The college football season ended nearly a month ago, but the sport is still making headlines, though the latest update from the college football world will be a disappointment to fans.
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, the Detroit Lions and Ford Field officially announced they won’t be hosting a bowl game in 2026, which spells the end for the GameAbove Sports Bowl.
“We can confirm that we will not host a bowl game at Ford Field in 2026. With the end of our current naming rights partnership, we felt this was the right time to adjust our focus to invest in sports at all levels and other entertainment events. We would like to thank everyone who made the bowl game a success, especially you the fans,” Ford Field said in a statement.
Ford Field has hosted the bowl game since the Motor City Bowl moved to Detroit from the Pontiac Silverdome in 2002. That bowl was renamed the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in 2009, and then the Quick Lane Bowl until 2024.
The Lions claimed the bowl was created to “provide a first class experience to the participating conferences, participating institutions, student-athletes and fans, to promote the City of Detroit and contribute to the economic revival of Southeast Michigan, and to support community and youth groups that have adopted athletic and leadership development programs dedicated to football in the City of Detroit.”
In the final GameAbove Sports Bowl, the Northwestern Wildcats defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas 34-7.
It’s the third bowl game to be canceled in the past year, joining the LA Bowl and the Bahamas Bowl.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.