotton Bowl landing on Jan. 6 and the BcS title game three days later.
And, for future reference, the next time New Year’s Day will fall on a Sunday? 2017. Please plan accordingly. Unless the Mayans are correct, in which case you can feel free to disregard.
