Popular College Football Bowl Game Canceled After Nearly 30 Years

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The Detroit Lions and Ford Field have announced that they will not be hosting the GameAbove Sports Bowl in 2026, marking the end of the nearly 30-year-old college football bowl game. The bowl game, previously known as the Motor City Bowl and Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, has been a fixture in Detroit since 2002.

Why it matters

The cancellation of the GameAbove Sports Bowl is the third college football bowl game to be canceled in the past year, following the LA Bowl and the Bahamas Bowl. This trend reflects the ongoing challenges facing the college sports landscape, including declining viewership and the need to reevaluate the viability of certain bowl games.

The details

Ford Field cited the end of their current naming rights partnership as the reason for the decision to no longer host the bowl game. The Lions claimed the bowl was created to provide a first-class experience for participants and fans, promote the city of Detroit, and support community and youth football programs. In the final GameAbove Sports Bowl in 2025, the Northwestern Wildcats defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas 34-7.

• The GameAbove Sports Bowl has been held at Ford Field in Detroit since 2002.
• The bowl game was previously known as the Motor City Bowl and the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
• Ford Field and the Detroit Lions announced they will not host the bowl game in 2026.

What’s next

The 2025 GameAbove Sports Bowl will be the final edition of the long-running college football bowl game in Detroit.