Poinsettia Bowl folds, BYU football looking for new bowl contract

The Poinsettia Bowl is folding after 12 years. Now BYU football is searching for a new bowl contract for 2017 and 2018.

BYU football was going to compete in the 2017 Poinsettia Bowl. Just like the Cougars did this year.

Not anymore.

The San Diego Bowl Game Association announced Wednesday morning that the Poinsettia Bowl is ending. The group’s plan is to focus on staging the Holiday Bowl each season.

Mark Neville, executive director of the San Diego Bowl Game Association made a statement this morning.

“College football and the bowl game structure has gone through major changes through the years and our board feels the time is right to focus our efforts on one postseason game,” Neville said. “The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl staged exciting matchups for more than a decade and we were one of the few cities to host two bowl games.”

The Poinsettia Bowl lasted 12 years and has hosted BYU football twice.

The Cougars are 2-0 in the Poinsettia Bowl. The defeated San Diego State 23-6 in 2012 and defeated Wyoming 24-21 in December.

BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe took to Twitter to make a statement on the news.

“BYU has enjoyed a great relationship with the San Diego Bowl Game Association and appreciate the wonderful hospitality they’ve shown us for many years. Although we were sorry to learn the Poinsettia Bowl will no longer be played, we understand the decision and wish Mark Neville, Ted Tollner and their bowl committee the very best. We are working with ESPN to secure bowl arrangements for 2017 and 2018 and have an agreement in place for the Hawaii Bowl for 2019.”

BYU typically has contracted arrangements for bowl games. But, the relationship with ESPN may give the Cougars some leeway to be “free agents” come bowl season. Maybe BYU would be better off without an affiliation.